Posts Tagged ‘Trends’
May 15th, 2011 | 
Author: Right now, it seems, lighting choice for the home are more about style and less about illumination. Truly, it appears that, based on recent sales, more and more consumers are looking for lighting options that add to the décor, not just make it glow. From the ultra-traditional to the most fashionable contemporary among us, lighting choices are taking off in a new direction. Consumers do not pick up any lamp now; rather, they choose the perfect addition to the room’s decorative elements.
Material-wise, designers are becoming much more open to the mediums they use. Combining the delicate silk shades with industrious wrought iron, or brushed nickel topped with floral patterns, seems to be the newest trend in lighting. The mixture of design elements allows consumers to show their own style and unique tastes through the luminary selections in their homes. This mixture of design elements is quite popular, as the typical genres are combining, making the lines of distinction between, say, traditional and contemporary, much less defined.
Nonetheless, the same genres of design are tending to lead the pack, with traditional lighting at the forefront of the market. However, the traditional style is less ostentatious and more about creating that classic look in a cleaner style. Contemporary is huge, too, but not as eclectic or harsh as it once was perceived to be. And of course, there is still the category of casual elegant lighting, which is nowhere near as lackluster, but is rather now moving toward a more refined and graceful appearance.
Not surprisingly, as focus on living “greener” has become the mainstream ideal, consumers are demanding—and receiving—energy-efficient lighting options for home interiors. From compatibility with energy-saving bulbs to materials manufactured with the least amount of negative environmental impact possible, lighting designers and manufacturers are responding with eco-friendly fixtures for environmentally-conscious consumers. There does not need to be a compromise on style, either. To be certain, some of the most desirable fixtures are also the most visually appealing.
All in all, lighting trends are moving in a direction more indicative of creating an elegance, a softness, to all décor, regardless of the genre. Quality is of utmost importance, from the materials used to the energy that will be consumed. Appearance, too, seems to be factoring into lighting choices among consumers, who are focusing on the decorative impressions that the lighting fixtures can have on a room. A lamp is no longer just a lamp, but a point of interest in the room. Fixtures that flow with the décor and appear to be made “just for” the room are what consumers want, and lighting designers like Bungalow lighting are giving it to them.
Get 50% discount on this report (15 November 2010 TO 15 January 2011)
Introduction
National and EU governments are now showing the level of commitment to the green energy sector that would encourage the development and marketing of green retail energy tariffs. There is scope for suppliers to boost their green energy sales by filling a growing gap in the marketplace as green regulations increasingly take hold.
Scope
*Ten years of renewable power generation data for the USA, Europe, East / Southeast Asia, Oceania and South Asia.
*A detailed review of European consumer perceptions about climate change and the way in which these could be leveraged by utilities.
*A review of some of the significant efforts in green tariff marketing: in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia.
*A review of some of the world’s most pioneering green programs and how best practices can help offset current market structure limitations.
Highlights
Legislation and green awareness have spurred the generation of renewable power, led by EU Member States. Governments play a crucial role in making green energy economically viable, by stimulating the supply side, yet the green B2C market remains very much a marginal part of the power industry and has achieved a fraction of its true potential.
Green tariffs will remain peripheral where suppliers only market them at a premium. Residential customers need reassurances that they are actually buying real green power. Excessively pushing the environmental angle may breed customer cynicism and be counterproductive. Pioneers of green programs have learned to stay clear of these pitfalls.
Green energy is subject to the economic needs of stakeholders and their wider regulatory constraints, yet the growing issue of climate change now provides suppliers with opportunities in selling green energy. For now, utilities can overcome market structure limitations by deploying best practices that centre on price, product and promotion.
Reasons to Purchase
*Determine how utilities can lobby governments and amend their own internal product management operations to sustainably boost green B2C sales.
*Determine what consumers are willing to do to fight climate change, what products and services they are likely to take up and at what additional cost.
*Understand how and why certain providers and countries are fairing much better than others in their efforts to market green energy.
Table of Contents :
DATAMONITOR VIEW 1
CATALYST 1
SUMMARY 1
METHODOLGY 1
SOURCES 2
ANALYSIS 3
Environmental issues are taking centre stage across world energy markets 3
To date, the global market for green energy tariffs has been driven by three main factors 3
Interest in protecting the world’s environment has increased dramatically, presenting new opportunities for B2C green tariffs 4
The emergence of green retail tariffs is a response to the liberalization of electricity and gas markets worldwide 5
The Kyoto Protocol instigated a political movement that drove the uptake of large-scale renewable power worldwide 6
Renewable energy directives worldwide have sparked the adaptation of numerous legal frameworks (1/2) 7
Renewable energy directives worldwide have since sparked the adaptation of numerous legal frameworks (2/2) 8
Legislation and green awareness have spurred the strong uptake of renewable power on the supply side, led by EU Member States 9
Globally, key renewable energy indicators have shown dramatic gains over the past three years – a trend which is likely to continue 10
Consumers will change their habits provided utilities offer them the means and incentives to do so 11
More than half of Europeans feel informed about climate change 11
Europeans deem climate change to be a very serious issue and one of the most serious problems facing the world 12
Climate change is perceived as a serious problem, but one which European citizens are willing to address 13
A significant proportion of Europeans citizens are willing to pay more for green energy 14
Green tariffs linked to the reduction of energy consumption in the home demonstrate great comparative potential 15
Genuine concern about climate change does not always result in remedial actions with tangible green benefits 16
Where electricity prices are much higher than the EU average, citizens are less willing to pay for green energy 17
Europeans citizens believe that the different stakeholders aren’t doing enough to fight climate change 18
Green tariffs could help meet the expectations that citizens have of corporations and industry 19
A review of countries involved in green tariff marketing suggests lessons are to be learned in the US 20
In the US’ partly deregulated electricity market, three types of green power retail offerings coexist 20
Despite the economic downturn, US utilities significantly expanded green power sales at a national level 21
Utility green energy sales in the US continue to make up an increasing part of total retail electricity sales 22
More US consumers are making clean power choices than ever before 23
The success of US green tariffs is attributed to persistent and creative marketing strategies and a falling premium 24
US green power markets will continue growing but state RPS requirements threaten to alter market dynamics 25
In the UK, the disjuncture between green wholesale and green supply is caused by the Renewables Obligation 26
In the UK, the disjuncture between green wholesale and green supply is caused by the Renewables Obligation 26
Of the five types of ‘green’ tariffs offered by suppliers in the UK in 2008, some were much ‘greener’ than others 27
Of the five types of ‘green’ tariffs offered by suppliers in the UK in 2008, some were much ‘greener’ than others 28
In 2008, most ‘green’ energy tariffs suffered from a lack of transparency and clarity. 29
In September 2009, there are less green source and green fund tariffs than at the same time in 2008 30
In the UK, there is still no impartial green tariffs accreditation or audit scheme to substantiate supplier’s claims 30
In Germany, green energy tariffs are actively being promoted as an alternative and way of curbing unpopular nuclear and coal power 31
Green tariffs are mainstream in the Netherlands but incoming EU legislation could unsettle high rates of take-up 32
The success of Australia’s green tariff program hinges on liberalized energy markets and a strong accreditation program 34
Pioneering green retail programs highlight the elements central to any successful green tariff strategy 35
Palo Alto has created one of the most effective and successfully marketed green power programs in the US (1/2) 35
Palo Alto has created one of the most effective and successfully marketed green power programs in the US (2/2) 35
Ecotricity has positioned itself as a semi-green, sustainable, non-premium, small and credible energy company 36
Green Energy UK differentiated itself by only supplying ‘deep green’ or ‘pale green’ electricity 37
Good energy’s has positioned itself as the UK’s greenest and only 100% true ‘deep’ green energy supplier 38
British Gas offers two 100% green tariffs: Future Energy and Zero Carbon, both at a price premium 39
Bounce Energy offer fixed rate for their 100% renewable energy and a modern and rewarding marketing program 40
The deployment of best practices can offset many of the B2C renewable energy market structure limitations 41
Regional, national, and international policies drive the market for green energy, mainly from the supply-side 41
Green energy is subject to the economic needs of stakeholders and their wider regulatory constraints 42
Green energy providers are increasingly scrutinized and held to account by their customers and industry 43
Utilities must create new ‘low hanging fruit’ by driving the adoption of renewable energy, by partnership 43
Beyond government legislation, best practices in green tariff marketing centre on price, product and promotion 45
The successful sale of utility green energy tariffs must focus on five key elements of strategy 45
The burden is on utilities to lobby governments and amend their own internal product management operations 47
APPENDIX 48
Footnotes 48
Graphs of US green pricing program renewable energy sales and US price premium charged for new renewable power – footnotes: 48
Graph of US green pricing program renewable energy sales 48
Graph of US green power sales as a percentage of total retail sales 48
Graph of US customer participation rate 49
Graph of US price premium charged for new renewable power 49
Ask the analyst 50
Datamonitor consulting 50
Disclaimer 50
For more information please visit :
http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Trends-in-B2C-green-energy-marketing-33242.html
Where are home values going? Do real estate pros and economists have the inside scoop – and they just aren’t sharing? ………not quite.
A number of organizations compile and analyze data about housing values – often including projections about where prices are headed. To get the best possible information for use in real estate lending and investing, we’ve reviewed many of these reports. They generally belong to one of two major categories, each containing a critical flaw:
1) Realtors, Homebuilders, Mortgage Bankers and other “special interest” groups have their own full time economists. They produce data compilations and projections about home values and market activity.
Major flaw: It’s biased information. Those whose livelihood is directly
linked to the number of homes that sell have a vested interest in always predict-
ing a positive outlook for home values. During the most inflated home market
in our lifetimes, the 2006-2007 housing boom, the real estate brokerage industry’s
key economist indicated that the market was stable and that no downturn in prices
Advice doesn’t get any worse than that!
2) Legitimate research from economists, data providers, and governmental
bodies: This research tends to be from a wider range of sources. These providers are simply selling their research, (rather than influencing homebuyers) so they tend to give non-biased conclusions about the data.
Major flaw: The bulk of the data and analysis available from these providers consists of statistics for an entire county, city, or zip code, and not a specialized market area. Imagine your own zip code – if a number of lower priced homes happened to sell in a given period, the “average sales price” for your area would
be artificially low, failing to include more expensive homes that didn’t happen to sell.
For real estate lenders and investors, this doesn’t work. Given the importance of knowing where a market is going, we need accurate, unbiased information about what’s going in the specific neighborhoods in which we invest.
Finding a better way…
First, we went looking for reliable sources of information. We spoke to various
research providers in the real estate industry, executives at real estate and
mortgage companies, and to several appraisal firms. We were unable to find a
reliable source of research and analysis that addressed our concerns.
Then, working with our own staff, we defined what information we needed and
what the problems with available data were.
As a result of our research, we realized that we needed specific information
about homes in different markets, with the ability to spot trends in smaller
We had to develop our own
system. We did. – a proprietary system for data gathering, data analysis, and
value tracking.
The system consists of six key components;
1) First, we identified seventeen California homes and townhomes that
represented a cross section of the types of properties we make loans on -
homes ranging in size from 750 to 3,600 square feet, with market values
from ,000 to 0,000, and in areas ranging from inner city to suburban to outlying areas.
2) We documented all of the key information such as square footage, lot size, age, amenities, and similarity to other homes in the area. We always make the assumption that the property is in average condition, comparable to the other homes selling in the same market area.
3) We carefully re-appraise that same home every six months, (and sometimes more often, as necessary) completely starting from scratch, researching homes that have recently sold in the market, as well as similar homes listed for sale.
4) We then analyze the data, noting specific changes in the value of the home.
After determining if the home’s value has increased, declined, or remained stable, we start to research other data available on the neighborhood, the immediate market area, the zip code, the city and the county. Often, the specifics of a 0,000 home in a neighborhood may indicate no change in value, while the statistics relating to 0,000 homes in that same market tell a very different story. We often find large differences between our findings and the general statistics available about the same zip code or city.
5) We then research the surrounding local economy and changes occurring in the local city of county, etc. We study the reasons for any decline or increase in value that may be different from the available data about trends in the larger market area. This part of the process is critical. Understanding the “pocket areas” and smaller sub-markets that completely escape most commonly available research can help avoid making a “bad” loan or bad investment decision.
6) When we receive a loan request or evaluate an investment opportunity, we’re often provided with a property appraisal. We almost always re-appraise the property ourselves, or order an appraisal from an appraiser that we trust. As part of our review of appraisals, we use our value research. It’s unsettling to realize that most appraisers are generally unaware of this type of research and analysis in evaluating property.
This represents a lot of additional work – but does a tremendous amount for the lending and investing process. Many smaller areas, within larger cities or zip codes are increasing or decreasing in value, but not in the same direction as the zip code or city statistics show – all information unavailable from the special interest groups.
The risk imposed by property value fluctuation requires close attention,
careful research, and study. While we don’t have all the answers, this
approach to valuation improves the quality of investment and lending
decisions while reducing risk in the process.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Alpine is a community situated in the eastern region of San Diego County within the state of California. There are approximately 19,227 residents in this Zip code (91901) and 6,597 households. The median age of residents is 38.92 years.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature in Alpine is relatively moderate. The warmest time of year occurs in August during which temperatures reach an average high of 76°F. The coldest time of year occurs in January with average temperatures falling to 54°F.
HOME AND REAL ESTATE PRICES
The housing options in Alpine include single-family homes and properties, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. The price of housing is as follows:
·One bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low 0,000s.
·Two bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low 0,000s.
·Three bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the mid 0,000s.
·Two bedroom single-family homes start in the mid 0,000s.
·Three bedroom single-family homes start in the mid 0,000s.
·Four bedroom single-family homes start in the high 0,000s.
REAL ESTATE MARKET TRENDS
As with most products and services in the United States, price shifts in the real estate industry are subject to the forces of supply and demand. Whether it’s a buyers market or a seller’s market, it is useful to evaluate home sales data for the most recent month available (June 2006), compared against the same period in the previous year (June 2005).
The median price of single-family homes in June 2006 was 7,500, which represents a 10.2% decline from the previous year. The number of homes sold in June 2006 was 17, which was down 37% from the previous year.
Homebuyers and home sellers should keep in mind that the data above is simply a snapshot in time. Therefore, the data must be evaluated over a longer duration to understand enduring market trends.
CRISIL Research expects divergent price trends during the year in Mumbai and NCR (National Capital Region), the two largest residential real estate markets in India. In 2011, prices of houses are likely to decline in Mumbai, whereas prices will rise marginally in NCR. Further, the extent of price decline will vary widely across areas in Mumbai, whereas prices will inch up uniformly across areas in NCR.
CRISIL Research studied the price trend in three major supply pockets in Mumbai and NCR – western suburbs (Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali and Borivali), Thane (Ghodbunder Road), and central suburbs (Dombivli and Kalyan) in Mumbai; and Noida and the outskirts of Ghaziabad and Faridabad in NCR.
City Reality reports offer an in-depth, area-wise analysis of residential, commercial and retail segments covering 400+ areas across 88 micro markets in 10 Indian cities. Read the real estate developer ratings at CRISIL that has developed two specialized products with their real estate research that help housing customers and financial institutions understand the intricacies
Accounting for more than 50 per cent of total planned supply in each city, these major supply pockets would represent the trend in housing prices in the whole city. Mumbai and NCR would together account for more than half the 1.5 billion sq ft housing supply planned in India’s 10 leading cities up to 2013.
In Mumbai, falling demand, owing to diminished affordability, and rising interest rates will trigger a decline in prices in 2011. Prices of houses soared by 43 per cent in 2010, in the city’s three major supply pockets. Prices thus surpassed their peak values, attained in the first half of 2008, by 26 per cent, adversely affecting housing affordability. CRISIL Research therefore expects prices in Mumbai to decline by 8-10 per cent in 2011.
In NCR, prices will move up marginally because of relatively better affordability. Prices went up only by 6 per cent in 2010 in the capital region’s three major supply pockets. Prices in these areas currently are 15-20 per cent less than their peak values in the second half of 2007, making affordability relatively better in NCR than in Mumbai. CRISIL Research therefore expects average prices in the region to move up marginally by 3-4 per cent in 2011.
“Reduced affordability and a likely increase in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India will subdue demand and depress housing prices in Mumbai in 2011. In NCR, relatively better affordability will prop prices despite any increase in interest rates,” explains Nagarajan Narasimhan, Director – CRISIL Research.
In Mumbai, the extent of the price decline would vary widely by area. Prices in premium locations like South Mumbai and Central Mumbai, which have an excess supply of houses priced at more than Rs 50 million, would decline sharply by 15-20 per cent over the next 12 months. Prices will decline more moderately, by about 6 per cent, in areas like Vasai and Virar, where affordability would be relatively better. In NCR, with prices increasing marginally across all areas, the trend, again, will be divergent.