Our round-up of the season’s best wind power quotes returns – with a heavy dollop of politics. It seems as though we’re not all singing from the same European hymn sheet, and that there are some wildly diverging views about the way forward. Plus ça change… “Having seen a year in which the solar industry… Read more »
Regular contributors to PES, Damen are boat builders of some note. A major force in the European wind industry, they’ve carved a niche by tailoring their products to our precise needs. We spoke to the company’s Jan-Hein Reeringh and Remko Bouma. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since your last appearance –… Read more »
A reliable operator of several German terminals, Buss Port Logistics is known for providing a sterling service to the wind industry’s most demanding clients. PES takes a closer look at the company. Buss Port Logistics operates efficient multi-purpose terminals in Hamburg and other ports, and represents a diverse range of port-specific services. The terminals handle… Read more »
PES is proud to introduce a new regular columnist to the magazine: Christian Holmgaard, CEO and Senior Consultant Project Manager for WTG Partners – a well-respected and well-known Danish consultancy. In this, the first of his missives, he discusses the (manifold) merits of turbine inspections… We see many companies that are looking to invest in… Read more »
The European wind turbine manufacturing industry has “little meat left on its bones” and is heading for a “critical” 12 months in 2013, according to international financier Rabobank. In its latest quarterly renewables report, the Dutch bank said that 2012 would be “a defining year in the survival” of major players in the market, such… Read more »
In this article Vicky Kenrick from international recruitment consultancy, Allen & York, explores the reasons for this surge in potential by examining electricity and turbine prices and the state of the investment market, before concluding with an overview of the job opportunities being created. Wind power is the world’s single fastest-growing source of energy, and… Read more »
Is Europe’s terrestrial wind business in danger of being forgotten? Despite having battled severe economic headwinds, Europe’s offshore wind industry has really picked up the pace this year and substantially increased its market share. According to EWEA, developers connected 132 turbines to the grid in the first half of 2012, and those turbines, which have… Read more »
This September a small town on Germany’s North Sea coast will once again stage what’s billed as the world’s leading wind energy fair. PES will be there of course, and we’re delighted to be able to offer an exclusive preview of the show. Almost a quarter of a century ago, a group of wind turbine… Read more »
As the demand for flexible, controlled power in the grid increases, today’s wind turbines and parks are growing in size. In order to control these wind parks, and to ensure that they are balanced and able to comply with the grid codes all over the world, Mita-Teknik offers an open, reliable, flexible and intelligent Wind… Read more »
As Sales Director (Europe) for Taewoong, Michael Birk Petersen is a familiar face to many in the industry. The company specialises in seamless rolled rings and open die forgings, and from its satellite office in Denmark, serves all of Europe. We spoke to Michael about the company, the stability of the sector, and future growth…. Read more »
Earlier this year, Alstom – a global leader in the world of power generation and transmission – announced that it was to build four new factories in France. In today’s uncertain economic environment, it could be perhaps considered a brave move, but with production of the Haliade 150 at the beating heart of the expansion,… Read more »
While the spotlight tends to fall on the German PV sector, there’s no doubt that the country’s wind industry is one of the most enviable in Europe. Granted, there are some national concerns that need to be addressed, but both the country’s domestic market and export record show remarkable signs of life. PES investigates. As… Read more »
Although global shipping markets currently show signs of recovery, the next threat may just lurk around the corner. In interconnected global markets, non-linear dynamics contribute to sustain or break existing resource flows and associated dominant thinking patterns. It seems that nothing is ever free ofwhat Schumpeter referred to as process of “creative destruction”. In the… Read more »
PES speaks to Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager from FORCE Technology, a leading global technological consultancy and service provider in Scandinavia, employing specialised engineering know-how for practical and efficient solutions to the wind energy business. Wind turbine blades are highly sophisticated products, composed of a variety of materials and composites. During operational life the blades are… Read more »
Rikke Berg, Business Sector Manager for Danish Wind Energy Group of the Danish Export Association provides PES with an in-depth analysis of the organisation and its many benefits. HistoryThe Danish Export Association was founded in 1965 by a number of forward-thinking business leaders in Jutland with Grundfos as one of the main players. The association… Read more »
Stephen Norman, the Met Office’s Senior Wind Energy Consultant, examines recent developments in wind data and assessment, and speaks to PES about how data can be used to a far greater effect on wind energy investments.As the popularity of renewable energy solutions continues to soar worldwide, there are ever increasing numbers of farmers and landowners… Read more »
PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since your last appearance – is the market performing much as your company had predicted? Mikko Niininen: The business has been booming and we are still on a growth base. Happily, the outlook is even more promising for next year than it was last year –… Read more »
Speak to virtually anyone connected to the wind industry in Europe, and they’ll tell you that this year has been perhaps one of the most important that we’ve ever faced. A springboard period for future growth, 2011 was a seminal period, and the highs and lows have all been documented by the European Wind Energy… Read more »
2012 promises to be a good year for CIGS. Among others, Japan’s Showa Shell Sekiiu KK and France’s EDF have announced major new CIGS production projects. However, questions remain whether high volume CIGS production can really become competitive. This is where Smit Ovens’ thermal processes can make the difference… Amorphous silicon and CdTe may have… Read more »
Power-One is the world’s second largest designer and manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters with facilities on three continents producing renewable energy products in Italy, USA, Canada and China. The company offers the full range of photovoltaic and wind products, from small residential inverters to large utility-grade units – a diverse range of solutions to meet the… Read more »
PV manufacturer Schott Solar has announced the launch of a new high performance module. PES takes a look at the Schott Perform Mono 260 to see just how the company’s decades of experience and expertise have shaped their new product. The development team at the German manufacturer have produced the new module in the 260W… Read more »
I’m writing this dispatch as the news comes in on the wires about the decision made by thin-film PV giant First Solar to walk away from its German factories and “indefinitely idle” four of its 24 production lines. To put it bluntly, the blood is continuing to spill across the European solar sector. First Solar’s… Read more »
Dr. Winfried Hoffmann has become the new President of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). He takes over the position after having been elected as EPIA’s new Vice-President, and after Vice-Presidents Boris Klebensberger and Virgilio Navarro Sanchez-Sicilia declined the presidency. Additionally, Jerry Stokes has been elected to fill a vacant seat as a Director on… Read more »
James Pipe, Head of Renewables and Sustainability, Spencer Ogden The solar power industry has enjoyed a prolonged period of buoyancy in recent years. In January this year, a report by PwC confirmed that the global value of renewable technology deals rose by 40% in 2011 and that a third of these were in the solar… Read more »
Andrew Jones, Managing Director of S&C At the helm of a company enjoying its centenary, Andrew Jones considers the pace of innovation in our sector, particularly in relation to the grid and storage, and looks to the next 100 years… Looking back over the last century, there are of course massive differences in the world… Read more »
On the back of the latest round of Feed-in Tariff cuts, we take a look at the continent’s complex relationship with subsidies and consider if the industry can survive without governmental assistance – and where we can all find hope… The last 12 months could well be described as solar’s year of living dangerously. Our… Read more »
The latest solar technologies, applications and market insights will be at Intersolar Europe 2012. PES takes a look… Intersolar Europe, the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry opens its doors from June 13-15, 2012. This year offers 170.000 square meters in 15 exhibition halls and an outdoor area at the exhibition grounds of “Messe… Read more »
OMT have brought over 12 years’ experience in the field of optical metrology to PV. Using their expertise and innovative products, OMT has found success in a number of markets, and have plans to expand even further. Dr. Matthias Eberhardt speaks to PES about their involvement in thin film and the wider PV industry. PES:… Read more »
Regular contributors to PES, Grenzebach are perhaps one of the most recognisable companies in the European sector, if not the world. We’re pleased to welcome Martin Sträb, CSO/CMO of the Grenzebach Group, to the magazine for the first time for a wide-ranging and illuminating discussion. PES: Let’s begin by taking a look at 2012. What… Read more »
After two years at the top, Germany is this year likely to lose its place as the world’s top PV solar market, slipping to No. 2 behind former runner-up Italy, whose incentives-driven climb to the top of Europe’s PV table heralds a major success for the country. Italy’s booming solar power market is expected to… Read more »
Micro inverters, installed on the rack at the back of each solar module, offer a unique and excellent value proposition compared to conventional string or central inverters. And it seems as though the industry at large is finally convinced by the technology. We spoke to Ajay Malhotra, VP Worldwide Marketing and Product Management for Enecsys,… Read more »
PV might be a relatively young industry, but it is the skills and knowledge being brought by those in other markets that is helping drive the market forward. Günter Arens of Hirschmann Automotive speaks to PES about how they are bringing decades of experience to their new ventures. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you… Read more »
Chris Hellwig, Product Manager for Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH, explains how imaging your in-line metrology equipment gives you the results you would expect from laboratory instruments, without the need for time-consuming alignment… Since the mid-90s, Carl Zeiss has constantly aspired to lab-like accuracy in in-line applications. We achieved the same tolerances expected from a laboratory… Read more »
SoLayTec, Manager Marketing and Sales, Roger GörtzenIn the 1980s, when solar cell production was not as substantial as it is today, titanium dioxide (TiOx) was the anti-reflection coating (ARC), a layer that could easily be deposited by atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD). This type of deposition was simple and cheap, but it did not… Read more »
Exactly how successful property owners will be in maximising the benefits of solar power will largely depend on decisions made during the installation process. The gulf between a good and a bad installation is vast, and can dramatically affect the efficiency of the panels, and as a result how much power is generated. In this… Read more »
Stéphane Carpentier, Market Management Coating for Pfeiffer Vacuum joins PES for an interview that highlights the company’s dedication to the very highest levels of service and quality. For more than 120 years, Pfeiffer has been setting standards in vacuum technology with these attributes, and it looks set to continue on this admirable course for a… Read more »