WWEA Bulletin issue 4 2012

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From The Editor

Dear Members and Friends of WWEA,

With this fourth edition of our WWEA Quarterly Bulletin, the first year of our new publication is coming to an end.

The year 2012 has not been easy for the wind sector worldwide, with policy uncertainties in several of the main wind turbine markets. In addition, and despite hopeful expectations among many observers, the COP18 that finished recently in Doha failed to deliver any major breakthroughs on additional international finance for climate friendly technologies.

However, in spite of this challenging situation, the year 2012 has also brought a lot of encouraging news and, without doubt, the wind industry still is one of the most exciting and dynamic business sectors on the globe. This Bulletin highlights some of the new and most promising developments:

- The survival of the Cuban wind farms after hurricane Sandy hit them demonstrates once again how reliable wind turbines are.

- The half year report of WWEA shows that, despite the general global slowdown, there are very promising emerging markets that will play a major role in the coming years.

- Community Wind in Europe has played an essential role in accelerating wind power deployment and increasing social acceptance. Starting in a few countries, most notably Denmark and Germany, the community power model is now becoming more and more popular in other European countries and in North America.

- Some countries, especially in Northern Europe, are approaching a 100 % renewable energy grid, which is a fantastic development that few people dared to dream about only a few years back. However, such developments lead to new challenges, and fossil interests still threaten to spoil the success of these efforts.

- The closer we come to 100% renewable energy, the more obvious it is that we need new policies that can regulate such electricity markets, without endangering investments in technologies with marginal costs close to zero. New models are being discussed regarding what such structures could look like in the longer term.

- Some African countries are now in a position where they can invest in wind and other renewable energies. Local experts tell us that Ethiopia is one of the most advanced countries, and it is very helpful to understand the situation there well.

- Without a doubt, one of the greatest success stories of the wind sector has been the rise of China as a wind super power. Goldwind, one of the most successful Chinese wind turbine manufacturers, presents a fascinating story about how it managed to succeed and what its future plans are.

- On the global level, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is getting a more and more important and operational function. One of the key areas of IRENA's work is capacity building, as described in another article in this Bulletin.

May this Bulletin again be useful for you, the readers! On behalf of the WWEA, I would like to wish you a peaceful end to this year, and a very good start into a

successful 2013!

With best wishes

Stefan GsängerSecretary General of WWEA

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Editorial CommitteeEditor-in-Chief: Stefan Gsänger

Associate Editor-in-Chief: Shi Pengfei

Paul Gipe

Jami Hossain

Editors: Frank Rehmet Shane Mulligan Yu Guiyong

Visual Design: Jing Ying

ContactFrank Rehmet

[email protected]

Tel. +49-228-369 40-80

Fax +49-228-369 40-84

WWEA Head Office

Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5, 53113 Bonn, Germany

A detailed supplier listing and

other information can be found at

www.wwindea.org

Yu Guiyong

[email protected]

Tel. +86-10-5979 6665

Fax +86-10-6422 8215

CWEA Secretariat

28 N. 3rd Ring Road E., Beijing, P. R. China

A detailed supplier listing and

other information can be found at

www.cwea.org.cn

Published by

World Wind Energy Association (WWEA)

Produced by

Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA)

ISSUE 4 December 2012

01 From the Editor

News Analysis04 Cuba: Two Wind Farms Survive Hurricane Sandy Report06 Worldwide Wind Energy—Statistics-Half Year Report 2012

Regional Focus10 Community Wind in Europe—Strength in Diversity?16 Wind Power at a Turning Point—Key Political Challenges in Denmark and Worldwide22 New Task Allocation in a Context of Growing Amounts of Intermittent Renewables – Suppliers as ‘Residual Portfolio’-Managers28 Prospects and Challenges in Advancing Wind Energy Developments in Sub-Saharan African Countries: The Case of Ethiopia (Ⅰ)

Company44 Goldwind, Change is in the Air

Education50 IRENA Renewable Energy Learning Partnership

Contents

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News Analysis ISSUE 4 December 2012

Before hitting major parts of the USA, Hurricane Sandy had devastated large areas in the Caribbean, including Haiti and Cuba, where dozens of people were killed.

Thousands of houses were destroyed in the Eastern part of Cuba, mainly around Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city. Also, the power supply in the area was seriously affected by the hurricane.

The affected area, the province of Holguín, accommodates two wind farms: Gibara I (5.1 MW, six 850 kW turbines installed in 2008) and Gibara II (4.5 MW, six 750 kW machines installed in 2010). Both wind farms were directly hit by hurricane Sandy,

Two wind farms survive hurricane SandyWWEC2013 in Havana will tackle wind power

utilization in tropical climates and more

CUBA↓Gibara wind farm in Cuba

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News AnalysisISSUE 4 December 2012

with wind speeds of up to 180 kilometers/110 miles per hour. After first inspections, the Cuban government announced last week at a meeting with the World Wind Energy Association in Havana that neither of the two wind farms were seriously damaged by the hurricane, and that they still provide electricity for the local grid.

Prof. Conrado Moreno, Co-Chair of the WWEC2013 and Professor at the Cuban Center for Renewable Energy Technologies (CETER): "Cuba installed the two wind farms close by Gibara in the years 2008 and 2010, being aware that they may be hit by a hurricane. Hence our experts have taken all necessary provisions to make them hurricane-proof. Hurricane Sandy has now clearly demonstrated that wind farms in Cuba are safe and reliable even under extreme conditions. Thanks to the decentralized structure of the Cuban power supply system, the overall damage to the power system could be minimized and only a relatively limited part of the island currently faces a lack of power. With more decentralized renewable energies deployed in the near future, the Cuban power supply will hence become even more resilient and more stable. Of course we want to share our experience with the world wind community and we are pleased that we can invite that community to the WWEC2013 taking place in Havana in June 2013."

WWEA President Prof. He Dexin: "We congratulate our Cuban colleagues for having mastered so well this

extreme challenge that the hurricane represents for a wind farm. There are several world regions where the knowledge of how wind farms can survive very strong winds will be crucial in the future, not only in the Caribbean but also in the East Asian countries where typhoons are a regular threat for wind farms. International collaboration and exchange of experience will help us all by learning from each other. And, also very important, wind power, together with other renewable energy sources, can play a vital role in the recovery of the areas that have been devastated by natural disasters like the recent hurricane Sandy."

Stefan Gsänger, WWEA Secretary General: "Hurricane Sandy has reminded us of the vulnerability of our civilization by natural disasters, like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan a year ago. And like 20 months ago, Sandy has demonstrated the high risks of nuclear power and the reliability of wind power, even under such extreme conditions. The survival of the Cuban wind farms is a strong sign, like the Japanese wind farm last year which was hit by the earthquake and a huge tsunami wave without being damaged. All this happened while nuclear and fossil power stations were unable to provide electricity any more. We should learn our lessons from this and accelerate as fast as possible the shift towards decentralized renewable energy such as wind power, all over the world."

Photo: Li Bin

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Report ISSUE 4 December 2012

Worldwide Wind Energy Statistics

Half-Year Report 2012World Wind Capacity has surpassed 250 Gigawatt

●16,5 GW of new installations in the first half of 2012, after 18,4 GW in 2011

●Worldwide wind capacity has reached 254 GW, 273 GW expected for full year

● S l o w d o w n i n C h i n a leads to global decrease, additional uncertainties in several key markets

The worldwide wind capacity reached 254’000 MW by the end of June 2012, of which 16’546 MW were added in the first six months of 2012. This increase represents 10% less than in the first half of 2011, when 18’405 MW were added.

The global wind capacity grew by 7% within six months (2% less than the same period in 2011) and by 16,4 % on an annual basis (mid-2012 compared with mid-2011). In comparison, the annual growth rate in 2011 was 20,3 %.

Still the five leading countries, China, USA, Germany, Spain and India, represent together a total share of 74% of the global wind capacity.

The top ten markets show a diverse picture in the first half of 2012: while five countries performed stronger than in 2011 (USA, Germany, Italy, France, UK), India had a stable

market size and four countries saw a decreasing market (China, Spain, Canada, Portugal).

China and India

Again in 2012, China represents by far the largest wind market, adding 5,4 GW in 6 months; however, this is

significantly less than in the previous year, when it added 8 GW. China accounted for 32% of the world market for new wind turbines, significantly less than the 43% in the full year 2011. By June 2012, China had an overall installed capacity of around 67,7 GW. Without doubt China will continue in the foreseeable future its number one

Total Installed Capacity 2010-2012 [MW]

Top Wind Markets: China, USA, Germany, Spain, and India continue to lead

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ReportISSUE 4 December 2012

position, but at a lower speed. India added 1’471 MW, a similar

amount to the first half of 2011. The prospects for the Indian market are murky due to outstanding payments for wind generators in some parts of the country and the recent decision to abolish important support schemes.

Europe

Most of the European markets showed stronger growth in the first half of 2012 than in same period of the previous year: the top markets in Europe continue to be Germany with a new capacity of 941 MW and a total of 30’016 MW, Spain (414 MW, 22’087 MW in total), Italy (490 MW, 7’280 MW total), France (650MW, 7’182MW total), the United Kingdom (822 MW, 6’480 MW) and Portugal (19 MW, 4’398 MW). All these markets, aside from Spain and Portugal, showed an increase in their new installed capacity compared to the first half of 2011.

Again, the “emerging” markets in Eastern Europe are amongst the most dynamic markets, e.g. Romania with 33 % growth (274 MW added), Poland with 32 % (527 MW added by April 2012), Ukraine with 64 % (37 MW added) and Latvia with 64 % (20 MW added).

USA and Canada

The US market added 2’883 MW between January and June 2012, about 28 % more than in the same period in 2011. Major uncertainties arise from the unclear situation about the future

of the Production Tax Credit. Several companies have already laid off, and the near future of the US wind market may not be very bright if there is no support scheme in place. Canada installed 246 MW during the first half of 2012, less than in the previous period in 2011.

Latin America

The two biggest Latin American markets, Brazil and Mexico, had modest growth rates but still above

the global average: Brazil increased its installed capacity from 1425 MW to 1543 MW, Mexico from 929 MW to 1002 MW. Both countries are expected to continue as the lead markets in the region in the coming years.

Australia

Very encouraging developments are taking place in Australia, whose wind market installed additional 384 MW, equaling a 17% growth since the end of 2011.

18'405

22'130

16'546

19'000 *

1st half 2nd half 1st half 2nd half *

© W

WEA 2012

2011 2012

* prediction

Total Installed Capacity 2011-2012 [MW]

New Installed Capacity 2011-2012 [MW]

© W

WEA 2012

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Report ISSUE 4 December 2012

Worldwide prospects for end of the year 2012 and 2013

In the second half of 2012,

Prof. He Dexin, WWEA President: “Wind technology has become a pillar of the electricity supply scheme of many countries – just recently, Denmark announced a world record wind power share of 28 % of the country’s electricity supply. This success of wind power has become possible because of wise supportive policies by governments on the one hand and because of innovation and cost reduction by the wind industry on the other hand. Today, wind power can compete with any other source of energy, without causing environmental problems. WWEA calls on all governments not to reduce but to strengthen their efforts so that more investment in wind power can be done.”

Stefan Gsänger, WWEA Secretary General: “The wind industry, without doubt, is currently in a difficult situation. Political uncertainties in some of the key markets, namely in the USA, Spain and India, are major matters of concern. At the same time, China has reached its maximum rate of installing new wind farms, although the Chinese market continues to be much bigger than any other country. However, this leads to strong pressure on Chinese manufacturers and will further increase pressure on wind turbine prices worldwide. More countries should now make use of the low cost of wind power and implement the technology as fast as possible.”

additional capacity of 19’000 MW is expected to be built worldwide, which would bring new annual installations to 35’546 MW, significantly less than

the 40’535 MW of the year 2011. The total installed wind capacity is expected to reach 273’000 MW by the end of 2012.

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ReportISSUE 4 December 2012

Photo: Kang Dahai

Regional Focus

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The World Wind Energy Conference held in Bonn during July 2012 was a powerful demonstration of the global scale of community

wind power, with the Conference attracting a worldwide audience to Europe, to discuss innovative projects, policy developments and challenges. But how is community wind faring within Europe, which many would regard as its modern birthplace? That is what this article sets out to assess.

Just two points of orientation at the start. First, inevitably, there is the issue of definition – what constitutes ‘community’ wind power? This article focuses on projects where the public owns a significant, direct stake in wind power projects, but popular use of the term ‘community wind’ embraces everything from intensely local schemes, where wind power projects are developed by, owned by, and deliver revenues for collective community purposes, right through to schemes which are

‘community’ mainly in the sense that people from a particular area own shares. Definitional issues can make estimating the ‘size’ of the community wind sector difficult and make it hazardous to refer to it as a ‘sector’.

Second, one can see stark differences in progress with community wind power across Europe between countries where renewable energy started with local actions and countries where renewable energy policy has long been dominated by major commercial companies. In the latter, community wind struggles to expand. Given this divide, a crude distinction between community wind ‘leaders’ and ‘laggards’ is used to organise this article.

Denmark

Denmark’s reputation as a pioneer in

By Richard Cowell, Environmental Planning at Cardiff University, UK

Still in the lead?

Community Wind in Europe –Strength in Diversity?

Regional Focus

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community wind is well deserved. Thanks to a series of supportive government policies – tax breaks, feed-in tariffs, and the recycling of environmental fees – by 2000, some 80% of wind turbines in Denmark were owned by the public, mainly share ownership, with many schemes being initiated by enthusiastic groups of local people. Local municipal energy utilities are important players, both as buyers of electricity, and co-investors in projects.

That is not to say, however, that Danish community wind power has seen consistent growth. From 2000 onwards, changes to national systems of financial support made wind development more difficult. Expansion slowed, with most new investment coming from the private commercial sector rather than cooperatives, and directed towards repowering and offshore wind. To redress the risks of diminishing social engagement, the 2008 Danish Promotion of Renewable Energy Act included a requirement for developers of large wind turbines to offer at least 20% of the

project to the local population.Generally speaking, the move towards

offshore wind diminishes community engagement: costs are greater, projects tend to be larger and more complex, and spatial distance dilutes connections between projects and communities. However, Denmark shows that community offshore wind is possible. For example, joint investment by a partnership (cooperative) and Copenhagen Energy was behind the 40MW Middelgrunden project near Øresund.

Germany

The pioneering trajectory of community wind power in Germany has parallels with Denmark. By 2000, some 75% of all Germany wind energy capacity could be classified as community owned. In contrast with Denmark, however, wind energy investment expanded consistently through the last decade, bringing with it further absolute increases in the scale of

Photo: Wang Taigang

Regional Focus

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the community owned sector. Ownership forms are diverse in Germany, embracing independent companies, farmers and cooperatives. Independent companies typically drew a proportion of their equity from public share offers. The presence of energy cooperatives is growing (from two in 2006 to 111 by 2011). An important feature of German community wind is the scale of some of the projects - some local, citizen-owned wind farms have gradually expanded to exceed 50MW, which is relatively large for community power projects.

Sweden

In Sweden, the growth of community wind power has been less meteoric than Denmark and Germany but nevertheless there are presently a large number of wind power cooperatives in Sweden (more than 80), as well as numerous farm-owned schemes, and growing municipality engagement. Arguably more remarkable is the institutional form taken by some community wind projects. A particular feature is the consumer cooperative (Vindkonsumföreningar), in which cooperative members receive dividends according to the share of the output of the wind scheme that they have purchased from the cooperative, plus any environmental bonuses. By selling electricity directly to its members at a special low rate, the national Sweden Wind Cooperative also saves its members VAT.

United Kingdom

The state of community wind power in the UK typifies problems that persist in

a whole set of ‘laggard’ countries. Although the installed capacity of wind power in the UK reached 6500MW by 2012, the amount that could be regarded as ‘community power’ (by any definition) is less than 100MW. The problems have been rehearsed many times. The UK has persisted with financial support systems which are complex, create uncertainty for investors, and are most easily navigated by large, commercial companies; capital available to communities for renewable energy schemes is often difficult to obtain; grid connection is tricky.

In this context, UK community wind projects tend to be small, but some display interesting features. A number of cooperatives have emerged, and so too have schemes developed by communities to deliver funds for community purposes rather than profit. One example is the project in the rural village of Fintry, Scotland, where ownership of a turbine within a bigger commercial windfarm is used to raise funds for micro-renewables, energy conservation and biofuel projects. A number of projects also see wind as a way of tackling the sustainability challenges of peak oil, climate change and energy poverty, and promoting community resilience.

For twenty years, community wind projects in the UK have struggled against the odds – is this set to get any easier? There is vocal government support for communities benefiting from renewable energy and, in Scotland, a 500MW target has been set for local and community-owned renewables. Grant schemes are available to help support scheme development costs which, if fully taken up, may push community wind over 200MW. The inception of the feed-in tariff in 2008 has transformed support for small-scale renewables (it only applies to schemes up to 5MW), but the main beneficiaries have been individual, farm

Still in the slipstream?

Regional Focus

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or business investments rather than collective projects, and the main technology of choice has been solar PV rather than wind.

The Netherlands

There is an active network of community wind cooperatives in the Netherlands but, like the UK, growth in this part of the sector has been slow, and projects with high levels of community ownership are just a small component of the overall electricity supply. The reasons are very similar to the UK, too: financial support and regulatory systems tend to be structured in ways which favour big companies. If one includes farmer-owned turbines within the definition of ‘community power’, then there is a more significant contribution. For example, Windunie is a partnership between wind turbines for selling their electricity, and its 250 members – mostly farmers – have a combined

installed capacity of 410MW, about 15% of the total amount of wind power installed in the Netherlands.

France and Belgium

Wind farm cooperatives are a very recent phenomenon in France, as they have needed to overcome severe problems in raising finance, notably the complex process of seeking authorisation from the financial markets for issuing shares. Some Non-Governmental Organisations have sought to act as intermediaries in the provision of funds, with support from the French Energy Agency. This initiative might yield 20 projects, including wind and solar. Important actors in these French developments have been energy supplier Enercorp, the Energie Partagée association and Ecopower, a Belgian financing cooperative for renewable energy which, with

Photo: Zhang Lu

Regional Focus

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40,000 members, supplies 1.1% of households in Flanders with green energy.

The rest of Europe

Beyond these countries, wider community ownership of wind power relatively uncommon. Although Spain and Portugal have seen the massive expansion of wind energy, this has been dominated by big companies and big projects. A recent project to develop community wind in Catalonia is something of an exception.

Key themes

The sheer diversity of Europe’s ‘community wind sector’ makes deriving clear messages for the future rather difficult, but three themes are important.

1) A fate tied to conventional renewables?In many respects, the fate of community

wind in Europe is tied up with the broader fate of the renewable energy sector. Changes to systems of financial support can affect all

categories of renewables – for example, the suspension of Spain’s feed in tariff for all new renewable energy from 2013 leaves the whole sector in a state of uncertainty – so too can the treatment of fossil fuels and their external costs. But wider renewable energy policy can differentially affect the scope for community projects, and vigilance towards these distributive effects is required. The adverse effects of complex systems of financial support has been noted above, but more might be done in Europe to ensure that community schemes access the support available (some Canadian provinces allocate a proportion of their feed-in tariffs to community projects, for example). Planning and consenting systems, too, can have important effects: in the UK, steps have been taken to streamline consenting process for major energy generation infrastructure (as they have elsewhere in Europe), but these do little to help smaller, community projects get through the consenting system.

2) Politics and PolicyMuch attention in the ‘community wind

movement’ has focused on disseminating

Photo: Tang Taoqi

Regional Focus

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knowledge on technical issues and models of ownership and financing. But is important not to neglect the political dimension – who can speak authoritatively and effectively for the community power sector in national government, to ensure that supportive policies are created and maintained? In many countries environmental NGOs and Green Parties have been key actors, in concert with local government, but so too have sectoral organisations such as the Danish Wind Turbine Owners Association. The voice of community renewables may now be getting louder. In the UK, the formation of the Community Energy Coalition could provide an effective counter-balance to the dominance of big business voices in energy policy.

3) Community wind in a wider socio-technological system

Undue concentration on wind risks drawing unhelpful boundaries around the community renewables movement, and misses some important technological developments. One simple point is that for many communities, other forms of renewable energy technology may ‘fit’ the social context better than wind. In countries where the planning and political atmosphere remains hostile for wind turbines, solar PV offers communities potentially more straightforward means of getting into energy generation. We are seeing this in England and the Netherlands; for example, the Westmill Wind Farm Cooperative in Oxfordshire, England, is now looking beyond wind to invest in solar schemes. We should however acknowledge the historic debt to community wind which, in many locations, pioneered models of community involvement, and delivered the initial capital.

More fundamentally, there is a need to see how community wind fits into more

transformative energy agendas, especially the move towards 100% renewable energy regions. This movement is gathering momentum in Germany. One can see examples elsewhere, such as the Danish island of Samsø, where community-owned wind turbines (ten of them offshore) are coupled with solar power to match all energy consumption with renewables for the island’s 4000 inhabitants. Community ownership might be considered a logical component of the 100% renewable region concept. Indeed, the need for tighter coupling between electricity generation, heat and transport, and demand management may well demand renewable energy with more localised ownership and control, of the sort that community wind can provide.

Conclusions

One of the values attributed to community wind power, is that as part of a diverse and decentralised energy system it can make a powerful contribution to resilience and sustainability to society as a whole. One might make the same point in reverse – the diversity and flexibility of community wind power has enabled it to emerge in an array of institutional contexts, and survive the constant shifts in energy policy and social priorities. Pluralism is the strength of community wind power in Europe – the future lies in networking that intelligence, and acting on national policy systems to better supports its expansion.

Dr Richard Cowell is a Reader in Environmental Planning

at Cardiff University, and article draws on ESRC Research Project

Delivering Renewable Energy Under Devolution (RES-062-23-2526).

With thanks to Marieke Oteman of Radboud University, Nijmegen.

Regional Focus

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Wind Power at a Turning Point

Despite the economic crisis and a reduction of wind turbine sales in 2011, world wind power capacity will grow by around 15%

in 2012; and even if the present reduced sales rate should continue, it will double by 2020.

In a period of economic crisis with excess capacity in the power sector, this is a high growth rate compared to other power producing technologies. Nevertheless, it is not enough, as building new wind power capacity is a part of the solution to the economic crisis (Lund 2012), which is caused by rising prices on fossil fuels, increased fossil fuel dependency and global warming among other things. It is therefore essential to find ways of revitalizing wind power growth and at the same time help solve the economic crisis by means of giving work to many of the people that have become unemployed during the crisis (Hvelplund 2011).

The reduced growth in wind power investments is an opportunity to reconsider

the next steps in wind power development. It is important to learn from countries that have not reduced their wind power growth, and see these countries as forerunners dealing with the new challenges of increasing the share of wind power.

Here I will deal mainly with the Danish case, as the new Danish Government, backed by an 90% majority in Parliament, has decided to almost double the wind power share of electricity consumption from around 28% to 50% in 2020. This is planned to be implemented by building 1,000 MW offshore and 500 MW near shore wind turbines before 2020, and to replace 1,300 MW onshore capacity with 1,800 MW new onshore wind power capacity in the same period (Ministry for Climate, Buildings and Energy, 2012).

However, whether this goal of a 50% share of wind power will be achieved depends on a number of factors such as:

a. Can we cope successfully with the variability challenge? With an increasingly large wind power shares, wind power will

Key Political Challenges in Denmark and WorldwideBy Frede Hvelplund, Aalborg University, Denmark

Regional Focus

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during a growing number of hours produce more electricity than is consumed in Denmark. Should this production be exported at low prices as a result, or is it possible to integrate parts of a “surplus” wind power production locally and regionally?

b. Can we redesign and/or extend the power markets so that the market price is not automatically lowered when the production of wind power increases? At present, wind power reduces the price at the Scandinavian Nordpool market due to the merit order effect (Pöyry 2010). Increasing wind power production will force Denmark to export at times when the markets are often overcrowded. This will result in a very low export price which at times could be as low as 1-1.5 eurocents per kWh, decreasing the annual average price of wind power sold to the grid. The Public Service Obligation costs (PSO) to be paid from the power consumers to the wind turbine owners will rise by 2-3 eurocents per kWh around 2020, which may generate political opposition to further expansion of wind power.

c. Can we increase the local and regional acceptance and participation in wind power projects? Increased wind power capacity in combination with larger turbines makes wind power more visible and audible at onshore locations. Combined with an increasing distant ownership share of wind power, this has increased the local resistance to wind power projects, hampering their implementation. This underlines the need to establish acceptance and participation from people in the wind resource regions.

d. Can we avoid overusing difficult wind sites and in that way avoid high kWh costs? In many areas, the best and socially most easily accessible wind power locations are already in use. Therefore, an expansion of wind power necessitates a further development of wind

turbine designs that are cheap, with low noise and no light pollution, in combination with adapting sizes to the local wind, nature and societal conditions. It is no longer enough just to develop larger wind turbines.

(a and b) Solving the variability challenge and the merit order problem.

A large part of the variability challenge can be solved by selling the “surplus” wind power from very windy periods to the heat market, to be used in heat pumps and if necessary stored in hot water tanks until there is a need for heat and hot water (Lund 2006).

At the same time, this combination of heat and power markets also solves the merit order problem, as it ensures that electricity from wind turbines is never sold below the price of the most expensive heat fuel, which will be gasoil and natural gas, having a price of 5-7 eurocents per kWh. In order not to encourage the use of coal based electric heat, the buyers of electricity for heat purposes should be obliged to invest in intermittency infrastructure such as heat pumps, heat storage systems etc. Consequently, the value of wind power production can be kept at a relatively high level even in - and after - 2020, when wind power production will be equivalent to 50% of the present power consumption.

(c and d) Generating local and regional acceptance and participation and replacing some planned offshore capacity with onshore wind turbines.

The general wind power area planning procedures should be in place (Sperling, 2010), but this is not enough if there is an ongoing process of reducing the share of local and regional ownership and thus increasing the resistance to onshore wind parks. Politically this makes it tempting to increase the share of offshore wind in the energy plans. The “only” problem in this strategy is that offshore wind

Regional Focus

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turbines produce electricity at double the price of onshore wind turbines, which means 14 eurocents for offshore electricity (Anholt 400 MW offshore power plant) compared to 6-7 eurocents per kWh for a good onshore locality.

It is necessary to introduce new legislation requiring at least 60% of any wind power project to be offered, at cost price controlled by an independent auditor, to local and regional households. This ensures that a large part of the ownership profit will be earned by local actors getting incomes from and paying taxes to the local communities. This again furthers local acceptance (Warren 2010) (Musall 2011) and makes it much easier to implement onshore projects. For instance, if local and regional ownership makes it possible to replace 550 MW offshore capacity of the planned 1500 MW with 800 MW onshore capacities, society and electricity consumers would save around 140 million euros annually. In addition, the wind turbines will give an annual profit to households and organizations in the host areas of around 40-80 million euros.

The result of solving the above problems (a, b, c, d) altogether is that (I) the costs of wind power will decrease considerably and (II) the value of the produced wind power will increase, resulting in (III) improved wind power economy and competitiveness. This will minimize the PSO payment from the electricity consumers to wind power, which will then make it more probable that the politically determined wind power share of 50% in 2020 will be realized.

The following lists some of the planning needs in order to further the development of wind power under the present economic crisis:

1. Onshore wind power should be supported, as its costs are only around 50% of the costs of offshore electricity in good wind locations, and even in low wind areas

it is cheaper than offshore wind. Despite the importance of further development of offshore wind power, it is economical in the planning processes to shift to a larger share of onshore wind power for the years to come (Möller 2012). This should also include a more consumer driven wind turbine development process, where it is possible to get cheap wind turbines of different sizes fitting the diverse conditions from place to place both socially and with regard to onshore wind conditions. If this shift to a larger share of onshore wind power is not done, wind power could become so expensive that it may lose its political support.

2. Local and regional majority ownership of onshore wind power plants should be furthered, as acceptance will increase when a majority share of incomes and taxes flow into the local and regional communities where the wind turbines are located. This will facilitate a larger onshore wind power capacity, and thus reduce the average cost of wind power. Consequently, the political support for wind power will be consolidated which would also be beneficial for offshore wind on a long-term basis.(Hvelplund 2012).

3. Support the establishment of smart energy systems (Lund et al. 2012) by combining heat, cooling, power and transportation markets. It is important to find ways of avoiding the downward pressure from wind power expansion on electricity prices at the electricity markets, the so called merit order effect. This can be done by integrating the electricity, heat, and transportation markets. In order to do this, it is a great help to accelerate the implementation of district heating and cooling systems including heat pumps and heat storage systems. Often it is argued that this is a solution just applicable for Denmark, which has a very high share of district heating systems.

Regional Focus

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However, district heating has not always been present in Denmark and its district heating systems were mostly built decades ago. Since then, massive technological innovations have made district heating networks both better and cheaper than when the average Danish system was built. Thus, it would be considerably cheaper for Germany, UK, France, etc. to build district heating/cooling systems than it was for Denmark decades ago, and such systems can be used both as infrastructure for variable renewable energy and for geothermal energy. Furthermore, wind turbine producers should in parallel with further development of wind turbines, increase collaboration with companies dealing with the development of smart energy systems, and also participate in the design of policies supporting the development of smart energy systems.

4. Local integration first, long distance grid systems next. We are not proposing 100% local integration via smart energy systems, and there still is a need for building new grid systems. However, the sequence of investment has to be subjected to a subsidiarity principle, where local integration of wind power should be developed and implemented first; once this is done, the investments in grid systems should be implemented based on calculations of the real need for expansion of these systems. Today, the investment procedure seems to be the other way around, which is wrong from an investment optimization point of view, and also results in resistance to what people rightfully could call unnecessary power lines, again resulting in delays in both necessary power lines and investment in wind parks.

In the present situation it is important to not just wait for better times, but to develop ideas and policies that can support the next phases of wind power development.

This article does not claim to have found ↑Horns Rev Wind Farm in Denmark. (Source: Vestas)

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the only way forward, but it does call for a discussion on how to deal with a situation characterized by economic crisis with difficult conditions regarding wind power costs and prices, combined with an increased need for local and regional acceptance, and the integration of still higher shares of variable wind power into the energy system.

References

1. Hvelplund,F.2011: Innovative Democracy and Renewable

Energy Strategies : A full-Scale Experiment in Denmark

1976-2010. In Energy,Policy and the Environment:

Modeling Sustainable Development for the North. red. /

Marja Järvelä ; Sirkku Juhola. Springer Science+Business

Media B.V., 2011. s. 89-113 (Studies in Human Ecology

and Adaptation, Vol. 6).

2. Hvelplund,F. 2012: Black or Green Wind Power To be

published in:

"Power for the World: the Emergence of Wind Energy" by

Pan Stanford, Autumn 2012.

3. Lund,Henrik and Münster,Ebbe: “Integrated energy systems

and local energy markets”, Energy Policy nr. 34, 2006, p.

1152-1160.

4. Pöyry 2010: Wind energy and Electricity Prices-exploring the

“merit order” effect, Pöyry, for the European Wind energy

association, 2010.

5. Lund,Henrik;Andersen,Anders;Østergaard,Poul, et al: From

electricity smart grids to smart energy systems: A market

operation based approach and understanding. In: Energy 42

(2012)1,p.96-102.

6. Lund,Henrik; Hvelplund,Frede: The Economic Crisis and

Sustainable Development : The Design of Job Creation

Strategies by Use of Concrete Institutional Economics. / :

Energy, Vol. 43, Nr. 1, 01.2012, s. 192-200.

7. Ministry for Climate,Building and Energy, Agreement

concerning the Danish energy policy 2012-2020, 22 March,

2012.

8. http://www.kemin.dk/en-US/Climate_energy_and_building_

policy/Denmark/energy_agreements/Sider/Forside.aspx

9. Möller, Bernd; Hong, Lixuan; Lonsing, Reinhard; Hvelplund,

Frede.

Valuation of offshore wind resources by scale of development. /

I: Energy, 11.02.2012.

10. Musall,F.D;Onno Kuik: Local acceptance of renewable

energy-A case study from Southeastern Germany. Energy

Policy 2011 p.3252-3260.

11. Warren, R; McFadyen, M.: Does Community ownership

affect public attitueds to wind energy? Land Use Policy

2010, p. 204-213.

12. Sperling,K;Hvelplund,F,Mathiesen,Brian: Evaluation of

wind power planning in Denmark – Towards an integrated

perspective. I: Energy, Vol. 35, Nr. 12, 2010.

Photo: Yang Jun

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Renewable electricity production in Germany in 2011 closely approached the 20%-mark with nearly 122 TWh produced while

Germany’s gross electricity generation reached about 612 TWh. Germany thus doubled its renewable production since 2004. While the amount of hydroelectricity and electricity stemming from the use of organic household waste remains stable with about 25 TWh since 2004, it is mainly the ‘new’ renewables like wind, photovoltaic and biomass that contribute to the growing share of electricity production. Their development has largely and successfully been incentivized by the German Renewables Act (the “EEG”).

Like all other EU member states,

Germany aims at constituting a new energetic infrastructure in order to decarbonise the energy system and to minimize the dependency on non-renewable fossils or nuclear energy sources and to reduce the external effects of these conventional energies. Consequently, the German legislator set a precise goal concerning renewable energy supply for the decades to come. With the new EEG 2012, this goal is set by at least 35% of the total electricity supply in 2020 and is set to increase consequently up until at least 80% in 2050.

But this rapid growth leads to many new challenges. Most spectators would guess they are of a technical kind, but there are also many economic and institutional challenges to be faced as well. One of them is the question of how to allocate the renewable electricity in

New Task Allocation in a Contextof Growing Amounts of Intermittent Renewables – Suppliers as ‘ResidualPortfolio’-ManagersBy Eva Hauser, Uwe Leprich, Martin Luxenburger

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the markets or – finally - among end users. While this question actually may seem to be a specific German one, it may soon concern more EU member states whose share of renewables is growing or who simply take part in the interconnected electricity exchanges.

Since the beginning of 2010, the German TSOs are obliged to sell the production of the EEG-producers exclusively on the German-Austrian day-ahead spot-market of the common French-German-Austrian electricity exchange, the EPEX. With about 65.5 GW of installed renewable capacity at the end of 2011 (consisting of 29.1 GW wind generators and 24,8 GW PV), renewable power amounted to a total production of nearly 122 TWh while the German-Austrian EPEX day-ahead volume reached about 225 TWh. Thus, renewables represented more than 50% of the EPEX day ahead volume in 2011. The increasing amount of renewables sold unlimited on the spot-market thus lead to declining spot-market prices via the right-hand-shift of the German merit order. According to the respective peak load which varies between 40 and maximum 80 GW with a mean load of 65 GW, renewable feed-in becomes continuously more price setting. This development – the so-called “merit-order-effect of renewable energies” leads to falling spot market prices in general.

But the different kinds of renewables do not all present the same effects on the electricity (spot) market prices: While some renewables can –at least technically - be regulated by their operators, wind energy is intermittent, but does not follow a specific daytime pattern. Principally photovoltaic presents a specific pattern due to its synchronicity with daylight. Wind, hydro or biomass do generate a kind of ‘overall’ merit-order-effect which contributes to generally lowering the electricity spot market prices.

Photovoltaic energy strongly influences spot market prices during the actual peak price phases in electricity markets (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the French-Austrian-German EPEX). This is illustrated in graph 1. Consequently, the ratio of the hourly average peak prices to the respective annual base prices decreases continually since 2007. This can be seen in graph 2. While the average base prices vary (but generally tend to slightly fall due to the renewables-induced merit-order-effect), the peak base ratio fell from about 128% in 2007 to an actually rather stable value of 111%. The daily profile of the electricity spot market prices has thus generally been levelised, approaching base values. Furthermore, a new kind of profile seems to emerge: While the

←Graph 1.

←Graph 2.

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former daily maximum prices occurred at noon and a second interval with high prices occurred in the early evening hours, the daily maximum intervals now lie during the morning and the evening hours. The mid-day peak has been cut and the (average) afternoon prices even lie beyond the annual average base prices. In sum, there is no longer a continuous peak interval from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but some quite short peak phases in the morning and the evening and one may even talk about an “off-peak phase” quite close to the middle of the day, i.e. in the early afternoon.

These emerging daily price profiles show up an important characteristic of intermittent electricity production: Their ‘market value’ (defined as the ratio of earnings obtained in the electricity spot market to the average price in the spot market) seems not to permit a full recovery of investment and capital costs of these energy sources. This can be seen in Graph 3. The ‘market value’ of photovoltaic energy decreases with growing shares of PV installed in Germany2 and approaches the value of the average base price. Wind energy hardly passes the market value of more than 100% of the average German-Austrian EPEX price, but tends to slightly decrease as well. This means that intermittent renewables - whose main cost arise from investment and capital cost, but who do have no significant marginal cost – suffer from an intrinsic ‘non-marketability’. Their own merit-order-effect prevents first of all themselves from profitable business prospects. If the investment in intermittent renewables is to be refinanced and their expansion to be

fostered, this cannot be granted by revenues from spot markets3 and probably neither from future markets who tend to show up the same price levels.

Therefore, the concept of ‘market integration’ and many of its implications need to be reviewed. Many of its advocates claim for example that their ‘market integration’ would be able to steer synchronously the quantity of renewables built or to be built and the ‘feed-in behaviour’ of these power plants. In subjecting intermittent renewables to the development of spot market prices, this would mean to adapt them to the ‘needs of the market’. But regarding the shaded prospects of marketability of intermittent renewables, market integration cannot be seen as an instrument which will lead to the system integration of renewables. If Germany as well as all other EU member states wishes to pursue their renewables’ and climate protection objectives, other means have to be found to foster the expansion of renewable capacities to be installed.

It is rather an electricity system transformation these states should aim to implement. This new electricity system will consist of three main technical parts: its core part will be constituted by intermittent renewables (wind, photovoltaic and most of the run of the river power plants who are exempt from marginal cost) being backed up by power plants (or grid devices) performing must-run functions necessary to guarantee system stability and the different flexibility options whose function it is to provide the residual energy. There is a strong probability that these

1: Cumulated feed-in data for photovoltaic energy in Germany are published since August 2010 when the total installed capacity reached about 14,7 GW peak. By the end of September 2012, it reached about 31 GW peak.2: A recently published study from the German energy company MVV comes to the same results. They authors calculated market revenues for wind energy with different levels of CO2 emission certificate prices, with a spread reaching up to 285€2011/ t CO2 in 2050. Even this high price scenario would not guarantee the investment in new wind power plants to be recovered. Cf. Kopp, O./ Eßer-Frey, A./ Engelhorn, T. 2012: Können sich erneuerbare Energien langfristig auf wettbewerblich organisierten Strommärkten refinanzieren?, in Zeitschrift für Energiewirtschaft, DOI 10.1007/s12398-012-0088-y, published online on 27th of July 2012

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different components will rely on different financing mechanisms. Intermittent renewables will need specific mechanisms who take into account their absence of marginal cost while the other plants will be financed by a mix of sales revenues or revenues from performing the different must run functions (including providing balancing energy) and some revenues issued from future possible capability mechanisms. This is illustrated in Graph 4.

As discussed above, this necessary system transformation needs new mechanisms capable to allocate renewable feed-in electricity if the allocation cannot sufficiently be fulfilled by today’s market mechanisms which are principally based on revenues stemming from marginal cost. The actual system merges renewable electricity into the EPEX sales volumes thus taking their ‘green’ character, but permitting to sell them (regardless of their non-marketability via spot market revenues) at the market clearing price. The electricity purchasing companies therefore do not have to take care of this distinction between ‘green’ or ‘grey’ electricity and their principal differences.

This new system architecture –with intermittent renewables as its core – has two further principal characteristics: There is a high

need of flexibility to be provided by those power plants which do not depend on a natural energy supply – i.e. the flexibility options – and this need for flexibility should shape the future market rules. These rules should reward those power plants who are able to react conforming to the intermittent renewable energy supply as close to real time as possible.

This need for flexibility and new market rules accompanying them led the authors to try to develop a new EEG-allocation scheme that is intended to incentivize flexibility and make best use of the core competences of the different actors of the electricity system. This new scheme will be presented briefly in the following lines.

Principally, this new scheme lays the responsibility for the handling of the interaction between intermittent renewables, non-intermittent renewables and conventional power producers on two different ‘shoulders’: the TSOs and in particular the electricity suppliers. This scheme is illustrated in GRAPH 5.

The TSOs still keep the balancing responsibility and their role as trustees for

↑Graph 3. ↑Graph 4.

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the financial management of the EEG-account. They would become responsible for the ‘physical’ part of an EEG power allocation ratio, but on a very short-time basis, i.e. preferably a quarter-of-an-hour. This could take place via a permanent data exchange processes between the Distribution System Operators (=DSO), the TSOs and the suppliers concerning both forecasts of renewable electricity production and load. The final real-time physical allocation ratio could be communicated one or two hours before delivery, just leaving the time necessary for the suppliers to finalize their residual portfolio on the new “residual load spot market”. The allocation would thus nearly become a real-time allocation. This allocation ratio could help to decrease balancing requirements. It could be based on renewables’ forecasts close to real-time (about four to two hours before delivery) which considerably improves the quality of the forecast. In the actual system, spot-market sales of the EEG power are based on a day-ahead basis with the forecast made in the early morning preceding the day-ahead-auction. It thus covers a 24 hours time span with an additional preliminary of about 16 hours. With this advance of maximum 40 hours before delivery, renewables’ forecasts

present a higher error probability than those that are made very close to delivery time. In addition, as forecasts are made by one single actor for the whole German territory, the broad geographical basis itself reduces forecast errors by the geographic leveling effect.

The TSOs then transmit the assembled EEG power into the balancing groups of the second bulk of actors whose role would be heavily strengthened with this new scheme: the electricity suppliers. They would be delivered with close to real-time – also on a quarter-of-an-hours-basis – renewables’ shares.

In order to complete their delivery portfolio, they can either purchase the remaining quantity on the electricity spot-markets or they can make use of any kind of flexibility option within their portfolio. This can include both additional power produced by decentralized generation capacities or even storage facilities, but also demand side options. Choosing the suppliers as new main actors to handle with the residual load presents the advantage of involving just those actors who have a well identified market competence and a good knowledge of their clients’ behavior and load demand.

In general, this new real-time EEG-

Graph 5. →

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allocation scheme is supposed to give incentives to render both conventional production devices and electricity market procedures more flexible. As the allocation of the EEG power takes place nearly in real-time, all kinds of market participants should try to adapt their offer and demand on the quarter-of-an-hour basis induced by this new scheme. It is thought to give flexible power plants a market-based back-up and to better integrate ramps of renewable and conventional power plants into the markets whose sales intervals should also become 15 minutes.

This does not necessarily mean that financial products sold at the electricity exchanges’ forward trading become obsolete as market participants certainly will still try to achieve price foresight. Part of this ‘foresee-ability’ could for example partly be achieved with an annual “weighted EEG-full-cost-price” analogous to the current annual financial EEG allocation. As the TSOs would possess real-time data of the quarter-of-an-hourly production by the different types of renewables, they could - on the above cited annual basis - pass these costs to the suppliers. Suppliers would then be obliged to include the share of renewables into their final consumers’ bills.

This new scheme would certainly change many aspects of the German electricity sector and have important consequences for the different actors of the German, if not European, electricity system. Even if it may seem to be a specifically German discussion for the moment, the necessity to complement the marginal-cost-based electricity market should sooner or later concern all EU-member states where intermittent renewables form a growing part of the power production.

Its further development and possible implementation needs further research.

Some points have already been identified by the authors in discussing with scientific colleagues or experts from the energy business. Principally six considerations emerged from these discussions:

● The need to precise the necessary procedures of data allocation or financial transactions.

● The necessity of new hedging instruments and their costs as well as the financial ability of suppliers of each type and size to handle with a prevalent spot market purchase. Are all suppliers able to handle the new challenges? Will they have to concur or outsource services? Could a mark adjustment begin?

● The necessity of future instruments (regulatory ones or tariff-based ones) capable to give production signals to intermittent renewables once they have obtained the majority of electric power produced

● The ability of this new scheme to include future possibly necessary capacity mechanisms if the existing market design proves to be unable to (re-)finance the costs of flexibility options (both production or storage devices).

● Last but not least the conformity with European Law, especially in terms of non-discrimination of foreign electricity producers whose interests should have to be weighed against a prerogative of national governments to introduce instruments capable to increase renewable electricity supply and hence the general development towards an affordable, sustainable and responsible non-fossil and non-nuclear power generation.

Eva Hauser and Martin Luxenburger are researchers at the IZES

(Institut für ZukunftsenergieSysteme, Saarbrücken, Germany), Uwe

Leprich is Scientific Director of the IZES.

The authors wish to thank Matthias Sabatier, IZES, for his support

in editing this article.

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(Part I - Wind Power Development for Grid Integration)

Wolde-Ghiorgis, Woldemariam,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Addis Ababa University

After a brief introduction to wind energy potentials in Ethiopia, a Sub-Saharan African (SSA) country on the Horn of Africa,

the contribution mainly focuses on current attempts (i.e. since 2006) to explore and develop wind power generation for grid

integration. With a population of over 86 million engaged in traditional-pastoral farming practices spread over 1.14 million sq. kilometers, and a mountainous topography, the country has pressing needs for modern energy services, notably electricity. Currently, after long delays, Ethiopia is at last engaged on a fast and growing hydro-power based electricity supply generation development strategy based on its unharnessed hydropower potentials. Still, in view of the hindrances commonly involved in initiating and implementing hydropower projects, alternative energy mixes are also continually being sought. Henceforth,

Prospects and Challenges inAdvancing Wind EnergyDevelopments in Sub-SaharanAfrican Countries: The Case ofEthiopia

Executive Summary

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prospects for, and challenges in developing wind power generation for integration with the growing grid have been purposely and extensively considered. After wind data collections and analyses, designs of wind farms (or parks) analysis, constructions of upcoming wind farms (parks) are thus being implemented, all dependent on imported and hopefully suitable wind turbine technologies with accompanying grid integration devices and techniques. The country has first been pushing towards a 120 MW wind farm development which is currently being constructed on a site 2500 m above sea level in three phases for completion and full-capacity commissioning by 2013. Also, a 51MW wind farm located at 99 km away from the capital city (Addis Ababa) has been constructed and now it is ready for commissioning by end of 2012. Another bigger wind farm (with a capacity of 153 MW) is being furthered closely by the national electric utility for construction within the coming two to three years. There are also additional wind farms that will be located both inland and at about 60 km from the Red Sea in the desert area of the country near the Ethiopia – Djibouti border. The key methods for reliable grid-integration of wind power are apparently still being considered for reliable technology transfers into countries with less developed economies. Two key technical issues of wind power integration of immediate and long-term concerns are: on one hand, reliable methods that are needed for implementing for stable grid connections, and on another side, the basic needs for types of certification(s) of three – and/or two-blade wind turbines in the various wind farms that are being constructed and finalized. To resolve the first challenge, one option would be simply to try to follow implementing the practices and trends that have been tested and adopted in both developed and advanced

developing countries. Such procedures are apparently expected to be recommended by consultants and assigned experts. In any case, it is being proposed that key grid stability problems with windpower integrations will need to be considered early, and as fully as possible. Appropriate solutions will then have to be implemented strictly after careful testing and experimentations. The contribution finally attempts to provide preliminary recommendations and conclusions by stressing needs for urgent technology transfers, capacity building and financial supports in wind energy developments. Much could be achieved in implementing wind energy and with other renewables (e.g. solar photovoltaic) in line with the new trends leading to climate-change resilient developments for all countries, including those in SSA countries like Ethiopia, and also in the neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa.

Photo: Luo Bin

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1. Introduction: A Brief Overview of Wind Energy Potentials in Ethiopia

Endowed with, but practically untapped plentiful renewable energy resources, Ethiopia has remained for far too long as is a less developed country. With a population heading towards 85 to 90 million, and located on the Horn of Africa (or eastern sub-region) sub-Saharan Africa, reportedly the country has been in existence for 3,000 years. With plentiful rainfall, the mountainous country is the major source (circa over 85%) of Nile River that transverses from central-eastern Africa to, then flows through Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. The country has therefore immense hydropower potentials (i.e. anywhere between 30 to 45 GW) which are just beginning to be tapped to reach a generating capacity of 8 GW to 10 GW within a short time.

All agricultural practices in the country have been practically based on animal—human powers and energies. Consequently, while for example traditional wind mills were being used for irrigation and grain grinding in ancient Egypt and Persia, such practices have remained unknown to farmers residing in Sub-Saharan African countries, with possible exceptions in Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Pastoralists residing with their herds mainly in the low and hotter lowlands have also been dependent on rain-fed water supplies. However, water pumping from surface or underground sources for irrigation or animal drinking using wind mills has been mostly untried and unknown. The main reasons behind the extreme delays in basic or traditional technology adaptations will need to be exhaustively investigated by interested socio-economists. From the point of view advancing both traditional and modern wind energy technologies for development, the challenges for research activities and advancements could be seen to

be of universal interests or common concern to all professionals or international associations, and especially researchers on renewables and energy for development.

Focusing on relatively recent developments in wind energy technologies for both integrated and distributed power generations, it is well known that advancements were first progressing fast in the developed countries in Europe and north Americas since the early 1980s. Then, similar advancement followed in the fast advancing countries in Asia also, but which were also followed by North African countries and South Africa. Except for some exceptional cases, developments in most Sub-Saharan African countries have been either to rare, or somewhat too early and ambitious. It could be said that this has been pattern of wind power development in Ethiopia and the neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa. While opting for grid-integrated wind power generation, Ethiopia had not been fortunate enough to benefit from traditional wind power utilizations despite its long history in settled agricultural practices.

The problem of underdevelopment was fundamentally rooted in underdevelopment due to lack of skills and knowledge in the transfer of modern energy services and technologies. Too many efforts were devoted to traditional biomass energy conservations and the efficiency improvements of fuel-wood stoves. Through the supports of concerned professionals, Ethiopia was still assisted to opt for wind power generation for grid-integration, a rapid step that proceeded small-scale and community-based utilizations of wind power. So, with reasonably adequate experience, the country is moving towards the preparation of a master plan for wind power and solar energy utilizations. The geographical locations of Ethiopia and prospective windy sites are indicated on a map of Ethiopia (as shown in the

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attached Annex).The present contribution is aimed at

discussing the ongoing efforts being seriously pursued to implement safe, economic and reliable wind-power generation systems for integration with a growing hydro-power based grid. There are first challenges to be addressed and surmounted since the wind farm projects being constructed are totally dependent on imported technologies and mainly expatriate experts.

2. Ongoing Developments and Challenges in Wind Farm Power Generation for Grid-Integration in Ethiopia

2.1 Justifications for Opting Directly for Wind Power Generation for Grid-integration

Despite its intermittency, globally, wind energy is becoming a reliable renewable energy sources urgently required for sustainable development in developed, developing, and more recently also in less developed countries.

So, if availabilities of wind energy sources can be firmly established, wind energy sources can be used both for electricity generation and other special or small scale applications, as shown in Golding [1]. As it is being demonstrated widely in Northern Africa, wind energy sources are also being sought in the less developed Sub-Saharan African countries as savers of avoided costs in view of increasing prices of imported fossil fuels. In the case of Ethiopia, one of the countries in the Nile Basin, while unexploited hydropower resources could be given higher priorities, alternatives, like wind energy resources, can be regarded as additional options for rapid development. And in Ethiopia, where both hydropower and wind energy resources are found to be plentiful, as investigated by Wolde-Ghiorgis.[2] Generation of electricity is being seriously seen as the key basis for transformation and socio-economic benefits in line with millennium development goals (MDGs). Henceforth, serious efforts are being exerted to mix hydropower and wind energy resources where available and

Photo: Tang Taoqi

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economically affordable. Still, issues like viable feed-in tariff and power purchase agreements, all of direct interests to investors, can only be resolved after operations of grid-integrated wind power generation have been successfully implemented.

Starting from a growing hydropower- base, with a current capacity limited to about 2,000 MW (i.e. up to end of 2012), Ethiopia is aiming at a power system generation capacity expansion. In line with a set national Growth and Transformation plan (GTP), the present capacity is aimed at growing to about 8,000 MW to 10,000 MW within the next five years. Within the context of sustainable development, the country is heading towards a clean climate resilient development strategy, which is actually being adapted as the overall national goal at the

highest governmental level and policy decision making processes. This strategy is pursued by focusing on significantly additional hydropower developments and wind energy, including also other renewable energy programs like untapped geothermal energy resources.

Thus, the country’s national and publicly owned utility is thus embarked on including grid-integrated wind power generation to strengthen hydropower generation. Henceforth, starting from a 120 MW wind farm plant (WFAP) under construction in three phases, there are also additional WFPs of capacities ranging from 51 MW to 300 MW, which are planned for rapid grid integrations. As being envisaged, the penetration of wind power generation is estimated to be anywhere from 3% to 5% of the total national power

Photo: Tang Taoqi

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generating capacity. If achieved, this range could be regarded as substantial achievement when it is fully realized that all components have to be imported. Still, even if the technically and economically feasible hydropower and wind energy resources have been established to be plentifully available within the country, there are critical considerations and challenges to be taken into account in implementing the needed energy harnessing processes.

As far as wind power development for reliable grid integration is concerned in a less developed economy, there is the need to choose and decide upon the most economical and appropriate wind energy conversion technologies. Many useful lessons will have to be learned and adopted from the developed and developing countries where wind power generation has been gradually and successfully advanced during the last three decades. Secondly, there also needs for adopting testing, commissioning and certifying actions and steps if the electricity derived from wind power generation is to be utilized and integrated in an existing grid system for sustainable development, in spite of the inherent intermittent nature of wind energy as a primary energy sources. Thirdly, there is the pressing need for technology selection and transfer for the reliable operation and maintenance of wind power generation for grid integration. While the physics of wind energy conversion is well understood, it has to be noted that the total economic and social costs, including environmental costs incurred in developing wind energy for significant power generation are just beginning to be explained in more complete and recent publications [3], [4].

Within the above general introduction, this study attempts to explore the above issues in terms of set objectives to benefit from grid-integrated wind power development. The aim of the study has been to address on-

going wind power developments in Ethiopia, a less developed country. The key objectives have been set to seek basic formulations and guidelines to be recognized and addressed if grid-integrated wind power development is going to succeed with reliability and quality of power service delivery. The integration of electricity from different sources of energy into power systems with interconnected transmission and distribution networks had actually stabilized much earlier before the progresses made in implementing grid-integrated wind power generation. However, the integration of wind power generation is still progressing even in less developed economies. The main objective aimed at is fast penetration of wind power generation in less developed economies that are also working hard to benefit from grid-integrated wind power generation. So, starting from a background of wind power generation, the study focuses on issues at testing and commissioning, followed by certification requirements for grid-integration. As it will finally be shown in the concluding remarks and recommendations, any useful and viable lessons are being sought from experiences from interested countries.

2.2 Aspects of Wind Turbine Technologies and Economic Analysis for Grid Integration

While the developments of grid-integrated wind power generation in developed and advanced developing countries have been continually progressing, fundamental issues are yet being recognized and addressed in the less developed countries. The starting and underlying issues to be taken into account are on one hand, technology transfer, and on another side, the need to base developments on standard economic analysis. Estimation of viable wind conditions are also to be given serious considerations. Without going into detailed discussions, it is seen to be vital

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to base the planning and construction of integrated wind farms in countries like Ethiopia on three key foundations of development, namely: wind turbine technologies for grid integration; economic aspects; and estimation of wind conditions.

Wind Turbine Technologies for Grid Integration

Wind turbine technology concepts have been developed and standardized by adopting experiences from past and on-going practices over long periods since the late 1980s, as expounded by Ackermann [3]. The key wind turbines are: (i) the Type A (i.e. fixed speed turbine) technology; (ii) the Type B (i.e. limited variable speed turbines) technology; (iii) Type C (i.e. variable speed with partial scale frequency converter turbines) technology; and (iv) Type D (i.e. variable speed with full-scale frequency converter turbine) technology. Type A is claimed to have normalized to use asynchronous squirrel cage induction generator (SCIG) in which the induction generator is supposed to draw reactive power from the grid. While the Type B depends on using wound rotor induction generator (WRIG) directly connected to the grid, a capacitor bank is needed to perform the reactive power compensation. Then the Type C configuration depends on the use of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) concept corresponding to a limited variable speed wind turbine and partial frequency converter on the rotor circuit. So the partial scale frequency converter performs the reactive power compensation, thus providing a smoother grid connection. Finally, the Type D technology has been developed to be compatible with variable speed with the generator connected to the grid through a full-scale frequency converter. The frequency converter provides the reactive power compensation with a smoother grid connection,

and the generator can be excited electrically either with a wound rotor synchronous generator (WRSG), or a wound rotor induction generator (WRIG), or by a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), as shown by Heier [4].

The nominal and useful electric power produced is given by [1]

(1)

where

(2)

is the area swept by a turbine whose rotor blade diameter is D; ρ is the prevailing air density; v is the wind speed at the hub of, and perpendicular to the wind turbine; and Cp is the power coefficient.

As a function of wind speed perpendicular to the wind direction, it has also been shown that the nominal performance coefficient of a wind turbine can be determined (Kiranoudis et al [5])

(3)

where Cpr is defined as nominal power coefficient for a given wind turbine technology, vr is the nominal wind speed, and s is a parameter expressing the operating range of speed again for a given turbine, i.e. ranging from the cut-in speed to the cut-out speed. So, as it seems well established by the leading wind turbine manufacturers, if vr ≈ 7.2 m/s to 8.2 m/s , and cut-in speed ≈ 3.5 m/s, and cut-out speed ≈ 25 m/s, then all commercial manufactures of wind turbines seem to have settled for a value of s ≈ 1.7.

Economic aspectsThe economic feasibility of a wind farm

is equally important as the technical potential (Kennedy [6]). Within broad approaches mostly refined and advanced in the developed

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and large developing countries, vast amounts of experiences have been accumulated. There are two issues to be carefully evaluated in advance. On the one hand, determination of investment costs is a crucial factor in determining feasibility. This may mainly depend on the cost of the wind turbines and associated technologies and components. Then secondly, there are the operating and maintenance costs that are still new and mostly unknown in advance unless carefully and accurately determined by consultants using relevant research results. In assessing economic feasibility, the cost of operation (maintenance, repairs, insurance, etc.) and provisions for the dismantling of the wind turbines must henceforth be considered and calculated equally in the planning of a wind farm. For economical and safe operation of a wind farm should also be expected to be viable in less developed economies. When opportunity costs

are to be taken into account when assessing electricity generation from wind power, these must include (Rajsekhaer et al [7]):

● Components of the total social and economic costs of electricity generation:

○ Environmental costs – carbon dioxide (CO2) costs plus the costs of other green house gas emissions;

○ Capacity costs – fixed or investment costs, plus operation & maintenance (O&M) costs plus installed capital costs

○ Energy costs – additional variable O&M costs plus and fuel costs

● Henceforth, total economic and social costs will be equal to environmental costs plus capacity costs and energy costs.

The planning of the wind farm projects being considered in a mountainous country like Ethiopia at sites far from seaports have henceforth been subjected to standard economic analyses [8], [9] and [10]. Still though,

Photo: Xu Hujiang

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the investment and operational costs are yet to be fully assessed after the successful testing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the new wind farms.

Estimation of wind conditions for wind power generation for grid integration

An estimation of local wind conditions is especially crucial in the selection of the site. If the wind speeds are 10% smaller than expected, the energy yield will fall short by more than 30%, which can quickly cause economic problems. In addition to an evaluation of the wind speed based on general meteorological data, wind prediction also requires an analysis of the orography of the site selected, i.e. the structure of the terrain, the roughness of the surface, and the type and size of the terrain's boundaries. Furthermore, any individual obstacles - such as rows of trees, buildings, and any other wind turbines - must be registered accurately. Already at this stage, an experienced expert must be consulted to help determine how to continue and which methods will be used to accurately determine the potential of local wind energy production. Various methods have been used to measure, simulate, and evaluate wind conditions [10], S [11], and [12]. Depending on local conditions and the quality of any wind and data available for the region - such as from measuring stations - a methodology will be chosen, and a decision will be made as to whether additional wind measurements are required to corroborate the initial findings.

2.3. Prospective wind farms for grid integration in Ethiopia

From the point of view of exploiting potential wind energy sources, it must be stressed again that Ethiopia is a highland country with varying altitudes. As indicated

earlier, the country is also endowed with practically untapped immense hydropower, and still blessed with appreciable wind power potentials resources (at least exceeding 2 GW). Based on preliminary estimates, the wind power resources have been found in highlands (e.g. . around 2500 meters above sea level, masl), semi-pastoralist farmlands (e.g. around 1,000 meters above sea level, masl -1500 masl).

At last, after delays due to many causes [13], [14], the first phase (30 MW) built with 1-MW two-bladed turbines is presently is being tested and final commissioning as of 2012. With significant design changes, the remaining 90 MW second and third stages are going to be also completed within a short time using 1.67 MW turbines. The wind farm was originally investigated, designed and approved for construction to be compatible with a new hydropower plant (capacity 300 MW) located at a distance of approximately 150 km (called the Tekeze Hydropower plant). There is also a nearby substation within a 10–km with which the new wind farm plant will be integrated. The available energy source from the wind farm will go together with hydropower energy source, and the interconnected national grid [8], [9]. So, if everything goes well as planned and constructed, the country’s first grid-integrated wind power generations are being implemented within a period of a maximum of two years. This will be followed by another 51 MW plant, and then by a bigger 153 MW plant in the central (Adama) and 300 M in the Ayesha sub-regions of the country, respectively.

While the Ashegoda wind farm is apparently dependent on Turbines of either Types A or C, it is expected that the Adama turbine will be mostly of the Type D as it is being investigated and planned with direct assistance from China. It will be built with permanent magnet synchronous generators

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(PMSG machines), to be followed with electronic converters for integration to a nearby grid.

Compatibility and procedures for integration of wind power with hydropower-based growing system:

The issues relating to the grid connection of wind farms to growing grids can be classified in the following key steps and actions [3], [4], [8], [9]:

● Dimensioning and optimizing the wind farm grid connection, in general, and especially to weak grids;

● Defining thermal limits associated with the electrical network, actually included in the design specifications;

● Assessing the impacts of wind turbines on the voltage quality, a task that is not usually or clearly agreed upon in the basic contractual specifications;

● Appraising quantitatively transient and dynamic stability issues of electric power flow from the wind turbine integrations in a wind farm , again possibly not clearly specified in contractual agreements; and

● Verifying the transmission problems of bottlenecks and electrical losses that would be incurred in the transmission and distribution (T&D) networks near to the wind farm.

The key procedures as identified above appear to be relevant, and of immediate concerns, after the power testing of the constructed wind farms, in phases or in final stages [3]. In the case of the wind farms being constructed and planned in Ethiopia, much therefore needs to be learned in particular from experiences accumulated in integrating weak farms in the late1990s and early 2000s [4]. Lasting solutions to expected operational problems and challenges will also need to be learned from experiences of the early wind farm developments in India [7], and in wind

power planning in general [6]. Nonetheless, in general terms, all aspects of the above list are necessary for defining the grid connection of a wind farm in a less developed economy. The last three issues are in particular important. Still, all critical methods so as to guarantee minimum requirements for stable power system operations need to be considered in recommending grid integrations with growing grids however; they are more relevant in the analysis of large-scale wind energy penetration in the regional power systems.

In summarizing the envisaged compatibility of the growing hydropower-based grid of Ethiopia, the wind-generated electric power will need to have the following implementation steps:

● The cluster supplies of 33 kV from the groups of turbines (up to 6 clusters) can be brought to a common bus-bar feeding 33

↑Graph 1. Wind energy conversion and electricity generation system in

a wind farm for grid integration: Wind energy → Mechanical energy →

Electrical energy (active power)

↑Graph 2. System planning for expanded wind power generation in wind farm

for grid integration after [6].

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kV/230 kV transformer. As per the designs that are being finalized, each cluster will have its SCADA (supervisory and data collection ad acquisition) system to be included in the grid connection system.

● The underground cables will also be conveniently grouped (each with 5 to 20 turbines) to deliver power to overhead 33 kV lines after transformation from the 11 kV generator voltage.

● As part of the design objective, when fully developed after 3 years, the 120-MW wind farm will complement the hydropower plants, even if done in phases and finally delivering 478 GWh annually.

● Two key questions have been raised and preliminary discussed as carefully as possible.

● Firstly, will there be detrimental effects on the integrated grid network, and will there be needs for additional protection?

● Secondly, how will the timing of wind power generation be determined (i.e.

statistically) in relation to the national system or local power duration?

● At this stage of development (i.e. after the completion of the 30 MW phase of the 120 MW wind farm., answers to be both hopefully be found to guarantee safe operations of the existing power system with the integrated wind power supply.

● If there is going be an urgent need for modifications of substation control equipment at strategic sites like near the entry of the existing substations, this is possibly part of current or future contractual obligations. Further, because of claimed equivalent performances of two-blade turbines with three-blade turbines, these could be additional advantages to be derived, but these are yet to verified or substantiated during the testing procedures.

● Otherwise, even better, faster transfer of technology and capacity building can be realized with provisions of published/

Photo: Chai Sujin

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computed data on performance values of three-bladed and or two-bladed turbines.

● Still, as the new 30 MW first phase of the Ashegoda 120 MW wind farm with two-blade turbines and three-blade turbines have been constructed for immediate implementation and commissioning in Ethiopia’s first wind farm..

● So, by taking useful lessons, the remaining 90-MW of the Ashegoda Wind Farm is being constructed with turbine units with capacity of 1.67 MW, longer blades and higher towers. Similarly, the Adama 51 MW wind farm has been completed with 1.7 MW units.

● As far as it could be established, it is important to stress that any cooling requirements for the grid-integrations of the planned and constructed wind farm power plants are yet to be identified and designed for the current or future wind farms.

2.4 Concerns about Key Technical Issues Measurements and assessment of power

quality characteristics of grid connected wind turbines prepared and approved have been, and will need to be made available to all interested decision makers in wind power generation construction and expansion for grid integration. Hopefully and ideally, the most relevant parameters related to the power quality and grid connection of wind turbines/farms in Ethiopia will be addressed and recommended by the contractors for adaptations and implantations. Also methods on how to assess the power quality and to give an estimation of the voltage quality influenced by the wind turbines will need to be significantly stressed as part an overall technology transfer scheme. As well known to experts and professionals in wind power generation for grid integration, these concerns have been reasonably addressed in recent publications [3], [4]. Hopefully, the needed solutions could be worked out by adding simulation studies by using relevant

computational methods. This would need to be done by going beyond the physics of wind power principles and general engineering methods being followed in the installations, testing and commissioning of wind farms for grid integrations.

3. Preliminary Conclusions and Recommendations

3.1 General Findings Drawn From Preliminary Wind Farm Performances in Ethiopia

The proposed wind farms (parks) in Ethiopia were first situated in the northern highland areas at an altitude of 2400 m above sea level (i.e., near Ashegoda), still far from the coastal plain in the direction of the Red Sea (see Fig.4). Performance capacity factors of 31.0% to 37.7 % have been deduced as superior values in comparison with other international projects. Various turbine types have been

↑Graph 3. (a) Nominal wind turbine output estimates for different turbine

diameters (with typically three-blade turbines, and with two-blade turbines, as

in the first-phase of the Ashegoda Wind Farm Project, and tower heights: D=62m,

H=70m, Pr=1MW, 1x1MW =30MW for 30MW 1st phase of Ashegoda; 60x1.5MW=90MW for

second-and third-phases of Ashegoda Wind Farm under final construction; (b)

D=70m, H=85m, Pr=1.5MW, first phase 34unitsx1.5MW =51-MW at the Adama Wind

farm, ready for final testing and commissioning in 2012.

(a) (b)

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recommended from reputable manufactures as being suitable for the planned project as well. A grid connection to the 230 kV level was claimed to be feasible. Starting from 2006, the interconnected national grid of Ethiopia was technically regarded as being of low level with only an m existing capacity of 2000 MW, but currently growing fast to reach 8,000 to 10,000 MW capacities with new hydropower generation by 2012 and beyond. The preliminary appraisal presented henceforth stresses three interrelated aspects will need to be considered. These are: (i) significance of wind energy generation in mix with a growing hydropower-based grid system. (ii) Importance of a rapid capacity building process, including minimum acquisition of full capabilities in wind power systems; and (iii) investment assurances.

Preliminary Conclusion Drawn from the Ongoing Testing and Commissioning Stages:

Despite obvious constraints and limitations, reasonably good prospects for wind farm developments in Ethiopia are being confirmed for grid-integrated wind power generation. Needs for guaranteeing the grid-

integration operation of the constructed and designed wind farms (parks) are however being posed for further and closer studies. Four critical issues can henceforth be recognized with key questions to be addressed can finally be stated as follows: First Issue: Guaranteeing the availability of the needed wind energy resources. Second Issue: the smooth integration of the parallel wind plants to the interconnected national grid. Additional key concerns to be Resolved will also need to be posed as follows: Third Issue: Guaranteeing a fixed common voltage level and a constant frequency are going to be requirements for grid-integration and safe connection, and optimizing the capacity of the Wind Plant in relation to the peak and base-load power Capacity of the National Grid will need to be carefully considered. Fourth Issue: Further, considerations of possible additional protection of reactors in the grid Network may also need to be confirmed by simulation studies. An average timing of wind power generation in relation to the national grid system or local power duration will also need to be further monitored with possible disconnection of generating units in the hydropower power plants. While

Photo: Zhao Minkui

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it may not be necessary continuously, from time to time, there could also be needs to for modifications of substation control equipment at strategic locations.

3.2 Main Recommendations Wind energy technology is developing

fast and turbines are becoming cheaper and more powerful, bringing the cost of renewably-generated electricity down. Europe is at the hub of this high-tech industry and now the world total turbine installed capacity reached 120.8 GW where over 27 GW of which came online in 2008 alone, representing a 36% growth rate in the annual market [1]. The national utility has been carrying out feasibility studies and plans to develop wind farms in different parts of the country. Extensive discussions have been held with the contractors, financers and other technical aspects which were not properly addressed during the feasibility study such as aviation and military corridor issues to inject power to the national grid [9]. The pressing tasks can be summarized as follows:

● Expected challenges are to be exerted in adopting known engineering standards for GI-WECS in growing hydropower-based grids

● There are needs for minimizing unwanted risks and disturbances of the interconnected system [6].

● Useful lessons are to be adopted as soon as possible from the extensive experiences of other countries [7].

● There are definitely needs for adopting codes and standards for wind power-grid integration.

● Constraints due to meteorological conditions and altitude characteristics of different wind farms will also need to be further investigated, including the statistical wind speed distributions.

Lessons could be adopted later during and after commissioning the new wind farms.

In the mean time though, one can suggest that perhaps the WWEA will authorize preparations of studies and documents for uses by starting national electric utilities, as in the case of Ethiopia. Nonetheless, as a less developed economy dependent on imported oil, the country will need to opt for expanding the mix of renewable energy sources for increasing access to modern energy services and technologies.

3.3 Closing Remarks

Due to the potential available wind conditions at the project site at Ashegoda (120 MW), Adama (51 MW), and the other potential wind farms (up to 300 MW), a realization of grid-integrated wind energy conversion is going to be feasible in Ethiopia. Possible energy crisis due to decreasing rainfalls and the increasing power demand, a short term supply solution has to be implemented with wind power generation as viably afforadable. One main risk lies in reducing the time frame for the construction of the wind farms, as being faced currently. The extension of the construction phase is unexpectedly being prolonged for various reasons. Still, the timely realizations of the construction works are possible after the supply contracts have been signed, and supervisions of the construction works are

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strictly followed. This would coorespond to a wind energy penetration in the range of 5% to 10% when the total hydropopwer-bassed generation reaches or exceeds 10 GW by 2015.

The contribution has mainly attempted to summarize Ethiopia’s wind power for grid integration from selected resources to date (i.e. November 2012). Then, it has focused on continuing and expanding wind energy developments for grid integrations, and community-based wind power developments, hopefully and preferably parallel with other SSA countries. Firstly, an outline has been presented a summary of ongoing achievements in relatively-appreciable wind power generation for grid integration. These developments have been presented in past WWEA Conference participations since the Delhi Conference in November 2006. Now (i.e. by October 2012), we have passed about 81 MW, and we are hopeful that we will soon reach 141 MW to 300 MW or so. Then there are plans and aims to go higher anywhere between 500 MW and 1000 MW. As expected, we are facing a number of tests in needed technology transfer (i.e. both software and hardware technologies), and also in successfully integrating wind power with grid interconnections reliably and technically. It will be recalled that I had tried to point out that there were indeed challenges to be faced and surmounted as soon as possible. In wind power development strategies in less developed economies, There are of course massive cost considerations and issues of rapid technology transfer to be considered and decided upon by interested donors, as fully explained in Gibe’s outstanding book [16].

References

[1] E.W. Golding, E.W., 1976. The Generation of Electricity by

Wind Power, Halsted Press, UK, 1976.

[2] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, W., Wind energy survey in Ethiopia.,

Solar & Wind Technology, 5 (4), pp. 341-351, 1988.

[3] T. Ackermann, (Editor), Wind Power in Power Systems,

Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, 2008.

[4] S. Heier, Grid Integration of Wind Energy Conversion

Systems, Wile & Sons, Chichester, UK, 2006.

[5] C. T. Kiranoudis, et al, Short-cut design of wind farm,.

Energy Policy, 29 (2001) pp.567-578, 2001.

[6] S. Kennedy, Wind power planning: assessing long-term

costs and benefits, Energy Policy 33, pp.1661-1675, 2005.

[7] B. Rajsekhar, et al, Indian wind energy programme:

performance and future directions, Energy Policy 27,

pp.669-768, 1999.

[8] GTZ, German Technical Cooperation Agency, 2004. TERNA:

Technical Expertise in Renewable Energy Application ,

Wind Energy and Wind Park (Farm) Study- Site Selection,

Report, Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, EEPCO,

Addis Ababa , Ethiopia, 2004.

[9] B. Jargstroff, Practical Aspects of Wind Power Project

Planning: Wind Farm Projects, Factor 4 Energy, Projects,

GmbH, Wismar, Germany, and Ethiopian Electric Power

Corporation, EEPCO, Addis Ababa , Ethiopia, 2005.

[10] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, Renewable Energy Policy and Impacts

in Ethiopia; Options for lessening impacts of barrier to

developments, Proceedings, World Renewable Energy

Congress VIII, August 29-September 3, 2004, Denver,

Colorado, USA, 2004..

[11] SWERA, Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment,

UNEP, 2004. Ethiopian Wind Energy Resources, Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia, 2004.

[12] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, Issues and Prospects in Opting for

New Off-Grid in Favor to Grid-Integrated Wind Power

Generation Systems: The Case of Ethiopia, paper presented

at the World Wind Energy Conference WWEAC7, Ontario,

Canada. September 2008.

[13] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, 2009. Ongoing Progress in Wind

Farm Development for Power Generation (120-MW) with

a Challenge in Technology Option and Obstacles in Site

Availability: The Case of Ethiopia, paper presented at

WWEAC8, Jeju, Korea, June 23, 2009.

[14] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, Prospective Integrations of Future

Wind Farms into a Growing Grid: Expected Challenges to

be Surmounted in the Case of Hydropower-Based System in

Ethiopia, paper presented at WEWEAC9, Istanbul, Turkey,

June 15- 17, 2010.

[15] W. Wolde-Ghiorgis, Community-Based Wind Energy and

Renewables Advancement for Rural Development in a Less

Developed Country in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of

Ethiopia, paper presented at WWEAC11, July3-5, 2012,

Bonn, Germany July3-5, 2012, Bonn, Germany

[16] P. Gibe, WIND POWER, Renewable Energy for Home,

Farm, and Business, Hhelse4a Green Publishing Company,

2004,White River Junction, Vermont, USA.

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44

Company ISSUE 4 December 2012

Goldwind, Change is in the Air

A winning design and product portfolio

“Several years ago, Goldwind made the strategic decision to transition its entire fleet to PMDD technology as we believed the industry would move in that direction,” said Goldwind’s Chairman and CEO, Wu Gang. “It was clear to us that for the wind industry to evolve, it must become more efficient, more cost competitive and more appealing to potential customers, and these are exactly the benefits that Goldwind now provides to its customers thanks to PMDD technology.”

To adapt to the complex and diverse operating conditions in China, Goldwind designed and produced a broad range of wind turbines, which can be installed in wide-ranging climates and work efficiently in different operating conditions including high and low temperatures, high altitude, low wind speed, and intertidal and offshore environments.

Goldwind’s ultra-low wind speed GW93/1500 turbine,

a 1.5 MW unit with a 93-meter rotor diameter, for instance, are designed for IEC Class S wind resource areas, where the annual average wind speed is lower than 6.5 m/s. This wind turbine has the largest rotor diameter and the highest power generation efficiency among comparable products in China. The GW93/1500 series was awarded an accreditation certificate by the China General Certification Center (CGC), the mainland’s leading accreditation institution, affirming that it meets national safety standard requirements.

In addition to the ultra-low wind speed series, Goldwind offers low wind speed, high altitude, low temperature, high temperature, off-shore and intertidal PMDD series. Ever seeking to maximize value for its customers worldwide with innovative technologies designed by its global R&D team, Goldwind has deployed its customized wind turbines to accommodate a broad range of operating environments outside of China, utilizing them in overseas projects such as a high altitude project in Ecuador, a low wind speed project in Chile, a high temperature project

By Su Xiao

Goldwind celebrated a growth milestone earlier this year, surpassing 10 GW of installed capacity of its permanent magnet direct-drive wind turbines. Goldwind has provided its highly reliable and efficient turbines to wind farm projects located in 18 countries spread across six continents.

The global wind power industry has gradually shifted away from traditional gearbox turbines in favor of permanent magnet direct drive, or PMDD, turbines in recent years. As one of the earliest adopter

of the PMDD technology, China-based Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Goldwind) has demonstrated the advantages of PMDD turbines, which are widely viewed as low maintenance and highly reliable. As the world’s largest manufacturer of PMDD wind turbines, Goldwind is pursuing the development of larger-capacity PMDD wind turbines suitable for offshore wind farms, with its characteristic emphasis on quality, efficiency and reliability.

Thanks to over 20 years of experience in the wind industry and nearly fifteen years of dedicated R&D, Goldwind’s turbines are now among the most advanced in the world, featuring PMDD technology and full power convertors. Goldwind's PMDD turbines provide the highest in-class efficiency, lowest lifecycle costs and exceptionally grid-friendly power output.

This summer, Goldwind commissioned its largest international project to date - the Shady Oaks wind farm in Illinois, USA, marking over 6,500 units or 10 GW of installed PMDD wind turbine capacity. Due to the superior performance of its products, Goldwind has expanded its footprint to 18 nations on six continents.

45

CompanyISSUE 4 December 2012

in Pakistan and a low temperature project in Minnesota, USA.

These days, customers from around the world have come to recognize the advantages of Goldwind’s PMDD wind turbines, including low maintenance requirements, robust low voltage ride-through capability, high reliability and high power generation efficiency.

Grid connection capability meets international standards

The growth of renewable power places new demands on power grid systems and so it has become increasingly important that wind farms are able to generate stable power output and withstand fluctuations of voltage on the grid. Goldwind has developed grid-friendly solutions ensuring its wind turbines pass on-site checks by China’s largest power grid company, State Grid. The Company was also among the first to demonstrate compliance with new national standards put into place in mid-2012. The company’s PMDD technology is considered to be an inherently grid-friendly technology, which when combined with Goldwind’s proprietary full-power converters, low voltage ride-through system, SCADA system for wind farms management, wind energy management platform, and wind energy prediction

system, provide for superior operational performance and stability. All of this helps wind farms meet new national grid connection technological standards and enable remote management.

Additionally, Goldwind’s PMDD wind turbines have successfully passed a number of tests for low voltage ride-through requirements. In November 2011, Goldwind’s Mortons Lane project was successfully approved for grid connection in Australia, having passed a stringent assessment by local network operator Powercor Australia. In July 2011, Goldwind’s 1.5MW PMDD wind turbine passed the ultimate zero voltage ride-through test administered by international engineering firm GL Garrad Hassan.

PMDD wind turbines have become more and more popular around the world because the gearless design and superior grid connection compatibility reduce maintenance costs throughout the wind turbine 20- to 25-year lifecycle. Combine lower lifecycle costs with over 5% higher power output from PMDD turbines as compared with traditional gearbox turbines, and the resulting cost of energy is at least 20% lower. Starting with the original 1.2 MW design in 2003, Goldwind has developed the 1.5 MW, 2.5 MW, and 3.0 MW PMDD wind turbine units throughout the past decade. Goldwind’s 6MW PMDD off-shore wind turbine is under development, with a prototype nearing completion.

Photo: Li Dahai

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Globalization through localization

In addition to leading its domestic market as China‘s largest wind turbine manufacturer, Goldwind has also achieved strong growth in international markets. Goldwind is committed to a strategy of “globalization through localization.” It has pursued internationalization of its R&D program, products, marketing, capital resources, and employees. Goldwind will advance the global wind energy industry through local job creation and diversified product offerings suitable for a wide range of international markets.

Goldwind is a responsible partner in each of the local markets that it serves. It hires local teams in key regional markets to manage marketing and sales, establish a local supply chain, secure local financing, manage wind farm construction and provide maintenance services. As of September 2012, Goldwind employed more than 300 team members in its growing international business, which encompasses the North American, Central and South American, European, Australian, Asian and African markets. Of Goldwind’s team members working in regional offices, over 95% were hired locally based on their strong technical skills, managerial experience and wind industry expertise.

A strategy of global professionalism together with local wisdom is ensuring Goldwind’s ongoing success in its overseas expansion. In 2011, nearly 10% of the company’s revenues came from overseas markets and this is expected to grow to more than 30% by 2015. As of September 2012, the Company had shipped over 300 MW of wind turbines to overseas projects. Looking forward, the Company has over 350 MW of overseas projects scheduled for future delivery.

Worldwide developments

Since Goldwind opened its USA office in 2010, the Company has won 18 projects in the Americas with a total capacity over 300 MW, including 14 projects in the United States, and the Penonome Wind Farm in Panama, Villonaco Wind Farm in Ecuador, and the Negrete and Ckani Wind Farms in Chile.

In the United States, Goldwind’s largest overseas project to date, the 109.5 MW Shady Oaks wind farm, has been successfully connected to the power grid and is

providing affordable, clean power to homes and businesses in the greater Chicago area. In June, Goldwind announced that it will provide 2.5 MW units to a project in Vermont that is supported by local bank financing. The 10.0 MW Georgia Mountain project will generate enough power to supply an estimated 4,200 households.

The Central and South American markets represent another success story for the Company. Goldwind USA and Union Eolica Panameña recently announced that the multi-phase Penonome wind farm in Panama’s Cocle province will use Goldwind’s 2.5MW PMDD wind turbines. Goldwind Capital has committed to providing equity for the first phase of the wind farm, representing 25% of the project. The full project, which is planned for operation in 2013, will be the largest in both Panama and Central America. In Ecuador, Goldwind is constructing the country’s first wind farm - the high altitude Villonaco wind farm. Recently, Goldwind USA has enjoyed tremendous success over the past several months in Latin America. With close to 200 MW of sales in Chile, Panama and Ecuador, the Chicago-based subsidiary of the world’s second largest wind turbine manufacturer has established itself as a leader in the increasingly competitive Latin America market.

Goldwind has been active in the African market, as well. Goldwind’s first project in Africa, Ethiopia’s Adama wind farm, has been successfully connected to the grid and commenced generating power. The Adama wind farm won

47


an award for the best wind power project in Africa in 2011.The Australian wind market is picking up speed and

Goldwind is there to meet demand. Goldwind completed the sale of its first Australian project, Mortons Lane wind farm, in June. The following month, Goldwind’s second Australian project, Gullen Range wind farm, received approval from TransGrid to connect to the Australian grid. Gullen Range will be the first project in Australia to use Goldwind´s 2.5 MW wind turbines.

Most recently, Goldwind finalized an agreement to provide wind turbines to the THEPPANA wind farm project in Thailand, marking Goldwind’s first inroad into Southeast Asia. In September 2012, the company signed a turbine supply contract with Thailand’s Electricity Generating Public Company Limited, an independent power producer, for three GW109/2500 low wind speed series PMDD turbines and a SCADA system.

“Thanks to our comprehensive internationalization strategy, Goldwind has not only achieved significant milestones in established wind markets such as the United States and Australia with large scale wind farm projects in operation, but has also expanded in emerging markets such as Latin America, Africa and Asia. Winning new orders from Asian countries such as Pakistan and Thailand reflects the fact that our products and services are progressively earning recognition from worldwide markets and international customers,” said Wang Haibo, Executive Director and

Executive Vice President of Goldwind.

Global recognition through international certifications

In addition to its expanding international footprint, Goldwind has been recognized globally for its quality design and engineering. For example, the GW87/1500 low wind speed turbine has received design assessment certification from TÜV Nord, demonstrating that the GW87/1500 meets international standards and supporting the company’s efforts to further expand in overseas markets. The GW87/1500 series has an 87-meter rotor diameter with a rated capacity of 1.5MW. It is designed for IEC Class III wind areas with an annual average wind speed of 6-8m/s.

In September 2012, Goldwind’s ultra-low wind speed series GW93/1500 Permanent Magnet Direct-Drive (PMDD) turbine was awarded an accreditation certificate by the China General Certification Center (CGC), the mainland’s leading accreditation institution, demonstrating that the GW93/1500 meets domestic wind industry accreditation and national safety standard requirements.

The GW93/1500 ultra-low wind speed PMDD turbine has a 93-meter rotor diameter with a rated capacity of 1500kW. It is designed for IEC Class S wind resource areas where the annual average wind speed is lower than 6.5 m/s. This wind turbine boasts the industry’s largest rotor diameter along with the highest power generation efficiency plus lower cost of energy compared to other turbine models in China with the same rated capacity. The GW93/1500 series can generate more than 2,000 standard hours of power per year based on an annual average wind speed of 5.5 m/s (assuming a standard air density and Rayleigh distribution).

Exceptional R&D and design create maximum value for customers and environment

Goldwind is an integrated provider of comprehensive wind power solutions, including wind turbine R&D, manufacturing and sales; wind power services; and wind farm investment, development and sales.

Photo: Yan Xufei

48


Goldwind, with its strong R&D capabilities, is the world’s largest manufacturer of PMDD wind turbines, which represent the industry’s next-generation technology. PMDD turbines have enabled more cost efficient operation of wind farms due to the removal of what many in the industry consider to be a technical vulnerability: the gearbox.

BTM Consult’s World Market Update found that that average annual power output from direct drive wind turbines is 3-5% higher compared to traditional designs. According to the latest report, the global market share of direct drive wind turbines increased to 21.2% in 2011, up from 17.6% in 2010, which was largely attributed to Goldwind’s sales of PMDD wind turbines.

Additionally, according to an IHS Emerging Energy Research report and Morgan Stanley’s Wind Power Sector report, multi-MW direct-drive turbines register 20% fewer failures than similar capacity geared turbines. The IHS ERR report also states that direct drive technology is set to become the preferred technology concept as it will significantly improve the final cost of electricity.

As a result of its continuous product optimization, the annual average fleet-wide availability for 2009, 2010 and 2011 was above 97%. To date, Goldwind has successfully developed and installed 1.2 MW, 1.5 MW, 2.5 MW and 3.0 MW PMDD wind turbines. As of December 31, 2011, Goldwind’s accumulated installed capacity of wind turbines reached over 12 GW, including 10 GW of PMDD turbines, equivalent to 9.6 million tons of coal saved per year, 23.94 million tons of carbon emissions reduced per year, or 13.11 million cubic meters of newly planted forest.

Comprehensive wind power solutions provider

Wind power services are key to Goldwind’s growth strategy. To ensure its competitiveness, the company continues to improve its service quality with comprehensive services incorporating every stage of the wind farm lifecycle, beginning with wind resource assessment and continuing through to project warranty and the operations and maintenance phases. To date, the cumulative number of wind turbines that have undergone maintenance exceeds over 4000 units. Since 2008, cumulative sales of the SCADA

system and wind energy management platform exceeded 250 and 120 units, respectively.

Goldwind also provides wind farm operators and investors with completed wind farms that it has invested in, developed and equipped with its advanced PMDD wind turbines. Leveraging its competitive strengths in R&D, manufacturing and provision of comprehensive wind power services, Goldwind aims to offer its customers maximum value for their wind farm investment. Wind farms in operation are managed by the specialized and experienced service personnel of Goldwind’s subsidiary, Tianyuan, which also helps guarantee lifecycle value of customers’ wind farms equipped with Goldwind PMDD turbines through “one-stop” wind power services.

Toward a brighter future

Though the wind power industry faces a variety of challenges caused by global economic downturn, industry consolidation and fierce competition both in China and abroad, Goldwind is confident that, with a spirit of constant innovation, wind power companies will maintain their strategic importance. In the face of complex and sometimes unfavorable industry conditions, Goldwind has sought to increase the pace of new product development, upgrade existing products, optimize lifetime costs, and expand its global reach. Goldwind will work together with its local and regional partners to ensure a sustainable energy future.

Providing clean, cost-efficient energy to power the world is an urgent global imperative – and it is Goldwind’s driving force.

Goldwind strongly believes that renewable energy plays an essential role in protecting the environment and achieving energy sustainability. Providing the most efficient and advanced wind power technology, products and comprehensive wind power solutions is an essential step toward fulfilling its mission of “preserving white clouds and blue skies for the future”.

Su Xiao is corespondent of CWEA Wind Energy

Magazine

49


4th World Summit for Small Wind WSSW2013"Small Wind Certification - Status, Barriers, Prospects"

Husum, Germany, 21 & 22 March 2013

WWEA and New Energy Husum are pleased to invite you to the 4th World Summit for Small Wind WSSW2013, taking place in Husum/Germany on 21 and 22 March 2013, during the New Energy 2013 trade fair.

The World Summit for Small Wind is an annual opportunity to discuss the most important issues affecting the domestic and foreign small-scale wind industry and to present news from a variety of countries. It is the perfect meeting place fo r ex p e r t s , p o l i c y m a ke r s , interested individuals, providers, m a n u f a c t u r e r s a n d s u p p l y industries from the small-scale wind turbine sector from all over the world.

The World Summit for Small Wind will be held on the first two days of the New Energy Husum trade fair (21- 24 March 2013). New Energy Husum is a trade fair for all types of renewable energy, and is the leading trade fair for small-scale wind turbine technology, and as such is the ideal platform for a congress of such international importance.

Again top international s m a l l w i n d e x p e r t s a n d participants from all over the world will discuss the latest developments and achievements of the small wind sector.

WSSW2013 wil l feature the special topic "Small Wind Certification - Status, Barriers, Prospects" and will comprise a

The abstract should be concise and clearly state results, objectives or key components of the paper. They should not exceed 500 words and should contain a list of key words. Please submit electronic copy (in doc format) of your abstract (not exceeding 2 A4 pages) by 15 December 2012 to Mr. Thomas Seifried (Messe Husum & Congress)

[email protected]: +49 4841 902 492

two-day program covering all important aspects of small wind power. Papers are invited on the following topics:

● Safety and quality standards ● National and international certification schemes● National policies for small wind● National markets for small wind● Off grid applications and hybrid systems● Grid-connected systems ● Manufacturing of small wind turbines ● Key c o m p o n e n t s : b l a d e s , g e n e r a t o r s , c o n t r o l l e r s & inverters● Small wind for water pumping● Financing small wind turbines

Abstracts format:

CALL FOR PAPERS

50

| Education

On 4 July 2012, IRENA hosted the ‘IRENA Renewable Energy Learning Partnership’ (IRELP) side-event in collaboration with York University’s Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) at the 11th World Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition. The event addressed challenges in meeting the growing demand for skilled and specialized individuals in the renewable energy sector; discussed IRENA’s goal to raise awareness of renewable energy education and training programmes through the IRELP platform; explored ways in which the IRELP database can be sustained and further developed; and examined current trends in the demand and supply of renewable energy curricula.

The Challenge

Population growth and development projections indicate that the global demand for energy is rising and will continue to increase rapidly. Approximately 5 million people worldwide currently work either directly or indirectly in the renewable energy sector. In 2011, renewables accounted for 44% of new generation

capacity added worldwide, and this is set to continue with investment predicted to increase from USD 257 billion to USD 450 billion by 2030. The question raised during this event was: to what degree will the projected growth of this sector influence employment?

Education and training in the renewable energy sector is a critical component in achieving the widespread deployment of renewable energy technologies. While the fields of fossil fuels and renewable energy share certain knowledge and skill sets, to maximise employment opportunities, further development of education programmes specific to renewables will be required.

Participants in the event agreed that there is an obvious and challenging disparity between the skills being demanded from employers in the renewable energy sector and those currently taught in many educational institutions worldwide. The main concern, raised unanimously, was that there is an unequal global distribution of existing renewable energy programmes, as well as insufficient

training opportunities in developing regions that have significant renewable generation potential.

At this event, IRENA presented the IRELP portal (www.irelp.org), developed to raise awareness of existing renewable energy programmes, thereby enhancing their accessibility. IRELP was created to meet the growing worldwide demand for skilled renewable energy personnel; especially in developing countries where renewable energy has an important role to play in the growth of the green economy.

Several features of IRELP were introduced, including the global education and training database that is

By Hugo Lucas, Director of Policy Advisory Services and Capacity Building, IRENA

IRENA RenewableEnergy LearningPartnership (IRELP)

CONFERENCE 2012

IRENA’S SIDE-EVENT AT THE WORLD WIND ENERGY

51

Education |

comprised of both past and upcoming webinars, the library of renewable energy training materials, and the e-learning platform where users receive support through online lectures and tutorials. IRELP also provides information on workshops, courses and degree programmes, connecting users with institutions where they may further their education in the field of renewable energy.

Sustaining and Developing the IRELP Database

IRELP has formed strategic partnerships with a variety of institutions including BMU, CIEMAT, REEEP, NREL, CEDDET, SEI, CEM, CGC, RCREEE, IGA, ISES, IHA and WWEA1. These partners, in addition to other voluntary members from non-profit organizations; academic, research and training institutions; and the IRELP Global Student Network play a critical role in contributing content to the portal. All contributors are briefed on IRELP’s standards and uploading procedures, ensuring the continuous quality of the database.

The importance of providing incentives to those individuals and institutions contributing to the database was one of the core messages explored during the side event.

Participants recognized the mutual benefits of collaboration, which include opportunities for networking and expanding outreach, and suggested that these benefits extend especially to those scholars contributing to IRELP by providing them with valuable exposure to the field of renewable energy. In collaboration with organizations specialized in human resource, IRELP will evolve to include more opportunities in career development, and has already begun posting internship positions through IRELP’s social media network.

Demand and Supply of Renewable Energy Curricula

Experts in academia have observed a significant increase in the number of applicants interested in renewable energy programmes. With this increased interest, there is a need to connect global renewable energy education providers with each other, as well as with employers, to establish the current needs and future demands of the market, and to adjust the renewable energy curricula accordingly. Having already recognised this need, IRENA is developing a knowledge exchange Forum where professors, renewable energy experts and training providers can collaborate

to develop appropriate renewable energy content for curricula.

Conclusions

Global investment in renewables is accelerating rapidly. The positive impact this growth will have on employment will depend upon the education and training that is made available worldwide. The estimated 5 million jobs related to renewable energy today could grow considerably, especially if education and training meet the needs of the burgeoning sector. The side-event promoted active dialogue between the participants, and encouraged future interaction between educators and the industry; stressing the importance of facilitating and increasing access to renewable energy education and training.

One of the challenges faced by the industry is the disparity between the skills being demanded from employers in the renewable energy sector and those currently taught in educational institutions worldwide. The IRELP side-event was successful in conveying the importance of identifying these skills. There was consensus among participants that IRELP will play a pivotal role by continuing to raise awareness of readily available renewable energy education and training worldwide.

1: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; The Centro paraInvestigacionesEnergéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas; Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; La Fundación Centro de Educación a Distanciapara el DesarrolloEconómico y Tecnológico; York University Sustainable Energy Initiative; Clean Energy Ministerial; Canadian GeoExchange Coalition; Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; International Geothermal Association; International Solar Energy Society; International Hydropower Association; World Wind Energy Association.

52

The World Wind E n e r g y A s s o c i a t i o n

( W W E A ) a n d C e n t e r f o r t h e S t u d y o f

R e n e w a b l e E n e r g y Technologies (CETER) are

pleased to invite papers and presentations for the

1 2 t h Wo r l d W i n d E n e r g y Conference and Exhibition

WWEC2013, taking place 3-5 June 2013 in Havana, Cuba. The

conference is aimed at presenting, exchanging and discussing the

latest knowledge on the state of wind energy and renewable energy

in general, including the state of the technology.

WWEC2013 will have a special focus on the Caribbean and Central

America region and will hence feature the special topic of "Opening Doors to

Caribbean Winds". The region is just

Conference topics:

Abstracts are invited on the following topics:1. Local, national and regional policies, barriers, incentives 2. International frameworks and programs 3. Community power, poverty alleviation and further strategies to optimize social benefits of wind power and other renewable energies 4. Local and regional plans for 100% renewable energy supply 5. Capacity building, training and education 6. System integration and optimization, grid connection 7. Decentralized and distributed energy generation 8. Wind turbine technology, systems, and components 9. Wind resource assessment and prediction 10. Wind farm planning 11. W i nd f ar ms u nd er extreme cl imate conditions 12. Wind in the built environment: energy, habitability and vulnerability. 13. Monitoring, operation and maintenance of wind farms 14. Wind power and tourism 15. Energy and water 16. Food and energy 17. Energy supply for communities in rural areas 18. Small wind energy systems, their potential role, and what policies are necessary 19. Hybrid systems, offgrid systems and storage 20. Financing: Equity, loans and other measures including international funds like CDM, Green Climate, Global FIT, etc. 21. Industrial strategies, cost optimization and creation of local manufacturing capacities 22. Energy culture and communication WWEA Head Office

Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 553113 Bonn, GermanyTel. +49-228-369 40-80 Fax +49-228-369 [email protected] www.WWindEA.org

12th World Wind

Energy Conference

& Renewable

Energy Exhibition

WWEC2013

"Opening Doors to

Caribbean Winds"

Havana, Cuba, 3-5

June 2013

Call for Papers

about to start using wind power on a large scale, and the first wind farms have been implemented. WWEC2013 aims at developing comprehensive strategies for businesses, governments as well as for local communities in order to make use of i ts vast wind potentials, together with the other renewable energies.

WWEC2013 is comprised of a three-day program of panels and presentations focused on ownership and business models, policy, financing, local and regional renewable energy integration, technology, governance and capacity building. The meeting will provide ample opportunities to present and discuss research results which will be supported by various panels and several keynote speeches with special emphasis on public dialogue. A trade show exhibition will showcase new technologies, suppliers and manufacturers in the renewable energy

Abstracts format:All abstracts should be concise and clearly state results, objectives or key components

of the paper. They should not exceed 500 words and should contain a list of key words. An electronic copy (in doc format) must be submitted before 15 January 2013 to: [email protected]

sector.The official conference languages will

be English and Spanish. Visit www.wwec2013.net or www.

c u b a s o l a r. c u / w w e c 2 0 1 3 f o r m o r e information about the conference.

WWEA Bulletin issue 4 2012

Documents

Transcript of WWEA Bulletin issue 4 2012