For the first time in 60 years Congress has passed sweeping patent reform legislation, the America Invents Act (AIA). Enacted in September 16, 2011 and being phased in through March 16, 2013, the AIA introduces a number of significant reforms impacting all aspects of patent procurement and patent enforcement. The purpose of the AIA is… Read more »
Despite the clear benefits of wind power, there will always be obstacles to overcome, particularly given the often difficult environments developers have to work in, the issues around tariffs and investment concerns during times of austerity. However, innovators around the world are engineering solutions that might literally rise above these challenges. Dr. Corwin Hardham of… Read more »
At the time of writing, the PES team and I are packing our bags in readiness for our trip to Atlanta, or to be more specific: to WINDPOWER 2012. The AWEA show is the focal point for wind professionals to network with and learn from industry leaders and experts, and to discover the latest in… Read more »
A recently published report by the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has shed light on just how vast the potential for wind energy is in British Columbia, and what is required to tap into this vast resource. PES gives you some of the highlights from the report and looks at the energy future for BC…… Read more »
For any wind energy developer, the issue of impacts on local population is one that must not be taken lightly. A new study published via the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been conducted to look at the potential adverse benefits of wind farm developments on local populations. PES takes a look at the report’s findings… The… Read more »
PES takes a look at a special US energy report highlighting the potential benefits of taking a more pro-active step towards renewable, and particularly wind, technologies. From job creation to pollution and health, the study digs deep into this controversial subject and asks what the future holds for the US power industry. The Civil Society… Read more »
Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager, FORCE Technology FORCE Technology is among the leading technological consulting and service providers in Scandinavia as well as internationally. Our target is to sell highly specialized engineering know-how for practical and efficient solutions to the wind energy business area… The solutions enhance customer competitiveness and are based on the customer and… Read more »
Recently lauded for investing $10 million and creating 200 jobs over five years in Elberton, Georgia, Hailo LLC is a success story made real. We caught up with CEO Steffen Kosir to find out a little more about the Germany-based organisation that produces climbing and service lift systems for turbines. PES: What is your on-the-ground… Read more »
A well-known figure within the sector, Mita-Teknik’s Jean Steen Felber is the first of our Insider interviewees. Here, he gives us an exclusive account of the Danish company and its future ambitions, as well as outlining his own background and goals. PES: Welcome to PES magazine, can you firstly explain a little about your role,… Read more »
In recent years, the North American wind industry has been somewhat isolated and – dare we say it – a pace behind regions such as Europe. However, this has all now changed, and last year marked a watershed year that catapulted the continent right into the heart of the industry. There have been ups, there… Read more »
With investments set to total $145 BILLION by 2017, our domestic industry has just been catapulted into the global big league. We investigate the cash windfall, examine which sectors and ancillary industries will benefit most, and ask if it can even kick-start the entire economy…? While the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the recession had… Read more »
With more than 40 years of experience, and a market-leading position in their field, Mita-Teknik is a Danish family-run business that has gone global, bringing innovative systems and a local approach to the worldwide wind market. Mita-Teknik has been developing control system solutions since 1969 and now employs around 230 people worldwide. With divisions in… Read more »
Transmission is hot topic at wind seminar The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently kicked off its Wind Power Transmission Seminar in Indianapolis, Ind. at the hub of one of America’s fastest growing states for wind power. Indiana increased its installed wind power tenfold over the past two years. Meanwhile, wind manufacturing is powering as… Read more »
A valued and regular contributor to PES, Rickmers-Linie provides a worldwide network of liner services for the transportation of breakbulk, heavylift and project cargoes – including, increasingly, wind turbines. We talked to Gerhard Janssen, Director Marketing & Sales about the company’s continued expansion into North America, additions to the fleet, and future growth. PES: Welcome… Read more »
To date in the wind industry, steel and fiberglass structures have been the most commonly used materials. However, extruded aluminum structures offer a huge potential in offering strong but lightweight corrosion-resistant structures, capable of solving some of the wind turbines industries design challenges. As with any material we will first discuss the advantages of the… Read more »
The simple answer is yes, argues John Tremblay, Wind Energy Segment Manager for Snap-on Industrial… Conventional wisdom within the wind energy sector says that millions of dollars in tool assets are lost each year. In addition, the hidden or less obvious results of poor tool management may actually have a greater impact on the bottom… Read more »
Known globally as an oil and gas giant, Oklahoma is rapidly diversifying its power portfolio and is quickly becoming known as one of the wind industry’s main markets in North America. With over 3,000 MW of wind generation currently in operation or under construction, the state is fast becoming one of the wind energy leaders… Read more »
John Mitola, President of community-based development leader Juhl Wind Inc. speaks to PES about the future for both the community-based sector the wider industry. He shares his views on the problems facing wind power, and how community-scale projects can avoid some of the issues hampering future development. One common trait all of us in the… Read more »
Given the challenges of building a wind farm offshore, and the ongoing difficulties posed by maintaining turbines in the tough marine environments, PES looks at how medium voltage equipment is being adapted and developed to meet increasingly high requirements. Growth of installed wind power capacity by year (figure1) The expected expansion of wind power, along… Read more »
With strong long term growth forecasted, PES takes a look at what the next 20 years holds for offshore, and the future requirements of an industry on the up. Between 2020 and 2030 a further 110 GW of offshore wind capacity is expected to be added in European waters. 150 GW of wind power would… Read more »
For the wind industry, aluminium profiles have not been a preferred material so far – steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GRP) are most commonly used. For many design departments, aluminium profiles are either too unknown to incorporate in daily design work, thought to be too weak, too expensive, or too corrosion-sensitive in an untreated… Read more »
Words: Jan-Hein Reeringh, Damen Shipyards Group As Europe strives to reach its ambitious 2020 renewable energy targets and with the trend for offshore wind farms to move into deeper and more challenging waters further from the shore – using bigger turbines and foundations – Damen Shipyards is making sure it is developing innovative solutions to… Read more »
The initial draft of the European Commission working paper is finally here, having been recently ratified in Brussels. And while the finer points that are to be rolled-out are yet to be determined (following the Copenhagen and Cancun meetings), the broad brushstrokes are in place. Here we present an exclusive Q&A from the Commission’s Ad… Read more »
Onshore and offshore wind farms may represent the vast majority of wind produced energy, but a number of initiatives around the world are examining the potential of high-altitude solutions to global energy concerns. PES takes a look at the innovative ideas… The problem of sustainable energy generation is one of the most urgent challenges that… Read more »
Interesting. That’s one word we could use to describe the industry in the last few months – booming in one regard, yet plummeting in another. And to get a good idea of what’s going on, you’d have to speak to a wide range of experts from a broad array of sectors… just like we’ve done… Read more »
As the credit crunch in Europe morphs into a sovereign debt crisis and on to full-blown currency crisis, it is easy to believe that the continent is something of a black hole when it comes to employment opportunities. But it’s not all doom and gloom and there’s life in the European jobs market in the… Read more »
Can embracing social media revolutionise our chances of success? Our industry is already convinced, of course – we view wind power as the panacea to saving the world. Yet in reality, the public support of ‘clean’ energy is not as absolute as the industry may hope for. One of the reasons that may cause this… Read more »
Alexander Hill, Energy Business Development Manager at Critical Software Technologies, discusses the importance of a standards-led, safety critical culture within the wind industry. Safety critical systems are entrusted to perform crucial tasks, ones that cannot be allowed to fail. They are systems that are essential to our modern life yet rarely contemplated by the people… Read more »
As Head of Centre for DUWET (Danish University Wind Energy Training), Steen Mortensen is at the cutting edge of the industry, and has seen it evolve from a nascent concern into a booming international powerhouse. We speak to the visionary trainer about skills gaps, the coming generation and the influence of wind associations on the… Read more »
When PES was first established, it was done so in tandem with the Sustainable Energy Europe 2005-2008 campaign. That particular milestone has come and gone, and earlier this year we achieved yet another legislative landmark. In January, the EU achieved its 2010 renewable electricity target of 21% of electricity (according to the EU’s 2001 Renewable… Read more »
Committee moves to protect emissions trading The European Parliament has sent a strong signal that the price of carbon emissions must be raised by fixing the Emissions Trading System (ETS) – one of the EU’s key laws on climate change. The Parliament’s Environment Committee voted in favour of withholding carbon allowances in the ETS –… Read more »
Some say the world’s second biggest exporter is undergoing a crisis of confidence with regards to renewables – and particularly, wind energy. Nigel Blackaby, Chairman of the Advisory Board, POWER-GEN Europe 2012 takes a look at the ramifications for the rest of the continent. In the wake of Fukushima disaster, energy experts now agree that… Read more »
With a 10 billion euro offshore project now underway, France has emerged as a surprise contender for the continent’s wind energy elite. We chart the rise and rise of the country’s power ambitions. The new wind farms, which will comprise some 1,200 turbines, spread over five sites off the north and west coast of France,… Read more »
The EWEA Annual Event – Europe’s premier wind energy event – will showcase the latest innovations in the wind energy industry with an extensive exhibition, a high-quality conference programme, expert speakers and unrivalled networking opportunities. In short, it’s a must for the international wind energy community. Focusing on innovationPromoting continued innovation in the wind power… Read more »
As a logistics operation spanning over 150 countries, DHL are known throughout the world. Similarly, as manufacturers work with markets across the globe, the move into equipment carriage for wind energy appears a logical direction. PES talks to Peder Jensen, Global Sector Head, Renewable Energy, for DHL Global Forwarding about their foray into the sector…. Read more »
PES takes a look at the recently-published EWEA report on EU climate policy, and examines the potential for wind power to drastically reduce emissions by setting greater targets. BackgroundWind energy production does not emit any greenhouse gases (GHG), unlike coal, gas and oil. Because of the way the electricity market operates – using marginal costs… Read more »