Abstract
Nanotechnologies for the Energy Market 2009, looks at whether nanotechnology
has in fact had a huge impact on the energy sector. If so, in what way, and if
not, why hasn' t it?
Since the beginning of the century we have heard repeatedly about how
nanotechnologies will have a huge impact on the field of energy, but the hype
about the potential impact of nanotechnologies has not been matched by real
solutions.
Cientifica' s 2007 report dispelled the hype about how nanotechnology was going
to make fuel cells for automobiles suddenly make sense and bring the price of
solar energy generated electricity in line with that produced by fossil fuels.
Instead it showed that greater energy efficiency through energy saving
techniques such as better insulation and lighter vehicles was going to be the
main impact area for nanotechnologies well into the foreseeable future.
But the period of between January 2007 when the first edition was released and
today witnessed a great upheaval in the energy sector. We saw oil prices
skyrocket above $150/bbl and then plummet back down to $45/bbl. On the trip up
and then down, all sorts of economic pronouncements were made such as how the
economics of alternative energies had finally become detached from oil
pricing, and we saw the valuations of alternative energy companies go through
the roof only to come crashing down again.
Now that the dust has settled, what have we learned and what impact will it
all have on the dynamics between nanotechnologies and energy?
How will changes in the current political landscape both in the US and
internationally impact nanotechnology' s development in energy applications?
How has the freezing of credit markets affected the development of
nanotechnologies for alternative energy sources for the near future Where does
hydrogen fuel cell technology stand now? And how will nanotechnology play a
role? What is happening with thin film organic solar cells? Will
nanotechnologies ever make this technology price competitive without
government subsidies? What business model will work for a company trying to
commercialize a nanotechnology in the energy sector?
These common sense questions are addressed in this new report as well as
providing current market numbers and realistic projections over the next five
years.
Compiling lists of all the nanotechnologies that could be used for energy
applications and even cataloguing all the companies providing them only gives
you a fraction of the picture. In the dynamics of the marketplace
difficult-to-measure variables can change the entire picture and determine
whether a technology will work or just add to the dustbin of failed technology
ventures. This report looks at those variables, takes them into account and
gives an assessment of nanotechnologies for the energy market.
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