- Category: Publishers Note
High Altitude Wind Energy – Is It Just ’Blue Sky’ Thinking?
Windtech International is well known for bringing you articles about new innovations which seem strange at first glance. Over the years we have published several articles about different devices for capturing high altitude wind, also called airborne wind energy (AWE). Because wind velocity and consistency increases as altitude increases, and wind power increases with the cube of the velocity, the potential wind energy available at higher altitudes is a huge untapped resource.
- Category: Publishers Note
What is the Affect of the Debt Crisis on Wind Energy?
At the moment the world, and especially Europe, is facing a debt crisis. While the sovereign debt increases have been particularly pronounced in only a few eurozone countries, they have become a perceived problem for the area as a whole. The USA is facing a similar problem with its budget crisis, which is solved for the time being but without a long-term solution. The debt crisis has made financing of 'risky' enterprises (such as wind) more difficult to obtain unless greater accuracy of prediction of yield and reliability can be found. The articles in this issue tackle this problem from different angles and are of timely relevance with regards to the current economic situation.- Category: Publishers Note
Optimism about the short and long-term US market
The WINDPOWER 2011 Conference and Exhibition took place from 22 to 25 May in Anaheim, California, USA. Although it felt less busy than in former years, the event was successful. With thousands of wind energy professionals walking the exhibition halls, learning in the education sessions, and networking at the many social events, this year's event was a perfect mix of business and pleasure.
- Category: Publishers Note
Improving Performance
Improving the performance of wind turbines is a key topic for the industry. When the performance is improved the cost of energy decreases and makes wind energy obviously more viable. In this issue of Windtech International we have several articles focusing on this topic from different perspectives.
- Category: Publishers Note
Direct Drive the Future of Wind Energy?
The EWEA Annual Event, formerly known as EWEC, took place between 14 and 17 March in Brussels, Belgium. The conference consisted of 40 sessions featuring over 200 speakers and more than 300 specialised poster presentations. The EWEA annual exhibition in 2011 was the largest ever with regards to the number of exhibitors (about 400 different companies). The organisers expected 10,000 visitors, but after four days 8,600 had turned up. At the exhibition floor it also looked slower than other years. This was maybe due to the fact that the exhibitors were spread out in three big halls and the conference was not that close to the exhibition. Nevertheless, the event was successful.
- Category: Publishers Note
Driving the Wind Energy Industry
The theme of this year’s EWEA, which will take place between 14 and 17 March in Brussels, Belgium, is ‘Driving the Wind Energy Industry through Science’. This is a vision we ourselves support, and for the past four years Windtech International has aimed to keep you updated about technological developments in the industry. However, while doing this we do not neglect the economic and political aspects, including the major (political) topics of these days, offshore wind and grid integration/improvement.
- Category: Publishers Note
Will the market be on the way up again?
2010 was a relatively good year for the wind industry, although there are differences between continents/countries. The numbers posted by the US wind industry in the third quarter of 2010 made for its slowest quarter since 2007. Once the year's final numbers are tallied, they are expected to show that China installed approximately three times as much wind-powered electricity as the USA in 2010, and Europe twice as much, as US installations fell to just over half of 2009. Factors in the US decline included an absence of long-term US energy policies (such as a Renewable Electricity Standard), resulting in an unstable business environment, and utilities being less eager to enter wind energy power purchase agreements. Good news from the USA is that Congress passed a major tax-cut deal that included a one-year extension of the incentive program for renewable energy projects. The Bill, which otherwise would have expired at the end of the year 2010, was signed by Barack Obama on 17 December 2010. This means many projects that were hanging in the balance will now be approved by integrators, investors and companies. The Treasury program 1603, which covers up to 30% of the cost of alternative energy projects, has supported more than 100,000 jobs and US$ 18 billion in investment for thousands of installations. The year 2010 saw a growth in solar and wind projects because of 1603. During a down economy 1603 was instrumental in bringing many new jobs to the US economy.
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