Welcome to a brave new world for European renewables investors, says Phil Hare, Director at Pöyry Management Consulting. If the predictions are to be trusted, exposure to market prices and imbalance risks may result in very different values for current and future asset portfolios… For many investors, renewables have been seen as an ‘invest and… Read more »
As the offshore industry matures, innovation is being increasingly employed in an effort to reduce costs and improve efficiency. When it comes to building turbines, bigger isn’t necessarily better – sometimes the smarter design decisions pay the biggest dividends.The design of offshore wind turbines is one of the most fascinating challenges in renewable energy. Meeting… Read more »
America’s National Wind Technology Center has grown from a site for testing small turbines into the nation’s premier research facility for wind energy technologies, helping the wind industry grow with it. We take a look at its past – and its future. On the plains south of Boulder, Colorado, nestled against the foothills, is the… Read more »
Electric vehicles have the potential to revolutionise how electricity is consumed, says David Porter, POWER-GEN Europe Advisory Board Member and a Senior Advisor to the London energy team of Navigant. But, he argues, the engineering challenges should be seen alongside the social and economic considerations. Electric vehicles are an exciting prospect. With smart grids, they… Read more »
Earlier this year, RenewableUK revealed a number of fresh announcements that highlighted the full extent of the UK’s booming business environment for the offshore wind industry and its supply chain. We take a look at the current state of play in Europe’s wind energy powerhouse. Three massive boosts to the offshore industry in Britain were… Read more »
While it might not come as a surprise to learn that ROVOP provides ROV services to the wind industry, the breadth of its experience in this arena and its commitment to fostering future expertise is a welcome disclosure. We headed to Aberdeen to grab a few minutes with the company’s Commercial Director, Moray Melhuish. PES:… Read more »
Formed in 2006, Seajacks operate self-propelled jack-up vessels for the industry and pride themselves on staying one step ahead in a fast-changing industry. We caught up with the company’s CEO, Blair Ainslie, who gave us the inside track on a fast-expanding organisation that’s looking forward to taking delivery of a game-changing vessel later this year…. Read more »
An already fiercely-contested sector, H&S training is of critical importance for almost all organisations operating within the offshore industry. We found out more about Survivex, an Aberdeen-based company that has made massive inroads in a few short years, and the facilities it employs to deliver the best possible training. The offshore Oil & Gas industry… Read more »
We’re delighted to welcome Sietse Gerssen of Ulstein Equipment to the magazine for a wide-ranging conversation that takes in many aspects of the company’s services and approach to business – as well as a little matter of setting a world record for the fastest installation of 108 monopiles at the ‘West of Duddon Sands’ wind… Read more »
There are very few destinations worldwide that can boast a “home to more than 170 companies in the wind energy industry, representing the sector’s entire value creation chain.” And yet Germany’s Bremen and Bremerhaven can do just that, as Dieter Voss (Innovation Manager Wind Industry, for Bremeninvest), explains… PES: Welcome to PES. Can you tell… Read more »
Nick Green is head of energy in Scotland at real estate specialist, Savills. He specialises in advising landowners and developers involved with wind farms and other renewable energy infrastructure. Here, Nick gives us the lowdown on one of wind’s key battlegrounds. Fresh from a UK General Election which has seen businesses, land owners and property… Read more »
WTG Partners ApS has become one of the forerunners in this non-destructive, inspection-based service for the wind industry, and applies its skills to many of the sector’s leading stakeholders. But what’s involved, exactly? We asked thecompany’s Christian Holmgaard to talk us through the process. WTG Partners use both traditional UT and an advanced form of… Read more »
We’re joined once again by A2SEA A/S and namely by the company’s CEO, Jens Frederik Hansen. Fresh from the successful installation of a field of 6MW turbines, the organisation is looking to up its game this year with a contract to install 8MW turbines. Jens Frederik isn’t at all intimidated by the scale of the… Read more »
Often an overlooked and undervalued factor in the offshore sector, unexploded (UXO) ordnance can nevertheless have far reaching consequences including considerable delays to projects or even a threat to life. We approached Bas Coolen of ADEDE to discuss this vital issue – and to explore the benefits of combining UXO and Archaeological surveys. PES: Welcome… Read more »
From initial baseline ecological survey to impact assessment and the design and delivery of monitoring and mitigation schemes, Baker Consultants ensures ecological compliance for clients who are under increasing regulatory pressures. We took a look at the company’s recent work on the Borkum Riffgrund wind project. The project With a capacity of up to 277MW,… Read more »
The renewable energy industry as a whole is obsessed with lowering costs throughout the supply chain – and efforts are keener than ever in the offshore wind sector. Barge Master is leading the way in this regard, with an innovative selection of systems that reduce the wasted time spent waiting for improved weather conditions. We… Read more »
Alfredo Parres, head of ABB’s wind industry sector initiative, reports on China’s fast-evolving wind industry and how it is adopting new technologies to reduce losses and increase penetration of wind energy on the grid. As part of its drive to reduce carbon emissions and protect its environment and future economy, the Chinese government is pushing… Read more »
An integrated industry-led approach is the only way to help politicians find the Promised Land of maximising Europe’s renewable energy potential, argues Lloyd’s List’s Global Maritime Lawyer of the Year. As the dust is settling following the British General Election there has never been a more important time for politicians to demonstrate leadership in the… Read more »
Allan takes an up-to-date look at the state of wind’s employment market and offers his personal take on how long-lasting improvements can be made. With world focus on the well-being of the earth and its environment, a tidal wave of interest – and more importantly, investment– is pouring into energy initiatives. Among the sources of… Read more »
Now in its 14th year, RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2015 is the heart of the world’s largest offshore wind market; alive with original ideas, unexplored opportunities, new challenges and, most importantly, a common aspiration of a brighter future powered by renewable energy. Aparna Chopde talks us through what delegates can expect from this essential event…. Read more »
A truly innovative company within the offshore wind supply chain, Coordinadora takes service to the next level by offering transportation solutions with the added benefit of engineering know-how. We spoke to the Spanish company’s Business Development spokesman, José Alegria. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to tell us a little about the company and… Read more »
A qualified marine engineer with many years’ experience in offshore wind applications, Peter Jørgensen is a well-known face in the industry. He joins us to discuss CWind’s experience and aspirations, while reinforcing the importance of SHEQ within the sector. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. For the benefit of new readers, would you like to… Read more »
Two renowned industry experts discuss how improved knowledge will be used to drive standardisation, as well as the development of new coatings and better structural solutions for a new generation of high-efficiency wind turbines. Energy has long been a ‘hot topic’ of political debate, but has recently gathered even more momentum, following the publication of… Read more »
A German company with an international reach, Loser Chemie GmbH has developed a number of critical processes that reduce the environmental impact of solar. And better still, they are working on ways of increasing the efficiency of installed PV systems. We spoke to two of the company’s leading lights: Ulrich Loser and Wolfram Palitzsch. PES:… Read more »
Thanks to many years of experience in engineering and development within the challenging, high quality level automotive industry, Hirschmann Automotive was able to raise the standard of connection technology for solar modules to a new level. As a result, they set new global standards of cost/benefit, reliability, and differentiation ability. We spoke once again to… Read more »
Installed solar photovoltaic capacity in the UK nearly doubled in 2014, from 2.8GW to over 5GW. In DECC’s April figures it was reported that overall UK solar PV capacity stood at 5,709MW at the end of March 2015 across over 680 thousand installations. This milestone achievement is testament to the hard work of Britain’s several… Read more »
Despite a challenging period in the German marketplace, Ingenieurbüro Mencke & Tegtmeyer GmbH endures, with a burgeoning international business and a positive outlook. In this refreshingly-candid interview Dirk Tegtmeyer looks back over the past few years, while casting his eye to a more encouraging future. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. How has business been… Read more »
We’ve tracked the continued success of Kipp & Zonen for a while in PES and indeed, have interviewed several of the company’s executives. In this issue, we headed back to The Netherlands for an interview with Paulien Adema (Business Manager), during which she discussed new products, global expansion and an increased focus on accuracy… PES:… Read more »
With three major new initiatives in progress in Europe alone, the industry is committed to removing PV’s last barrier: funding. We look at the efforts being made to help solar’s sums add up – including an ingenious crowd-funding initiative… Just this month it was revealed that Chinese solar companies, some already heavily indebted by massive… Read more »
There’s no doubt that the PV industry is doing its utmost to further its green credentials and one of the key battlegrounds is focussed around what to do with spent units and other consumables. PV CYCLE is leading from the front in this regard, with a range of innovative and effective options for importers and… Read more »
The use of a clear “ball lens” to concentrate light into a beam of energy may improve solar power efficiency by up to 50 percent, believes a PV pioneer. Plus, we take a look at some other solar innovations that may transform our industry. Over six years ago, futurist Ray Kurzweil stated that, within 20… Read more »
The cleaning of sensitive surfaces is a challenge. And according to Serbot AG, many operators of solar panel installations give away their profits because they are unaware of the effect that dirt has on their installations. PES investigates the Swiss company’s innovative, robotic solutions. Certainly, the surfaces on PV installations often still look good, but… Read more »
While manufacturer Spitzenberger & Spies have discussed the DC aspect of the solar inverter in previous PES articles, they return to PES today to discuss the impact of an inverter’s DC and AC aspects… In common solar installations the main focus of the owner is set to the maximum efficiency of the solar energy conversion…. Read more »
The PV industry has watched with interest as, in the last 12 months, Trina Solar finally became the number one crystalline module manufacturer globally, shipping over 3.6 GW to disparate markets. We asked Jing Tian, Trina Solar’s Head of Global Marketing, about the company’s sustained success and its plans for an even brighter future. PES:… Read more »
Would you exhibit Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa outside? In an environment with no fences or security? Looking after a piece of art in such an environment is not an easy task, and the same applies for any object of value in a PV power plant. viamon’s Bas Zapf talks us through the process… A… Read more »
As one of the world’s most important producers of standard testing chambers and systems for environmental simulation, stability testing and emissions testing worldwide, Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH is a vital cog in the global PV machine. We quizzed Andrea Bodenhagen about the company’s pioneering work and commitment to continued innovation. PES: Welcome back to PES. For… Read more »