- Category: Publishers Note
EWEA 2014: Optimistic vibe, new turbines and focus on bringing down CoE
The EWEA 2014 Annual Event was held from 10 to 13 March in Barcelona and attracted over 8,000 participants from 84 countries. Although at present the Spanish wind energy market is not flourishing as much as it has done in the past, because of the cancelling of all subsidies by the government, this year’s event was busier than the last couple of years and it seems that the optimism is back as well. During the last few years people talked mostly about the recession and were not so optimistic about the industry in general. For many companies last year’s theme was about retrofitting of ‘older’ turbines, while this year many manufacturers introduced new or upgraded turbines at the show. Of course retrofitting continues to be important as this extends the lifetime of turbines and increases the annual energy production, thus increasing the overall energy production and lowering the cost of energy (CoE).
- Category: Publishers Note
Small-wind power market to grow extensively
The small-wind power market is expected to increase hugely, from 609 million in 2012 to 3 billion by 2020. The global small-wind turbine cumulative installed capacity is also expected to witness a significant increase, from 728.3MW in 2012 to 4,644.7MW by 2020. China, the USA and the UK contributed to more than 80% of the global small-wind power installed capacity in 2012, with 266MW, 216MW and 118MW respectively. Although the future for small-wind looks promising, the market could face some obstacles in the form of the economic slowdown, along with zoning and permitting challenges. Further hindrance could be caused by low public awareness, lack of net-metering programmes and certification issues.
- Category: Publishers Note
What Will the Future Bring for the Offshore Industry?
Offshore 2013, which was organised by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), took place between 19 and 21 November 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany. This event provided the latest information, predicted trends, showcased new innovations and connected key industry and political people.
- Category: Publishers Note
The European Offshore Market
Offshore 2013, which is organised by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), will take place between 19 and 21 November 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany. This event will provide the latest information, predict trends, showcase new innovations and connect key industry and political people. This will be the meeting place to get up to date about the current state of the offshore market and meet with the major players. Currently, the market is dominated by just a few players, but other companies such as Gamesa and Samsung are also becoming involved.
- Category: Publishers Note
Bigger and Taller
Many turbine manufacturers are focusing on increasing capacity by developing bigger turbines. Vestas, for instance, is working on its V164-8.0MW. Recently the company’s test bench at its global testing centre in Aarhus, Denmark, has started operation. The 20MW test bench is capable of testing the full nacelle of the V164-8.0MW, validating the performance, robustness and reliability of the turbine over a simulated 25-year lifetime. Samsung is developing its 7MW turbine, and the prototype 7MW offshore wind turbine has been delivered to Narec’s new test facilities in Blyth, Northumberland, UK. Initially, Samsung’s nacelle will be used to commission Narec’s independent 15MW capacity test facility, before a six-month testing programme begins on the nacelle. Furthermore, Gamesa recently installed its first offshore wind turbine with 5MW of nominal power at the Arinaga Quay in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). These are just a few examples and other manufacturers are working on bigger turbines as well.
- Category: Publishers Note
Looking to the future
Self-supply of electricity is currently a much discussed topic. It is an old idea that was given new life 15 years ago by the ‘Windvogel’ cooperative in the Netherlands, an association that now has over 3,000 members. The cooperative has recently launched the idea of creating a sustainable energy supply for all Dutch citizens using a thousand 7.5MW wind turbines. The wind turbines would be owned by the citizens, who would then be both the producers and users of renewable energy. The Windvogel model, like other similar community projects being initiated around the world, has the potential to change the current energy market, at the same time as supporting local economies and conserving the planet by increasing the amount of renewable energy available to citizens. In the article on page 7 you can read about the Windvogel plan, and its opportunities and obstacles.
- Category: Publishers Note
New Initiatives from Global Alliances
Nowadays, in most countries where wind energy is already deployed, the majority of the people are in favour of this energy source. The industry is facing a hard time not because people oppose it but due to the lack of support from governments. I have said it before, and I am afraid probably not for the last time: we need long-term plans to create a stable industry.
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