Press Releases
D-Day for European siting issues
Any planned development that potentially affects a site of historical significance will always stir up controversy, but will a large-scale wind farm proposal off the northern coast of France – visible from the D-Day landing beaches – have further reaching implications for an industry already struggling with public concern over its effect on the local… Read more »
Ingenuity is everything when it comes to design
Demand for clean energy has led to a wind turbine building boom. But the industry’s leading designers are going beyond what’s been done before in an effort boost efficiency and yield. PES investigates. Everyone’s noticed that wind turbines are getting really big – some with blades as long as a football field – and more… Read more »
Editors Note
As we’ve found over the years, controversy is never very far away in this industry. Despite the great many economic and environmental benefits wind energy offers, the scale and nature of both land and offshore developments are frequently the subject of protest. Our industry has done much to improve cooperation with communities, and takes care… Read more »
Eu Launches 9 Billion Energy Infrastructure Plan
The EU executive has announced its first ever plan to use €9.1 billion from the EU’s 2014-2020 budget to help upgrade Europe’s energy infrastructure, according to strategic climate and energy needs. The money will be available under the proposed EU budget for 2014-2020 in the form of newly-minted project bonds, grants and loan guarantees, according… Read more »
Quality assurance in wind energy
FORCE Technology is one of the leading consulting service providers within the wind energy sector. Innovative, forward-thinking and adaptable, the Danish firm has built its reputation on delivering highly-customised, high-quality inspection services. We caught up with Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager, Wind Energy Business Development, for an interview. PES: Welcome to PES. Can you begin by… Read more »
The search for better sensors
The common goal to increase energy efficiency is driving the development of ever more reliable pressure sensors for use in wind turbines, says Mike Powers. Maximising energy efficiency protects profit margins and strengthens businesses; it also satisfies our human need to know that we are all working towards sustainability. Pressure sensors have played a major… Read more »
Climbing to the top
Engineering knowledge and innovation are crucial in meeting the challenges of wind farm development, and meeting them safely. Hailo’s Managing Director, Winfried Czilwa, speaks to PES about how the company has gone from pioneer to being Europe’s largest climbing equipment manufacturer. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How has business been since we last spoke?… Read more »
Mastering power
A globally-operating company with manufacturing plants in the Netherlands and the US (and representative offices in England, China and Poland), Holmatro’s hydraulic products are used across the entire globe. We take a look at the company’s operations, and discover how it fits into the European wind sector. Since 1967, Holmatro has manufactured and supplied high-pressure… Read more »
Electrical systems faults No.1 cause of offshore turbine downtime
The latest research from Wind Energy Update reveals that despite the huge amount of attention given to gearbox failure, electrical faults are a leading cause of offshore wind turbine downtime. Failures of electrical and controls systems are the root cause of wind turbine repairs in 50% of cases, and operators should expect an electronic or… Read more »
Into the eye of the storm?
Unexploded bombs littering European coastal waters provide a dangerous new challenge for wind farm developers. PES examines all the issues surrounding this potentially explosive situation. The seas around Europe have been martially contested for hundreds of years and such warfare, in particular the Second World War, has left a potentially lethal legacy of unexploded devices… Read more »