RENEWABLE ENERGY:
The Solar PV industry generated $38.5 billion in global revenues in 2009, while successfully raising over $13.5 billion in equity and debt, up 8% on the prior year.European countries accounted for 5.60 GW, or 77% of world demand in 2009. The top three countries in Europe were Germany, Italy and Czech Republic, which collectively accounted for 4.07 GW. All three countries experienced soaring demand, with Italy becoming the second largest market in the world.In contrast, Spanish demand in 2009 collapsed to just 4% of its prior year level.Of total European demand, net solar cell imports accounted for 74% of the total.The third largest market in the world was the United States, which grew 36% to 485 MW. Following closely behind was a rejuvenated Japan, which took fourth spot, growing 109%. 

HEALTHCARE:
Wearable wireless sensors are set to grow to more than 400 million devices by 2014, according to ABI Research. A recent survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 73 percent of consumers would use biometric electronic remote monitoring services to track their chronic condition or vital signs.The revenue from worldwide sales of WiFi-enabled healthcare products will reach nearly $5 billion in 2014.

U.S ECONOMY:
The budding US economic recovery will strengthen this year and continue through 2011 on stronger household spending, disposable incomes and corporate profits, a survey of leading economists is showing.

US gross domestic product will expand by 3 per cent in 2010 and 3.1 per cent in 2011, according to private economists for the Blue Chip Economic Indicators survey.

Just last month, the survey's consensus for the year was a much smaller 2.8 per cent rate of growth following a 2.4 per cent contraction in 2009 that was the worst since 1946.

"Underlying this month's improvement in the consensus prediction of year-over-year real GDP growth in 2010 were increases in many panelists' forecast of expected gains in disposable personal income, personal consumption expenditures, non-residential fixed investment and pre-tax corporate profits," the Kansas City newsletter reported.

A pick up in hiring and longer working weeks will boost personal incomes, according to the survey. Extraordinary measures in last year's stimulus plan, including tax cuts and increased government transfer payments, will help improve disposable incomes, it said.

The US economy grew at a 5.7 per cent annual rate in the fourth quarter, its fastest pace in more than six years, boosted by a massive slowdown in the rate at which businesses liquidated inventories.

Although the consensus thinks inventories will continue adding to GDP in the coming quarters, the contributions will become increasingly smaller in short order with only marginal contributions occurring by the second half of next year.

The economists now expect non-residential fixed investment, or that not in the housing sector, to increase 0.9 per cent in 2010, compared to last month's forecast of it shrinking 0.4 per cent.

They see residential investment registering its first year-on-year increase since 2005. That is despite expectations of low new home construction due to record mortgage delinquency rates and worries financing costs will rise as the Federal Reserve ends mortgage-backed securities purchases.

The major brake on US economic expansion will likely come from trade. Trade is expected to subtract from GDP growth this year and next as faster growth in the US spurs import demand and a stronger US dollar and slower growth in some of America's major trading partners caps demand for exports.

RENEWABLE ENERGY:
The Solar PV industry generated $38.5 billion in global revenues in 2009, while successfully raising over $13.5 billion in equity and debt, up 8% on the prior year.European countries accounted for 5.60 GW, or 77% of world demand in 2009. The top three countries in Europe were Germany, Italy and Czech Republic, which collectively accounted for 4.07 GW. All three countries experienced soaring demand, with Italy becoming the second largest market in the world.In contrast, Spanish demand in 2009 collapsed to just 4% of its prior year level.Of total European demand, net solar cell imports accounted for 74% of the total.The third largest market in the world was the United States, which grew 36% to 485 MW. Following closely behind was a rejuvenated Japan, which took fourth spot, growing 109%. 

HEALTHCARE:
Wearable wireless sensors are set to grow to more than 400 million devices by 2014, according to ABI Research. A recent survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 73 percent of consumers would use biometric electronic remote monitoring services to track their chronic condition or vital signs.The revenue from worldwide sales of WiFi-enabled healthcare products will reach nearly $5 billion in 2014.

U.S ECONOMY:
The budding US economic recovery will strengthen this year and continue through 2011 on stronger household spending, disposable incomes and corporate profits, a survey of leading economists is showing.

US gross domestic product will expand by 3 per cent in 2010 and 3.1 per cent in 2011, according to private economists for the Blue Chip Economic Indicators survey.

Just last month, the survey's consensus for the year was a much smaller 2.8 per cent rate of growth following a 2.4 per cent contraction in 2009 that was the worst since 1946.

"Underlying this month's improvement in the consensus prediction of year-over-year real GDP growth in 2010 were increases in many panelists' forecast of expected gains in disposable personal income, personal consumption expenditures, non-residential fixed investment and pre-tax corporate profits," the Kansas City newsletter reported.

A pick up in hiring and longer working weeks will boost personal incomes, according to the survey. Extraordinary measures in last year's stimulus plan, including tax cuts and increased government transfer payments, will help improve disposable incomes, it said.

The US economy grew at a 5.7 per cent annual rate in the fourth quarter, its fastest pace in more than six years, boosted by a massive slowdown in the rate at which businesses liquidated inventories.

Although the consensus thinks inventories will continue adding to GDP in the coming quarters, the contributions will become increasingly smaller in short order with only marginal contributions occurring by the second half of next year.

The economists now expect non-residential fixed investment, or that not in the housing sector, to increase 0.9 per cent in 2010, compared to last month's forecast of it shrinking 0.4 per cent.

They see residential investment registering its first year-on-year increase since 2005. That is despite expectations of low new home construction due to record mortgage delinquency rates and worries financing costs will rise as the Federal Reserve ends mortgage-backed securities purchases.

The major brake on US economic expansion will likely come from trade. Trade is expected to subtract from GDP growth this year and next as faster growth in the US spurs import demand and a stronger US dollar and slower growth in some of America's major trading partners caps demand for exports.