Profitable development of forested land for renewable energy production has become possible only recently, based on changes in legal framework conditions, technological innovations and high wind-turbine towers. In Germany, some of these projects have been realised successfully and more seem likely to follow in the future. However, there is still considerable demand for research. The… Read more »
The world’s premier networking event dedicated to the offshore wind sector, OFFSHORE 2013 is an unmissable diary entry for every industry executive. PES presents an exclusive preview. Held from 19-21 November at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, EWEA OFFSHORE, the world’s largest offshore wind energy conference and exhibition, presents an international platform for the offshore wind energy… Read more »
Comfort at Sea’s offshore accommodation services have already proven their worth on several large scale offshore wind projects, reducing man-hours and downtime significantly. With thousands of turbines to be installed offshore in years to come, the wind industry is crying out for operational offshore solutions. The long distance from shore to the sites for future… Read more »
As news breaks of a multi-billion Euro investment in nuclear power, we ask if the UK is still in a position to rule over Europe’s offshore revolution – or if it’s about to give up its crown… On paper, the UK should be the world leader in wind energy generation, with the biggest wind resource… Read more »
Barack Obama’s new climate change policy is not only a validation of our industry, it is a positive portent of future growth. In a recent speech, the U.S. President outlined his commitment to wind power and to a cleaner future for all. Here, we present the highlights. On Christmas Eve, 1968, the astronauts of Apollo… Read more »
Traditional energy production methods are, by and large, cooled by water, and place a massive burden on North America’s resources. Wind power, however, needs no such cooling and this is one of the reasons why it is being lined-up to play a stronger role in the energy mix. PES investigates. The heat waves and drought… Read more »
It’s less costly to get electricity from wind turbines than coal-fired power plants when climate change costs and other health impacts are factored in, according to a new study published in Springer’s Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. In fact, using the official U.S. government estimates of health and environmental costs from burning fossil fuels,… Read more »
The recently-published (seventh) edition of the annual DOE report highlights the key trends and important new developments from the past 12 months. An essential snapshot of the industry – which also informs the sector’s growth for the coming year – we’re delighted to present an exclusive extract. Annual wind power capacity additions in the United… Read more »
While the mainstream media will insist that the public are broadly against wind power developments, the reality – according to a recent Canadian study – points to a growing acceptance. And fewer complaints than you might expect. A spokesman for the Pembina Institute explains all… No other province in Canada has a longer history with… Read more »
Operations and Maintenance is expected to account for nearly one-third of offshore wind’s costs in the United States, and consequently, there is a large potential for reducing these through advanced O&M strategies. NREL and ECN, along with a panel of subject matter experts who provided input, have proposed a few suggestions… The following O&M strategies… Read more »
This annual snapshot makes for essential reading for any domestic wind executive, charting as it does, the game-changing statics for the industry. We present a hot-off-the-press exclusive extract. At the end of 2012, U.S. wind turbines in distributed applications reached a 10-year cumulative installed capacity of more than 812 MW from more than 69,000 units… Read more »
With a dataset of 50,000 home sales among 27 counties in nine states, and of homes were within 10 miles of 67 different wind facilities, the study produced by Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is easily the most far-reaching ever produced. Does it give credence to the anecdotal evidence? Find out more in our… Read more »
Although there’s currently just a solitary turbine operating off the American coastline, Cape Wind has finally gotten the green light, which means that the next 12 months are crucial for the continent’s offshore industry. PES investigates if it’s up to the challenge… In June this year, after years of offshore wind power projects being cancelled… Read more »
New York State’s Department of State (DOS) has completed a two-year study to generate and assemble the most comprehensive dataset of physical, biological, geographic, and socioeconomic information available for the Atlantic Ocean waters. For planners and wind farm operators planning on expanding into this wind-rich territory, it’s essential reading… New Yorkers rely on the ocean… Read more »
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s latest report offers an assessment of regional supply and demand conditions affecting the future of renewable energy in America’s West. Can the region become a powerhouse for wind supply in the coming years? Find out in our exclusive extract. Several Western states have renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requirements that have… Read more »
PES presents an exclusive overview of the U.S. market, fresh from the desks of the American Wind Energy Association. The U.S. wind energy industry achieved its best year ever in 2012, shattering numerous records. It installed 13,131 megawatts (MW) of capacity and surged past the 60-gigawatt (GW) milestone for total installed wind power capacity. Last… Read more »
At PES, we’re committed to providing timely commentary and insights to help our readers secure fresh opportunities and address key challenges. With that in mind, we’re pleased to present the very latest insight from Canada, courtesy of KPMG. The country has seen significant activity in the sector in the last 18 months – but is… Read more »
Energy and climate are THE challenges of our time – both globally and in my corner of the Pacific Northwest – and no set of challenges will have a greater impact on our nation’s economy, environment and quality of life in coming decades. Indeed, no other issues have bigger implications for the planet and coming… Read more »
With offshore wind energy now open for business and milestones continually being reached, the sector is getting set for North America’s premier offshore wind event of the year – the AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER 2013 Conference & Exhibition. Given all that’s happened this year in the U.S. offshore arena – and what’s to come in the… Read more »
Research and guidance on restoration and decommissioning of onshore wind turbines. In 2010, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) published guidance on good practice during wind farm construction – a report that was embraced by operators the world over. Today, the organisation has crafted a report that covers the other end of a wind farm’s life cycle… Read more »
As cuts to FiTs threaten expansion across Europe, we take a look further afield at The Middle East & North Africa region – a potential sleeping giant in the PV market. MENA has amongst the world’s best conditions for solar power: abundant sunshine, low precipitation, plenty of unused flat land close to road networks and… Read more »
A man who’s very much at the heart of the global PV revolution, Lee Gordon is Morningstar’s inspirational President and CEO. And while the company is already world-leading supplier of photovoltaic controllers and inverters he has his mind set on not just being the biggest – but on being the best… PES: Welcome back to… Read more »
Multi-Contact explains why allegedly ‘compatible’ PV cables are so dangerous. This time, the warehouse burnt down completely. The solar system on the roof of the warehouse had caught fire again. It was the third fire on the 450-square-metre photovoltaic system within the time of just a few weeks. Although the fire service had quickly managed… Read more »
In an industry that is currently driven by efficiency and optimum performance, spectroscopy has perhaps never been such a critical factor in the evolution of PV technology. We take a closer look… With their modest cost, compact size and great flexibility, miniature fibre optic spectrometers are attractive options for the evaluation of materials and equipment… Read more »
Regular contributor to PES, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum remains one of the most consistent operators in a constantly evolving industry. In this issue, we speak to Dr. Marlis Sydow, Head of Market Segment SOLAR/SEMI/COATING and Head of Market Research Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. When we last spoke, you were focussed on… Read more »
In 2012, a consortium of 21 partners from 16 EU countries started the PV GRID project with the objective to prepare the grounds for the large-scale integration of photovoltaic systems in distribution grids across Europe and bring forward concrete suggestions on how this can be achieved. In this follow-up feature, we discover what progress has… Read more »
Industry leaders SEMI have come together to produce a roadmap that will push our technology forward, and provide a more efficient future for the sector. PES takes a look between the lines in an exclusive extract… The photovoltaic industry has to provide power generation products that are competitive with conventional and other renewable sources of… Read more »
If the industry has learned anything in the past 12 months, it’s that the world is changing; new markets are springing up in untapped territories while hitherto buoyant regions are becoming decimated by Feed-in Tariff reductions and fierce competition. The IEA has just taken the temperature of the global situation, and we’re delighted to be… Read more »
We’re delighted to welcome back Leo Scheiwiller, Corporate Market Field Manager Solar Energy for Sika AG to the magazine. An industry expert and regular face at solar shows worldwide, here he talks about the company and explains how it is pioneering a new route to cost savings and optimisation. PES: Welcome back to the magazine…. Read more »
A company that is focussed on increasing market diversification while strengthening its position as a leading solar monitoring system provider, Solare Datensysteme GmbH (SDS) is not without ambition. We asked Guy Thouin from SDS’s Sales & Marketing operation to talk us through its eventful past, enviable present and exciting future. PES: Welcome to PES magazine…. Read more »
It’s hard to imagine, but there are 600 million Africans living without connection to the electricity grid. However, a new social enterprise is taking an approach to this fundamental problem that could bring light to the darkest corners rural Africa. PES investigates… As highlighted by President Obama at the launch of his Power Africa Initiative,… Read more »
A German equipment manufacturer of PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating systems, Solayer GmbH is currently one of the industry’s hottest organisations, with a focus on innovation and customer service. In this technical dispatch, we take a look at what makes their solutions tick. Solayer’s strengths lie in the development of novel functional optical layers for… Read more »
A company with over five decades of experience in various sectors, Spitzenberger & Spies GmbH is a firm believer in the mantra: “If there is a better way, we will find it”. The company has underlined this with its range of PV applications – as we discover in this technical feature. Testing possibilitiesOne of the… Read more »
The topic of self-consumption is one of the most discussed in the photovoltaic industry. And while self-consumption is not limited to the immediate use of electricity generated during the day, it is also applied to extend the availability of electricity during the night-time with the aid of battery storage systems. Indeed, they can help elevate… Read more »
As Director of Customer Projects for Schmid Silicon Technology (SST) GmbH, Bodo Vetter enjoys a privileged overview of our evolving industry. A longstanding contributor to PES, SST is at the forefront of the PV solar value chain and as such, is uniquely-placed to report on the ebbs and flows of the European marketplace. PES: Welcome… Read more »
Aesthetic limitations for PV have been a considerable barrier in implementing projects, but with few options, compromises have had to be made. Now, advances in technology are making PV glass a viable, and attractive alternative. PES speaks to SwissINSO’s Rafic Hanbali…. PES: Welcome to the magazine. Would you first like to introduce your company and… Read more »