One of North America’s most pressing challenges is meeting its ever increasing demand for energy while responding to environmental concerns. It’s no secret that our current power grid infrastructure does not provide a long term solution to meet our needs. Aging infrastructure, increasing pressure due to climate change, and a vulnerable supply chain has lead… Read more »
Designed with direct input from the industry leaders who are shaping this emerging market, the AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition offers unmatched networking opportunities with manufacturers, suppliers, project developers, policy makers, utility representatives, and thought leaders in the wind energy industry. PES takes a sneak peek at the upcoming show… A landmark year2012 is… Read more »
As the prospect of Cape Wind and other Atlantic coast wind energy projects move closer to becoming reality, leading international shipbuilder Damen Shipyards is developing an entire range of vessels for the offshore wind industry, and with many of these tailor-made vessels proving popular at European offshore wind parks, Damen is looking forward to bringing… Read more »
The cost of developing clean wind energy has dropped significantly in the past three years while technology improvements have increased productivity, an analysis by renewable energy consultancy GL Garrad Hassan has found. PES looks in more detail at the findings, which suggests that wind energy points to a cost-competitive, sustainable choice for the energy needs… Read more »
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) recently filed comments with respect to a proposed Health Canada study, “Health Impacts and Exposure to Wind Turbine Noise: Research Design and Noise Exposure Assessment”, to be undertaken in collaboration with Statistics Canada. Here, PES looks in detail at the issues raised by the proposed study, and the association’s… Read more »
As the US Election campaign reaches its thrilling climax, it’s been fascinating to see just how high wind power is on the political agenda. We examine the power of wind as a vote-winner, and look ahead to what we can expect from the new Administration. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing sources of energy… Read more »
More press support for PTC extension The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday became the most recent major newspaper to endorse an extension of the federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), calling the revival of the shuttered U.S. Steel plant in Bucks County the “best case” for renewing the vital incentive. Added the editorial, “It’s at… Read more »
America has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, particularly along the Atlantic coast where over 1,300 gigawatts (GW) of energy generation potential has been identified. Harnessing just a fraction of our offshore wind resource – 52 GW – could power about 14 million U.S. homes with local, pollution-free energy while creating… Read more »
Tapping America’s offshore wind energy resources will greatly benefit our economy. A vibrant offshore wind industry in the U.S. will produce hundreds of thousands of new, high quality careers while revitalizing manufacturing opportunities and spurring economic development along the Atlantic Coast. At the same time, plugging hundreds of gigawatts of clean, local power into the… Read more »
Over the last two decades, the U.S. wind industry has grown dramatically and is providing communities across America with tremendous benefits. More than 50,000 megawatts of wind power – the power equivalent of thirteen Hoover Dams – are installed in the United States. In a change to our usual regional focus on a single state,… Read more »
The state of Nebraska has huge potential as a major producer of clean energy. Wind power – a sustainable energy source – can be of great economic benefit to Nebraska communities, according to Jerry Hudgins, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr Hudgins spoke to PES and… Read more »
The use of wind power in the United States is the fastest growing energy trend on record. According to a second quarter 2012 report published by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the country added 1,200 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity during the April to June 2012 timeframe, bringing the nation’s total cumulative wind capacity… Read more »
Dramatically cutting carbon pollution – by replacing dirty energy with clean alternatives like offshore wind – is the best path forward if we are to protect coastal and marine wildlife from these dangers of a warming world. But even renewable energy must be designed with nature in mind. PES looks at recent reports that suggest… Read more »
It is to be expected that not every turbine will be required to work under the same conditions, and in the past, developers have gone with the accepted wisdom that each turbine should be the same across a site, which means an inevitable compromise on the efficiency of energy production – until now. PES speaks… Read more »
The U.S. wind power industry is facing uncertain times. With 2011 capacity additions having risen from 2010 levels and with a further sizable increase expected in 2012, there are – on the surface – grounds for optimism. A new report; published recently by the US Department of Energy, looks at complete data from 2011 to… Read more »
Established in 2005 to convene international leadership and a variety of stakeholders to enable a rapid global transition to renewable energy, the REN21’s Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) is perhaps the world’s most accurate snapshot of the solar/PV industry. PES is proud to present this exclusive extract – essential reading for every European executive in… Read more »
The solar industry is going through troubled times: over-capacity of panels on the world market, governments withdrawing subsidies, and a lot of corporate consolidation. We talked to Wiro Zijlmans CEO of Smit Ovens, about why thin film solar technologies have a bright future and the role of thermal processes in high-volume manufacturing. Wiro Zijlmans: Smit… Read more »
Darren Brown, Alternative Energy Business Manager at DEK, discusses the drive towards greater efficiency in solar cell manufacturing, and asks how best to achieve cost leadership – and ultimately, competitive advantage. Achieving the optimum level of production of anything requires any number of stars to be aligned. These range from the cost of the raw… Read more »
Founded in 1946, SICK currently employs more than 5,800 employees worldwide, and achieved sales of EUR 902.7 m in 2011. Naturally, those impressive figures aren’t generated through luck – they’re down to hard work, innovation, and by keeping a close eye on the market (especially in challenging times). We spoke to Stéphane Renaud-Betz, Strategic Industry… Read more »
Steve Helliwell, a leading ground-mounted solar PV construction expert, discusses the physical, technical and political challenges facing this particular corner of the market… Contrary to widely-held misconceptions, opportunities in solar energy are increasing. According to finance experts, there are more investors interested in funding large-scale solar PV projects than ever before. In the industry’s early… Read more »
How do you make the world’s best coating for your PV panels? How do you make solar cells more commercially competitive? How can you know you have great solutions for your end products from the start? Beneq, a company just starting to draw attention with its results, is focused specifically on being the best in… Read more »
Dr. Omid Shojaei, CEO of INDEOtec, joins PES to talk about the highlights and achievements that this young company has been able deliver to the thin film deposition industry in its short three-and-a-half year history. PES: Welcome to PES. Can you tell us a little about your company, and explain how you serve the solar/PV… Read more »
PES is very pleased to welcome Noemie Bourdin of Upsolar to its pages. The Marketing and Branding Director talks to us about the company’s innovative approach to engaging with the market, and their plans to further embrace social media as a means of spreading the word on renewables. PES: Upsolar has always had a distinguished… Read more »
Everything starts with the sun. From life on earth, to efficient, unlimited and environmentally friendly power. Access to energy is the foundation for progress and the creation of wealth, and it is generally accepted that solar cells will become a dominant energy source in the future. Merck, a leader in chemical and materials sciences, shares… Read more »
A longstanding contributor to PES, Carl Zeiss is known worldwide for its dedication to quality. In this, the company’s latest submission, it looks at a cross-pollination of technology to bring down costs and maintain performance… With a longstanding history in the field of large area coating, Carl Zeiss has constantly supported manufactures of web coating… Read more »
The European solar/PV industry of the near future will live and die by the strength and effectiveness of smart grids, and the organisation charged with ensuring its longevity is the European Network and Information Security Agency. The organisation’s Ulf Bergstrom talks us through some security recommendations for the public and private sector involved in the… Read more »
A visionary figure in the solar/PV sector, Jochen Schneider is one of our industry’s most recognisable ambassadors. We headed to Germany to catch up with the CEO of Schmid Silicon Technology and ask him a handful of questions about his background, the current state of the solar energy arena and his future ambitions. PES: Welcome… Read more »
When I sit down to write these editor’s notes, I do so at the end of the issue; at a time when all the content is in and done, and I can get a feel for the ‘temperature’ of the magazine. I’m glad – very glad – to say that this is the first issue… Read more »
With 13 partners from all over Europe, Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, has launched an EU-funded project to develop affordable, more efficient solar cells. With an overall budget of 10 million Euro, the SCALENANO project aims at achieving breakthroughs in the cost-efficiency of photovoltaic devices and modules based on advanced… Read more »
As governments across Europe slash subsidies for small-medium scale renewable energy generators, the industry needs to rethink its approach to communications strategy if solar PV is to continue to shine, says Kate Garratt, head of energy at Aspectus PR.When the UK Government introduced its Feed-In-Tariffs (FiTs) in April 2010, solar photovoltaic (PV) quickly became an… Read more »
Twan Vollebregt, CEO of Energy Fundamentals, investigates the current perils and pitfalls of investing in renewables… For anyone who has to make major investment decisions about power generation in Europe, we live in difficult times. What use are ten year forward curves when Germany decides to abandon nuclear power overnight? How can you make sensible… Read more »
Listen to some commentators and you could be forgiven for thinking that the solar/PV industry in Europe was on its knees, decimated by tariff cuts, economic crises and cheap imports. However, experts on the cutting-edge of the industry tell a different story, with many claiming that the ‘green shoots of recovery’ are well-established, while some… Read more »
Many solar cell developers may fancy a machine where you can put a solar cell in, push a button, and receive a full diagnostic report of the solar cell – instead of spending considerable time on the measurement equipment park and understanding the methods. This article describes how a complete analysis of a solar cell… Read more »
After another record year of growth in 2011, PV now represents 70 GW of cumulative installed capacity globally, and produces up to 4 per cent peak demand in Europe. It’s no wonder that EU PVSEC is also going from strength to strength – as this year’s show will doubtless testify. Even if the PV sector… Read more »
The quality of the cross-linking of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) encapsulants is crucial for the market success of solar modules. Premium suppliers need their products to be ahead of competition not only by cost-effectiveness and by the efficiency of their modules. It is also the long-term stability of the modules that is receiving much attention by… Read more »
The worldwide stop on production capacity extension for solar modules is proving to be a heavy burden for the solar machine manufacturers. Nevertheless, no company wants to quit the PV sector, because the solar energy market is already set to pick up again in the medium term. Until this happens, the equipment suppliers are strengthening… Read more »