Author: Francesco

Competence and knowledge that comes from supervising more than 10 offshore wind farm projects

Advanced Offshore Solutions was established back in 2006 by Kurt E Thomsen, a pioneer in the offshore wind farm installation business. Since then, the Danish company has established a reputation for being a world leader in the design, building and implementation of transport and logistical solutions for the offshore wind industry. PES talks to Mr… Read more »

New CanWEA Chair aims to close policy gaps

It seems as if America is not the only nation in North America that is crying out for reform. The Canadian wind energy industry needs improved support from governments, utilities, and communities as it moves into the mainstream of country’s energy sector, says the new Chair of CanWEA’s board of directors. Gary Pundsack, Government Relations… Read more »

Catching the wind with laser technology

The wind industry could soon be using a new type of innovative technology that has more to do with lasers than ecology. A new laser system that can be mounted on wind turbines allows them to prepare for the wind rushing toward their blades. These lasers act like sonar for the wind, bouncing off microscopically… Read more »

Report claims China is putting the squeeze on US wind-power market

American companies are being squeezed out of the lucrative Chinese wind-power market at the same time as Dallas-based investors are bringing Chinese firms to the US via a big wind farm project in Texas, according to a new industry report. PES examines a potentially-damaging situation. The study examines Chinese government policies promoting the development of… Read more »

Keep on watching the skies

Wind turbines are on the up. The giant constructions are constantly getting taller because, as every schoolboy knows, the higher you get off the ground, the greater the wind speeds. But building big towers is a costly business, especially if you want one 15,000ft tall. So why not ditch the tower and make the windmill… Read more »

Wind turbines are on the up.

The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz fretted over his joints, and owners of wind turbines have the same angst. They need to be assembled offshore and maintenance of the joints is critical where a 20+ year life expectancy under the buffeting of winter seas and gusting storms is normal. The assembly is subject… Read more »

Full wind ahead for Nebraska

French fur traders first visited Nebraska in the 17th Century and the state was later explored by pioneers Lewis and Clark from 1804-1806. A few years later, Robert Stuart pioneered the Oregon Trail across Nebraska in 1812-1813 and the first permanent white settlement was established at Bellevue in 1823. Now a new report says Nebraska… Read more »

Technical report: offshore wind grid is the answer

The solution to offshore wind energy obstacles lies in pooling all the power into one common electricity grid, according to researchers at the University of Delaware and Stony Brook University. “We hypothesize that wind power output could be stabilized if wind generators were located in a meteorologically designed configuration and electrically connected,” say the authors… Read more »

Safety issues must never be taken for granted

The potential for serious accidents in the wind industry should never be underestimated. Wind turbines are massive, potentially highly dangerous structures and in an industry that boasts an enviable safety record, it is as important now as ever to ensure that safety remains our watchword. PES looks into what is going on in the industry… Read more »

Sailing close to the wind

With offices throughout Europe and the US, Navigant Consulting’s Energy practice helps clients strengthen their enterprises in order to increase performance, opportunity, and growth. PES spoke to Bruce Hamilton, the company’s Director of Energy, in Portland, Oregon, about its success record and about the future of wind and other renewables … PES: Welcome to PES… Read more »

Wind turbine sound and health effects

Dr. Robert McCunney is a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Biological Engineering, a staff physician in occupational and environmental health at Massachusetts General, and a clinical faculty member at the Harvard Medical School. He was the lead drafter of Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects: An Expert Panel Review. Here,… Read more »

Official: 20 per cent wind is possible by 2024

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is about to release the Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS). This unprecedented two-and-a-half year technical study of future high-penetration wind scenarios is designed to analyze the economic, operational, and technical implications of shifting 20 per cent or more of the Eastern Interconnection’s… Read more »

HELUWIND Uwe Schenk

Some people’s enthusiasm for an industry that can often seem impersonal and product-centered might wane after a few years. Not so Uwe Schenk, Product Manager of HELUWIND Cables. His passion for the wind business remains as intact now as it was when he joined a burgeoning industry, more than a decade ago. PES spoke to… Read more »

Rickmers-Linie overcomes financial crisis

Rickmers-Linie, the heavylift, breakbulk and project cargo specialist based in Hamburg, has seen indications that the challenging months of financial crisis have been overcome – with wind power transport identified as one of the defining drivers of the upturn. PES takes a closer look at the company and its wind-optimised fleet. Gerhard Janssen, Director Marketing… Read more »

Community engagement a crucial element for a successful wind farm

There are four basic elements necessary for successful wind farm development: sufficient wind resource, access to transmission, someone to purchase the power, and the appropriate land on which to site turbines. The first three parts of the equation either exist or they don’t. It is the fourth element – the social aspect of dealing with… Read more »

Current considerations for investment into wind projects

Renewable energy appears to be one of the areas that have been less affected by the financial market’s turmoil and economic downturn. In fact, green energy is widely regarded as a fairly safe haven for investors in many countries, offering long-term prospects with low risk because of reliable technology, rated off-takers and attractive returns. Wind… Read more »

A lean, green, transportation solution

With wind turbines helping the worldshift to a greener energy supply, moreand more environmentally-consciousmanufacturers – and their customers– are interested in utilizing a greenertransportation mode to get their windturbines to their destination. CN is in astrong position to support this importantemerging market, with a shipping solutionthat is truly seamless, and a definitegreen advantage.Emissions reduction is… Read more »

Poised for global expansion

A family-owned company, Vest Kran is one of the leading full-service providersof engineered heavy lifting and logistics in Scandinavia. PES talks to Njaal R. Solange about the firm’s expansion into global markets and its dedication to maintaining high standards. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you tell us a little about the history of your… Read more »

Shipping oversized wind components across a massive rail network is a highly complex process

Union Pacific is one of America’s leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is North America’s premier railroad franchise, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. PES speaks to Ken Adams who heads up the company’s wind team … PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. First, can you… Read more »

Eliminating Fundamental Design Flaws Before They Become A Liability

SIMPACK AG offers general purpose three dimensional Multi-Body Simulation Software which is uniquely suited to the analysis and design of any type of wind turbine design. Built upon well-proven technology used in other application areas – such as the gear wheel element developed for the Formula 1 racing industry – the company delivers a pre-eminent… Read more »

An eye on the future of wind turbine transportation

Gulf Stream Marine commands attention for its innovations and flexibility. Now more than ever, both help the company maintain its position as a leader in the specialized field of wind turbine transportation. Company CEO, Jan Rietdijk, explains … PES: PES first caught up with Gulf Stream Marine last year. What is new with the company?… Read more »

Were Emerging As A Key Transportation Provider In The Wind Energy Market

As Vice President of Industrial Products Sales for BNSF Railway, Katie Farmer has witnessed railroad’s evolution into a 21st century transport provider for 21st century industries such as wind power. PES talks to Katie about the company’s growing influence and its ‘total transportation package’. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you explain a little about… Read more »

A quick response to global customers

PES last spoke to Emerson Network Power’s Jeky Li Gang (International Sales Manager, Department Of Wind Power Product) in 2009, just after the company had posted a record trading year. We caught up with him once more to find out how the Chinese company has evolved and to discover what they’ve planned for the coming… Read more »

Invenergy tries to woo Brown County for wind farm project

Invenergy LLC officials say they have a track record of profitable projects and satisfied customers to support their efforts to bring a wind farm to Brown County. “If one looks overall at this, they’ll see there’s a high level of comfort,” said Kevin Parzyck, project manager for the proposed 100-turbine Ledge Wind Energy Project in… Read more »

DOW WIRE & CABLE AT WINDPOWER 2010

Dow Wire & Cable, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, will be participating in the WINDPOWER 2010 Conference and Exhibition, May 23-26, 2010 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, TX. The company formulates, tests and validates medium voltage (MV), high voltage (HV) and extra-high voltage (EHV) materials ideal for underground (UG) and… Read more »

SGS Exhibits at the RenewableUK Offshore Wind 2010 Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool, UK

SGS is one of more than 100 exhibitors at RenewableUK’s (formerly known as British Wind Energy Association, BWEA) annual offshore wind energy event. The RenewableUK Offshore Wind 2010 conference and exhibition will take place on June 29-30, 2010 at the Arena & Convention Centre in Liverpool, United Kingdom. SGS Renewable Energy Services will be exhibiting… Read more »

SOLON SE expands Greek business

Berlin, May 6, 2010. SOLON SE closed a project deal with the Greek company NRG-ORION for the delivery of solar modules with a total capacity of 1.5MWp. NRG-ORION is one of the largest system integrators for solar power plants in Greece. The SOLON modules will be used to construct a ground-mounted PV system at the… Read more »

Applied Materials Sees Strong Demand for Esatto Double Print Technology

Applied Materials Sees Strong Demand for Esatto Double Print Technology for Manufacturing Higher Efficiency, Lower Cost Solar Cells SHANGHAI–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Applied Materials, Inc. today announced at the SNEC 2010 PV Power Expo* that its Esatto TechnologyTM is expected to be used in more than 2 gigawatts of annual cell manufacturing capacity in the next few… Read more »

Underwriters Laboratories Announces Applied Materials’ SunFab Line Modules First..

Underwriters Laboratories Announces Applied Materials’ SunFab Line Modules First to Meet Master Certification Program Requirements for the Solar Industry NORTHBROOK, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a world leader in safety testing and certification, announced today that photovoltaic modules produced by an Applied Materials SunFab Thin Film LineTM are the first to qualify for UL’s Master… Read more »

Trade fair in Tripoli

Trade fair in Tripoli: Ferrostaal sees tremendous potential in Libya At the Tripoli International Fair, which concludes tomorrow, Ferrostaal AG shows its activities in the oil & gas industry and announced the further expansion of its activities in Libya, particularly those concerning renewable energy. As Carsten Arlt, Head of Ferrostaal in Libya, remarks, “Its steadily… Read more »

DEK Solar Shipments Pass 1GW Milestone

At the end of the first quarter of 2010, the total shipments of DEK Solar’s PV1200 metallization platforms exceeded the industry measure of 1 Gigawatt of energy generation capacity. The achievement is all the more notable as DEK only re-entered the Alternative Energy sector 18 months ago with a new screen print platform designed expressly… Read more »

Kyriakos Maniatis awarded for Europe’s Top Bioenergy Prize at the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Kyriakos Maniatis awarded for Europe’s Top Bioenergy Prize at the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition – Europe’s prime event for the world’s Biomass specialists Lyon, 3 May 2010 – On the occasion of the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, taking place in Lyon, France, the Johannes Linneborn Prize for achievements in biomass development… Read more »

SOLON further expands manufacturing site in Greifswald

Greifswald, May 3, 2010. After only eight weeks of construction, SOLON SE inaugurated a new production line for solar modules at its manufacturing site in Greifswald today. As a consequence, nearly 60 new jobs have been created. Mr. Erwin Sellering, minister president of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mr. Jürgen Seidel, state minister for economic affairs,… Read more »

Italian Manufacturer Soluzione Solare presents a new solarimeter

Italian Manufacturer Soluzione Solare presents a new solarimeter to measure solar radiation at the trade fair Intersolar Europe Vicenza, 3 May 2010. The Italian company Soluzione Solare has developed the new solarimeter Litemeter – a tool for measuring solar radiation and to determine whether a solar system is performing at correct levels. The new product… Read more »