Exclusive Articles
Wind farms: certified grid compatibility
The number of wind farms connected to the electricity grid is steadily rising, and proof of grid compatibility is mandatory for grid connection. But what criteria do wind turbines and wind farms have to meet for certification in Germany, for example? PES investigates… Before wind farms can be connected to the German electricity grid, they… Read more »
Connections to steel: non-weld post-paint solutions
Wind energy infrastructure, be it onshore or offshore, relies heavily on the use of steel for most of its key components, whether it be turbines, towers, foundations or transformer stations… the list goes on. As a result there is a significant amount of work required to transform ‘bare’ steel into something able to produce the… Read more »
Aerial surveys: offshore wind farms and the natural environment
A well-respected figure in the industry, Stuart Clough joins us to discuss offshore wind farms and APEM’s Remote Sensing team, which uses the most powerful medium format camera in the world. The importance of environmental surveys to offshore wind farm developmentLocation is important to the energy sector, but none more so than wind farms, where… Read more »
Six best practices for effective wind farm operation
Using industrial Ethernet switches to assure maximum uptime A high-speed, industrial-grade network infrastructure offers wind farm operators many benefits, including improved operational management, visibility and access to key data. Real-time data access enables operators to monitor wind turbine uptime, performance and power output – even from remote locations. This data, which is used to track… Read more »
Delivering offshore electricity to the EU
We return to the pioneering EU funded project, which ran from May 2010 to June this year. coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association, it provides an in-depth analysis of the national and international Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practices; policy recommendations for developing existing and potentially new MSP for the development of offshore renewable power… Read more »
Bird brained?
A 1.5bn wind farm that could have powered almost 400,000 homes has been rejected by the British government because it might kill 90 small birds a year. Clearly, our avian friends present us with a (costly) problem that is not going away… Over £10m, and three and a half years of planning, have been wasted… Read more »
WindMade: one year on
In the early part of 2011, we wrote about a new global branding initiative for the industry that was set to “change how the world consumes energy, one product at a time”. It was a lofty claim, for sure, but has WindMade begun to deliver on its ambition? Or even started to make a difference?… Read more »
Last Word
Our round-up of the season’s best wind power quotes returns – with a heavy dollop of politics. It seems as though we’re not all singing from the same European hymn sheet, and that there are some wildly diverging views about the way forward. Plus ça change… “Having seen a year in which the solar industry… Read more »
An appetite for innovation
Regular contributors to PES, Damen are boat builders of some note. A major force in the European wind industry, they’ve carved a niche by tailoring their products to our precise needs. We spoke to the company’s Jan-Hein Reeringh and Remko Bouma. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since your last appearance –… Read more »
Enabling efficient offshore logistics
A reliable operator of several German terminals, Buss Port Logistics is known for providing a sterling service to the wind industry’s most demanding clients. PES takes a closer look at the company. Buss Port Logistics operates efficient multi-purpose terminals in Hamburg and other ports, and represents a diverse range of port-specific services. The terminals handle… Read more »