FORCE Technology is one of the leading consulting service providers within the wind energy sector. Innovative, forward-thinking and adaptable, the Danish firm has built its reputation on delivering highly-customised, high-quality inspection services. We caught up with Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager, Wind Energy Business Development, for an interview. PES: Welcome to PES. Can you begin by… Read more »
The common goal to increase energy efficiency is driving the development of ever more reliable pressure sensors for use in wind turbines, says Mike Powers. Maximising energy efficiency protects profit margins and strengthens businesses; it also satisfies our human need to know that we are all working towards sustainability. Pressure sensors have played a major… Read more »
Engineering knowledge and innovation are crucial in meeting the challenges of wind farm development, and meeting them safely. Hailo’s Managing Director, Winfried Czilwa, speaks to PES about how the company has gone from pioneer to being Europe’s largest climbing equipment manufacturer. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How has business been since we last spoke?… Read more »
A globally-operating company with manufacturing plants in the Netherlands and the US (and representative offices in England, China and Poland), Holmatro’s hydraulic products are used across the entire globe. We take a look at the company’s operations, and discover how it fits into the European wind sector. Since 1967, Holmatro has manufactured and supplied high-pressure… Read more »
The latest research from Wind Energy Update reveals that despite the huge amount of attention given to gearbox failure, electrical faults are a leading cause of offshore wind turbine downtime. Failures of electrical and controls systems are the root cause of wind turbine repairs in 50% of cases, and operators should expect an electronic or… Read more »
Unexploded bombs littering European coastal waters provide a dangerous new challenge for wind farm developers. PES examines all the issues surrounding this potentially explosive situation. The seas around Europe have been martially contested for hundreds of years and such warfare, in particular the Second World War, has left a potentially lethal legacy of unexploded devices… Read more »
Despite the continued concerns over the visual impact of offshore wind farms, France is still pressing ahead with its ambitious plans for investment in wind energy; controversially proposing sites offshore of the D-Day landing sites. Elsewhere, 2020 renewable energy targets are looking easier for some than others, and new targets for the following decades are… Read more »
A valued member of the team at Ormazabal, Andoni Iturrizaga is well-known throughout the industry. But what’s not quite not so well-known, however, are his views on the sector and what drives him on to excel in his job. We caught up with the busy executive… PES: Thanks for your time today, can you firstly… Read more »
With the number of European wind farms set to grow, a new EU strategy outlines how these installations can operate in economic and environmental harmony. PES presents all the salient points. The rapid expansion of wind farm installations in the coming years will bring many benefits to society, not least in reducing greenhouse gases. In… Read more »
Donald Trump has written to Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond, regarding proposals to build an 11-turbine wind farm off Aberdeen Bay, 2km (1.2 miles) from his golf course. The US tycoon has said that his wind farm fight is for Scotland’s benefit and not just his luxury golf resort, which is nearing completion. A planning… Read more »
The EU’s SEANERGY 2020 project has an overall aim to provide policy, regulatory and planning conditions recommendations that can reduce barriers to the growth of offshore power generation from marine renewable sources. Here we present an extracted comparison of the Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) regimes in 17 EU Member States in relation to offshore renewable… Read more »
A worldwide increase in energy demands and supportive renewable energy policies have been key factors in the growth of renewables over the last decade. Between 1998 and 2007, wind power’s installed capacity has grown by 30.4 per cent each year, and international organisations are expecting similar figures until the year 2030. The expected expansion of… Read more »
I’ve recently carried out some research into wind farm operation and maintenance, as part of the production for our upcoming conference – are you interested in having a look at one of the presentations delivered at our O&M 2010 event last year? It is entitled “The Changing direction of owner / operators towards a consistent,… Read more »
Hamburg: DNV has appointed Matthias Laatsch to lead its wind energy operations in Hamburg, Germany. Due to the combination of its global leadership in the certification of offshore wind projects and strong local capabilities in marine operations and surveillance in fabrication yards, DNV is in a prime position to support Germany’s offshore wind energy industry…. Read more »
The European Commission today proposed new EU legislation for speeding up and financing new energy infrastructure. “9.1 billion Euros of financial support from the EU budget for priority projects is substantially more money than was provided in the past”, said Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive Officer of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), referring to the… Read more »
Tentec’s Aero range of bolt tensioning equipment for the installation and maintenance of wind turbines are now the tools of choice for installation and maintenance engineers on the world’s largest operational offshore wind farm – Thanet. Following highly successful trials, comments on the bolt tensioning equipment from Tentec include “the tools have proven to be… Read more »
WindMade reveals certification criteria for clean power company label Today, WindMade launched the Technical Standard for the first global consumer label for companies and organizations to buy wind power and other clean renewable energy. The label is backed by the UN Global Compact, WWF, Vestas Wind Systems, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the LEGO… Read more »
In order to ensure reliable communication with its data loggers the leading wind measurement expert Ammonit has implemented Network Manager tools developed by Lanedo. As data loggers are mainly operated in remote areas around the globe and store valuable measurement data, stable communication via modem is essential. After unsatisfactory results with off-the-shelf hardware, Ammonit has… Read more »
NRG Systems, manufacturer of measurement systems for the renewable energy industry has agreed to invest in Oenko, a manufacturer and installer of lattice towers for wind resource assessment and wind farm monitoring. This investment pairs NRG Systems’ nearly 30 years in the wind energy industry and its complete system approach with Oenko’s cutting-edge lattice tower… Read more »
A recent report commissioned into offshore wind energy found that the costs of keeping offshore turbines online ranges from €100,000 to €300,000 per year Vs an allocated €45,000 per turbine for onshore portfolios. With the latest round 3 projects typically 60km+ from shore, reliability, optimisation and cost reduction are becoming top priority for wind farm… Read more »
New results on offshore electricity grid infrastructure in Europe: the EU “OffshoreGrid” project analysis reveals tremendous cost saving potential. Report published in Brussels today. Offshore grids, connecting North and Baltic Sea wind farms to electricity consumers, will be substantially cheaper to build than expected. Building “hub connections” at sea instead of using cables to connect… Read more »
As the offshore wind sector grows so will the size of the turbines used to power its energy into electricity? According to the Offshore Wind Supply Chain Strategy Report 2011 the average size of offshore wind turbines is set to grow from its present 2 to 7MW capacity range to between 10 and 20MW in… Read more »
Mexico’s first high level international wind energy event will take place on 14-15 February 2012 in Mexico City. Mexico WindPower 2012 is being organized by the Mexican Wind Energy Association (AMDEE), E.J. Krause de México (EJK) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). “It is a great pleasure to participate in the launch of this… Read more »
DNV’s recognized standard for design of offshore wind turbine structures has been through a revision process together with the wind energy industry. The updated standard which aims to reduce cost and increase safety is now available. The standard, Design of Offshore Wind Turbine Structures (DNV-OS-J101), provides principles, technical requirements and guidance for design, construction and… Read more »
Recently, published figures show that the wind energy industry is bouncing back from a disappointing 2010. The first half of this year shows a 72 per cent increase in generating capacity compared to the same time last year. However the grim, if not predictable spectre of the Production Tax Credit renewal is looming, and could… Read more »
The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) convenes international multi-stakeholder leadership to enable a rapid global transition to renewable energy. It promotes appropriate policies that increase the wise use of such energies in developing and industrialized economies, and its Chairman, Mohamed El-Ashry, has worked tirelessly to promote its successes and strengthen the… Read more »
After a relatively slow year in 2010, figures for the first half of this year show wind energy returning to growth. Strong political support from both parties, as well as increasing awareness within communities of the economic benefits of wind power developments, will hopefully make 2011 a strong year for wind energy. However, the impending… Read more »
US wind energy continued to rebound in the second quarter of 2011, with 2,151 megawatts (MW) of electrical generating capacity installed in the first half of 2011 versus 1,250 MW during the same time in 2010, up 72 percent. However, analysts at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) cautioned that without stable policy such as… Read more »
It seems incredible, but the DOE’s Wind Program has now worked with industry and other partners for more than 30 years to advance both large and small wind energy technologies. PES takes a look at how the sector can grow yet further, to secure a larger market in the face of increased renewables competition. For… Read more »
The Department of Energy’s annual market report is hotly anticipated, filled as it is with all the sector’s essential data from the last 12 months. We’re pleased to be able to offer a critical overview of all the salient points from this recently-published whitepaper. The US wind power industry experienced a trying year in 2010,… Read more »
Offshore wind energy can help the nation reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, diversify its energy supply, provide cost-competitive electricity to key coastal regions, and stimulate revitalization of key sectors of the economy. However, if the nation is to realize these benefits, key challenges to the development and deployment of offshore wind technology must be overcome,… Read more »
The wind energy sector in Ontario will generate a significant amount of both electricity and economic activity over the course of 2011 through 2018. Specifically, during this timeframe, the sector is expected to: install over 5.6 GW of wind energy capacity, bringing Ontario’s total wind energy capacity to 7.1 GW by 2018; create 80,328 job… Read more »
With an economy struggling out of recession, and uncertainty over energy policy, securing investment in renewables has never been more important to the future of the industry. PES takes a look at current state of energy investment, and how wind is leading the race to secure funding for new projects. Renewable energies are expanding both… Read more »
With significant investment in wind energy, local communities and economies can enjoy a great deal of fringe benefits that stem from renewables – a secure, clean energy future is just the start. PES takes a look at the wider impacts of wind energy in Texas… Texas is a global leader in installed wind energy. If… Read more »
As alternatives to conventional vehicles, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) running off electricity stored in batteries could decrease oil consumption and reduce carbon emissions. And by using electricity derived from clean energy sources, even greater environmental benefits are obtainable. We take a look at the potential benefits arising from the widespread adoption of PHEVs in… Read more »
The new Siemens Wind Power Division headquartered in Hamburg will start operations on October 1. “Hamburg is a highly attractive location and at the same time one of the world’s most important wind power centers. For that reason we will in the future be running our fast-growing wind power business from this city,” said Michael… Read more »