Support structures of wind turbines have already been in serial production for a long time. There are now some 1,350 turbines installed in the German North Sea and Baltic Sea alone. The large dimensions, the high dynamic loads, and the specific environmental conditions offshore pose particular challenges and establish the limits of what design codes… Read more »
Abstract: The continuing increase in rotor diameters is pushing the structural load-carrying capabilities of turbine blades to the limit. In order to ensure reliability and structural integrity, representative testing and validation methods are now more important than ever before. Development in wind turbine blades Wind turbine manufacturers are continuing to increase rotor diameters with the… Read more »
This is the final PES interview of 2019 with Hans Gatzemeier, the CEO at ELA Container Offshore. It has been a great pleasure to learn more about this successful German company. It has grown through listening to the customer, innovation and being able to rise to the challenge of globalisation. The future looks bright as… Read more »
Damen Shipyards Group has established a firm foothold in the European offshore wind sector over the last decade. Now the Dutch shipbuilding and maritime services company is turning its attention to the emerging market of the American offshore wind industry. Here Damen’s Director Business Development & Market Intelligence, David Stibbe and Area Manager North America,… Read more »
WindEurope Offshore 2019 is where the journey begins. Taking place on 26th to 28th November, the Copenhagen event will gather the entire offshore wind industry as it prepares to scale up to meet the Paris Agreement. PES brings you a comprehensive preview to this key event. Offshore wind is set to play a major role… Read more »
Here at PES we are delighted to bring you our review of the first ever Wind Energy Asia. Wind energy is growing rapidly in Asia, our clients are already excited about it. This event has been met with enthusiasm and it’s set to be a great annual show, a chance to meet up and network… Read more »
How does the offshore wind service and accommodation industry keep up with operators’ requirements? The industry has changed over the years and now wind farms are farther and farther from the shore, making accommodation an even more important focus for employers, who want to make sure their highly skilled workers are well rested and relaxed,… Read more »
The steel structures, which make up a wind farm, need protection. Importantly, those offshore need a specific type, because without the correct coating corrosion occurs. This weakens and shortens the lifespan of the parts. Jo van Montfort, from Bjond, explains to PES why the choice of coating should be made by an expert, based on… Read more »
The growth of wind energy is exceptional, both in terms of installations and physical size. In Europe alone, it’s predicted to overtake gas installations and become the largest form of power generation by 2020, supported firmly by a mammoth addition of 4.9GW in capacity during just the first half of 2019. Meanwhile, the size of… Read more »
When it comes to sourcing an accommodation solution, which meets the requirements of all stakeholders in a renewable energy operation, the most successful approach is to work with an experienced partner. With wind farms increasingly being planned further from shore, daily transfers of technicians and crew members via vessels are becoming a thing of the… Read more »
When it was first introduced to the maritime market, Damen’s Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710 – the successor to the FCS 2610 – hit the headlines for many reasons. Stepless and safe crew transfers, increased passenger capacity and an optimised hull are all pieces of the puzzle that illustrate the evolving design. All in all,… Read more »
Oil & gas, offshore wind and marine energy all will play their part in the future of energy. Perhaps a bag of mixed ingredients, but combined in the right way, it will serve the future a more renewable outlook. Offshore Energy 2019 gives the energy transition a home and this will be felt in the… Read more »
Fronius has been writing commercial PV success stories for over 15 years. Tens of thousands of Fronius IG Plus, Eco & Symo systems are in use around the world and are favoured and valued by installers and end customers alike. Now this forward-looking company is launching its latest product for the commercial sector: the Fronius… Read more »
PES talks to ADLER’s CEO, Helge Glück, about latest trends and new technologies in the ever-changing PV industry, and how the market for PV fuse links is adapting to the new safety and technological challenges. PES: Hi Helge, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to PES. To start us off could you give us an… Read more »
2010, ZephIR HQ, Worcestershire, U.K: the ZephIR 300 Lidar, a remote sensing wind measurement tool capable of collecting wind data remotely from its installed location by use of an infra-red laser, was born, following an 18-month product development program that focused on improving the ‘usability’ of remote sensing devices. The resultant product was described as… Read more »
Geoffrey Vancassel, CEO at Sterblue, spoke to PES about this innovative company, which in 4 years has reached the serious player threshold. They provide easy to use software, complete with apps and a cloud platform, which enables off-the-shelf drones (DJI) to carry out complex inspections. PES: Hi Geoffrey, welcome to PES Wind, it’s good to… Read more »
Germany has a wind problem. A big problem. In the first half of 2019 alone, only thirty-five new wind turbines were built nationwide. This staggering low number is eighty percent less than in 2018, and the lowest number of turbines built in twenty years! In fact, while most wind comes from the north of Germany,… Read more »
The Port of Thyboron is a one-of-a-kind industrial port on the Danish coast. Given its unique position, the port is developing with rising cargo transportation, lucrative maritime and fishery sidelines and has the potential to increase together with the rise in the offshore wind farm activity in the North Sea as wind farm site and… Read more »
Pete Grossgart, Marketing Manager, Port of Stockton, is very busy travelling around the world but PES managed to touch base with him in a brief stop off. Wind energy is at last taking off in the US and California is taking full advantage. There is space available for warehousing, assembly and maintenance work to be… Read more »
As an acoustical engineer by trade, one of my acoustic consultancy’s specialisations is to monitor, assess and advise on wind farm noise levels. And this is where the story begins. We were told by a partner that experienced technicians could detect faults just by listening to the changes in sound generated by wind turbine blades…. Read more »
The UK power cut that occurred on Friday 9th August at 4.54pm affected many across the country. At first, speculation that followed the events suggested the fault could have been due to wind generation reducing owing to reduced wind speed. In fact, the issue was the amount of generation that tripped, not the technologies involved…. Read more »
As renewable technologies continue to penetrate global energy markets, one of the pressing challenges is how best to complement these sources of variable generation to ensure demand is met at all times. At the same time, competition among investors is increasing and the secondary wind and solar market continues to be highly active. For many… Read more »
Annekatrin Strunz, Key Account Manager Wind Power at LIFTKET, gives PES her view of the developments in the wind power industry and the corresponding product development in the company. LIFTKET established more than 70 years ago, in the heart of Germany, is one of the world’s oldest and largest manufacturers of electric chain hoists. It… Read more »
Maintenance in the energy industry is a costly challenge for asset owners; a study by NACE International revealed that the annual global cost of corrosion is estimated to be $2.5 trillion. As a result, abrasion and corrosion resistant coatings for metal components are in high demand, particularly locations where environmental factors heavily influence the lifespan… Read more »
PES had an interesting and enlightening meeting with Pieter Jan Jordaens, team leader OWI-Lab and cluster manager of IBN Offshore Energy project, Pieter Mathy, innovation manager at the University of Ghent (UGent) and RD&I catalyst in the IBN Offshore Energy project and Prof Dr Christof Devriendt, R&D coordinator OWI-Lab and associated to the university of… Read more »
Abstract: The continuing increase in rotor diameters is pushing the structural load-carrying capabilities of turbine blades to the limit. In order to ensure reliability and structural integrity, representative testing and validation methods are now more important than ever before. Development in wind turbine blades Wind turbine manufacturers are continuing to increase rotor diameters with the… Read more »
The growing importance of sustainable energy is encouraging the wind industry market to aim for larger wind turbines and bigger wind farms. Driven by the search for larger construction areas, the offshore market began to spike investors’ interest. However, it quickly became obvious that this dynamic working environment is associated with new challenges and uncertainties… Read more »
Hans Gatzemeier, Managing Director at ELA Container Offshore GmbH, caught up with us at PES to talk about the history of the company and its rapid growth over the last few years. In 5 years, ELA Offshore has blossomed into a flourishing global business. It’s still family owned and run and sets great store by… Read more »
In June this year, the UK government took a significant step forward in acknowledging the need to combat the global climate crisis by committing to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Renewable energy generation will have a critical role in meeting this obligation and establishing a low-carbon economy, but the country’s political… Read more »
Control, guidance, monitoring and access to the wind turbine are primarily organised by the control electronics. Why does everyone currently seem to be talking about this? We think it’s because with advancing technical developments, comes more and more functions, a higher level of complexity and increasing digitalisation, so control technology is now the brain of… Read more »
Here at PES we are delighted to bring you our review of the first ever Wind Energy Asia. Wind energy is growing rapidly in Asia, our clients are already excited about it. This event has been met with enthusiasm and it’s set to be a great annual show, a chance to meet up and network… Read more »
The wind industry has an obsession with availability, as the all-important performance metric. Calculating the percentage of a given period that a wind turbine is available for operation, is only part of the puzzle. A more important question is, is the asset doing what it is supposed to be doing and is the asset doing… Read more »
BBC Chartering’s Renewable Energy Chartering Manager, Sebastian Stackelies, spoke enthusiastically to us at PES about the growth of the wind energy industry. Wind farm projects are on the increase, taking over from the decrease in the oil & gas sector. Expansion into Asia and continuing markets in North America and Europe are set to keep… Read more »
With the rapid growth in availability of drones and access to commercial drone certification, the wind farm industry is becoming overrun with inexperienced operators offering drone inspection services. At the other extreme, advances in technology means that autonomous drone services are now being offered as a safer, more efficient alternative to wind turbine inspections. Having… Read more »
Procuring a solar energy system with battery storage helps homeowners protect the climate and reduce their energy costs. VARTA now offers several new features that allow consumers not only to store the surplus energy, but to manage their total energy consumption, including EV charging and heating water. Compatible with systems of other brands, these features… Read more »
The UK is currently faced with the same chicken or egg scenario as Germany, both have announced a national target of expanding e-mobility, but how is it working out so far? Electric cars will only be purchased if the charging infrastructure is large enough to support them. And yet, the charging infrastructure will not be… Read more »