EU Wind Energy Development

Wind Power in Spain: Past and Present

The European Wind Energy Association states:

“Wind power has no resource constraints; the fuel is free, endless. Wind power stations can be constructed and can deliver power far quicker than other conventional sources, with no import dependence and no fuel price risk. In terms of carbon delivery, wind energy is outperforming many other proposed solutions.”

Wind power is more developed throughout the European Union than anywhere else in the world. For instance, the annual growth rate of the wind turbine industry in Denmark has averaged approximately 40 per cent for recent years. From just over 200 MW in 1997, the Spanish market has been steadily growing at annual rates of more than 30%.

Offshore Wind Power

A significant portion of electricity generation via wind power generators takes place offshore. Offshore resources experience mean wind speeds ~90% greater than that of land, so offshore resources can contribute substantially more energy. According to Wikipedia, Denmark's offshore wind generation provides about 20% of total electricity demand in the country. The Danish model for offshore wind power (Copenhagen Strategy) is a role model for offshore wind power installations throughout the European Union. Large scale integration of wind energy into the electricity system is technically and economically feasible.

While installation can capitalize on steady sea breezes that typically are more dense, hence more powerful than elsewhere, there is a down side to offshore wind energy. “Offshore conditions are harsh, abrasive, corrosive, and it is often impossible or near-impossible to repair a broken down turbine in open waters.” On the other hand, one proposal has been to rennovate expended, shutdown offshore oil drilling platforms, using the structures to obtain different forms of energy (forms plural to include wave power).

WEST (Wind Energy Structures and Technologies) is a virtual center operated by Aalborg University in Denmark that is now focusing wind energy research on:

  • Reliability
  • Efficiency
  • Cost

The first area reflects what the November 2005 issue of Wind Power Monthly has reported as a significant challenge to the Danish wind turbine industry. Kirby Mountain, quotes from the article:

Gearboxes have been failing in wind turbines since the early 1990s. Barely a turbine make has escaped. Six years ago the problem reached epidemic proportions, culminating in a massive series failure of gearboxes in NEG Micon machines. At the time, the NEG Micon brand was the most sold wind turbine in the world. The disaster brought the company to its knees as it struggled to retrofit well over one thousand machines. It has since been taken over by Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer. Vestas is still grappling with the aftermath of the gearbox catastrophe.

The wind energy expertise of European Union companies has become distributed worldwide. For instance, the Energy research Center of the Netherlands proudly displays the photo of a wind farm in Costa Rica. There are installations in Australia, Asia, North America and South America that have made use of European technology in their development of wind energy.

CRES

Most of these “wind farms” feature a cluster of towers with HAWTs (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines) with the Danish-favored three blade propeller. Since there has been a great deal of research as to the airfoil design, much of the research now underway, in regards to energy efficiency, focuses on power electronics for renewable energy sources, e.g., adjustable speed drive. The cost of gearbox repair / replacement plus the cost of the power electronics relate to the third area: cost reduction. Nonetheless, a larger focus is on grid access and systems that can provide advanced distributed monitoring, such as that demonstrated by the Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources wind farm.

English Speaking Wind Energy Associations include:

  • American
  • Australian
  • British
  • Canadian
  • European

Continue reading here: Leaving… On a Bullet Train

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