The Mediterranean Solar Plan – a necessity, not an option Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, makes an impassioned plea for the diversification of solar initiatives in Europe. {pagebreak} When Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006, European supplies were not seriously affected. When it did so this year,… Read more »
Gases and chemicals contribute a significant part of the bill of materials for PV cells, and as the industry grows, material suppliers will face a number of key challenges to meet demand. Kaytie Lilley of Linde Electronics offers PES an illuminating view of the sector. The production of photovoltaic (PV) electricity has doubled every… Read more »
Copenhagen must build the road to a sustainable global energy future In February, Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner responsible for the environment, delivered an address to EU Sustainable Energy Week 2009, in which he impressed upon delegates the importance of the imminent Copenhagen United Climate Agreement {pagebreak} – described as: “the world’s last chance to bring… Read more »
European BIPV projects grow – but legislation is still urgently needed A recent report has shown that the European Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) market in last year was estimated at €143 million with a total installed capacity of 25.7 MW for the commercial, residential, industrial and public markets combined. {pagebreak} Currently, there is substantial amount… Read more »
In the race to produce the cleanest and most efficient forms of renewable energy, a vital point is often overlooked – that the renewables themselves need to become a lot more renewable. This theme emerged at a recent Energy Conference in London, with delegates hearing that the most advanced “renewable” technologies are too often based… Read more »
Are the current targets for cutting carbon emissions realistic or setting us up for a fall? Dr Thomas R. Schneider, member of the IEEE, a professional association for the advancement of technology, investigates. {pagebreak} Carbon targets While the European Commission has been working to allocate member countries with their own specific targets by 2012, the… Read more »
Blessed with massive budgets, the military is often an ‘early adopter’ when it comes to technology. Recent reports suggest that US is putting up massive funding for three ground-breaking projects – all of them centred on solar power. {pagebreak} Portable power packs During a battle, the ability to redeploy troops swiftly and without detection can… Read more »
In this enlightening interview, Joachim Melis, Vice President Worldwide Sales for Adept Technology GmbH, puts forward his personal take on the current state of the industry and looks to the future… PES: How did you come to be involved in the renewables industry? {pagebreak} Joachim Melis: Adept Technology has been active in the solar industry… Read more »
At a time of worldwide recession, increasing scarcity of basic commodities and with an untried president in the White House, 2009 will be a year of profound change and turbulence. Old economic rules will be obsolete, the international banking system re-engineered and all the old certainties called into question. {pagebreak} Against this formidable backdrop of… Read more »
In this exclusive column, written especially for PES, Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, argues that Great Britain serves as an excellent springboard for renewables growth across the world. {pagebreak} The global energy sector currently represents one of the most exciting export opportunities for UK companies. UK energy companies already generate revenues… Read more »
Our aim is to be the number one wind project logistics provider in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries Silvasti is a freight forwarder that specialises in oversized, heavy and project cargo. The company provides total logistics solutions for the most challenging transports and installations – especially for the wind industry. {pagebreak} Here, Director Matias Setälä… Read more »
Renewable energy will grow despite the global financial crisis Xxx, xxx for Intellifast discusses his company’s bolt tightening systems and takes a look at the wind industry from a wider perspective. {pagebreak} PES: Welcome back to the magazine. For the benefit of our new readers, can you describe what Intellifast does, and how its products… Read more »
Wind energy will be one of our core businesses in the future As one of the industry’s biggest players, with a formidable record for investment in research and development, Emerson Network Power has just enjoyed a record trading year. {pagebreak} Jeky Li Gang, International Sales, Department Of Wind Power Product, talks to PES about the… Read more »
PRZ Peters Personal GmbH is a recruitment and staffing company with its headquarters in Schenefeld, near Hamburg, and branches in Borken, Dortmund, Hanover, Glauchau, Lübeck, Rostock and Siegen. PRZ Peters Personal GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of PRZ Zeitarbeit GmbH, founded in 1999 by Ralf Peters, is an expanding company with its main focus on aviation,… Read more »
Gerhard Janssen, General Manager Marketing & Sales for global shipping group, Rickmers-Linie, talks to PES about his company’s proud heritage and its turbine carriage solutions. PES: Welcome to PES. Firstly, can you tell us a little about the history of your company? {pagebreak} Gerhard Janssen: Rickmers-Linie’s roots date back to the year 1834, when Rickmer… Read more »
Jens Meilvang of BBC Chartering tells PES how his firm has managed to carve a niche as one of the world’s leading wind turbine shipping providers. Almost since its launch, BBC Chartering has made a name for itself as a global leader in providing bespoke shipping solutions for equipment required in the generation of energy… Read more »
Danvest Wind Diesel Systems for off-Grid power supply Words: Soren Qvist Vestesen, DANVEST Energy A/S With reference to my earlier PES articles from last year, I would like to follow up by discussing a long-term remote adjustment and operation at a commercial wind diesel plant. {pagebreak} Wind power is the cleanest and cheapest energy to… Read more »
In this enlightening interview, Jens Meilvang, Executive Officer Wind Power Division for BBC Chartering, puts forward his personal take on the current state of the industry and looks to the future… PES: How did you come to be involved in the transportation of renewable industry products? {pagebreak} Jens Meilvang: It all started with a management… Read more »
Energy Watch Group – an international network of scientists and parliamentarians – has produced a study on the growth, past forecasts and future prospects of wind energy. In this exclusive extract, Dr Rechsteiner focuses on the sector’s cumulative capacity forecasts for Europe… {pagebreak} Cumulative capacity forecasts and reality: Europe [INSERT FIGURE ONE – GRAPH, PAGE… Read more »
Carbon-to-ServeTM methodology has been developed to generate an end to end supply chain view of the carbon intensity and cost of products of products as they move from source to production. Professor Alan Braithwaite recently presented a paper on the subject to The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’s Logistic Research Network Conference. This is… Read more »
More energy from optimised Permanent Magnet Generator and full-power converter drive train package The Switch, a Finland-based technology company, has been raising the standard for increased energy production from wind with its special drive train that utilises an optimised Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG) and full-power converter package. {pagebreak} By selecting this technology as its chosen… Read more »
It seems you can hardly open a newspaper or turn on the television these days without hearing about the latest disaster linked to the economic crisis. Everywhere jobs are being shed, money lost, sectors that once boomed shrivelling up. {pagebreak} Yet amidst the doom and gloom the latest report from the European Wind Energy Association… Read more »
Wind has a future. Not simply as an energy source, but also a career target. Wind power companies are searching high and low for qualified personnel capable of maintaining, repairing, monitoring and installing their highly-modern wind turbines. {pagebreak} The requirements include having completed occupational training in the fields of mechanical engineering or electrotechnology, expertise in… Read more »
All of Europe’s energy needs could be supplied by building an array of solar panels in the Sahara, the recent climate change conference in Copenhagen has been told. Technological advances coupled with falling costs have finally made it realistic to consider North Africa as Europe’s main source of imported energy. {pagebreak} And by harnessing the… Read more »
Renewable energy resources produced 30% of the electricity consumed in Spain in February 2009, a goal set in 2001 by the EU to be reached by 2010 and which seemed impossible just one year ago. This is according to data from the Electric Network reported this week by Spanish Newspaper El Pais. {pagebreak} In 2008… Read more »
Trina Solar Limited, a leading integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, founded in 1997, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2008. {pagebreak} Full Year 2008 Results Financial and Operating Highlights — Solar module shipments were… Read more »
The Research Council of Norway has announced that it will grant funding to eight national research centres for the development of environmentally friendly technologies. Each centre will receive up to NOK 20 million (EUR 2.26 million) a year for five years. {pagebreak} Various topics will be covered during this period, including solar, bioenergy and wind… Read more »
A company built on simple solutions to complex issues, Eurotron offers a complete solution for the photovoltaic module manufacturing process for backside contact cells. They’ve developed a flexible production line which can adapt to your customised production needs, {pagebreak} and in doing so, have pioneered a 100MW line for the future. PES asked company… Read more »
Power and Energy Solutions, the industry-leading publication from P and G Media, is out today. Packed with essential wind analysis, comment and features, this latest issue focuses on the green collar worker shortage. As the industry is acutely aware, there aren’t enough skilled personnel to fill the jobs that will satisfy the environmental requirements of… Read more »
Stockholm and Hamburg were last week named as the first winners of the new European Green Capital award. The Swedish capital will be European Green Capital in 2010 followed by Hamburg in 2011. The European Commission’s new award scheme encourages cities to improve the quality of urban life by taking the environment systematically into account… Read more »
Solar power history will be made in Southern California, after it was announced that Southern California Edison and Israeli firm, BrightSource Energy, have signed the world’s largest solar energy deal. Now awaiting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (this could happen by as early as 2013), the Israeli-California sun project will power almost one… Read more »
Relight Enerji Üretim, is Relight Group Turkey’s company, received the authorization for three new wind farms in Balikesir, in the North of Turkey. It is expected that the wind farms, totaling about 205 MW, will be operating in 2010 with an overall investment of 300 million Euros. {pagebreak} The Relight activities in Turkey are going… Read more »
Bellville Rodair International (BRI) doesn’t just move with the times, it listens to its customers and sets the pace which other freight forwarders try to follow. Just one example of this is the way BRI has led the way in the race to go green. The global demand for renewable energy paved the way two… Read more »
Solar AG (ISIN DE000A0BVU93), a leading photovoltaic system integrator listed on the TecDAX, reached a decision today on a proposal to be put to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to raise dividend distribution to EUR 0.30 per share for the financial year 2008 (2007: EUR 0.20). This resolution is subject to the adoption of… Read more »
5th PV Industry Forum in Munich, May 25 – 26, 2009 International trends in photovoltaics at the PV Industry Forum The photovoltaics market in flux: growing production capacities and altered political and economic parameters {pagebreak} Future developments, prospects and technological trends in the international photovoltaics market will be the focus of the 5th PV Industry… Read more »
Governments around the world have committed more than €160 billion to support renewable energy initiatives despite the economic downturn, according to a Deutsche Bank analysis. Europe, Asia and the US share key investment themes in solar and wind industries, smart grids, electric and hybrid cars, energy efficient buildings and advanced lighting. In addition, 250 new… Read more »