Renewable Eng. Share Discussion Threads

[grupo guitarlumber] 16/2/2005 17:56

LONDON, February 16 (newratings.com) – Analysts at Deutsche Bank upgrade Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS.FSE) from "sell" to hold." The target price has been raised from DKK55 to DKK70.

In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that the company is likely to benefit considerably this year from the potential price hikes for wind turbines in the US. Deutsche Bank expects Vestas Wind Systems to have achieved its net working capital reduction target in Germany last year, while retaining its market share in the country. The company is likely to raise its guidance for FY05 during the presentation of its FY04 results next month, the analysts add.

[energyi] 15/2/2005 10:19

CARBON TRUST'S PITCH to Institutional Investors

Climate change is a real and current issue for businesses and for investors. It presents many challenges, and more than a few opportunities.

Even if carbon emissions were radically reduced now the impact of climate change would still be felt for many years to come. There is no escaping its effects. But by taking action now and adjusting for the likely consequences, businesses and shareholders can still benefit.

Much will change. Companies and investors must contend with new international and national regulation, for example. Restrictions on carbon emissions, the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect, will have cost and competitive implications for every business that uses electricity and fossil fuels.

Certain markets and various sectors will feel the brunt of climate change more than others, but few will avoid the financial and investment repercussions already being seen in profit levels, liabilities and general risk profile.

So the key effects of climate change on investors will come from the carbon rationing policies put in place to address climate change, and from the financial impact of the physical effects of extreme weather itself. Investors need to understand the financial risks and implications of legislation. They also need to assess carefully the potential financial costs companies will face as a result of climate change.

There are real business opportunities for those that act quickly and turn the situation to their advantage. For example, the challenges surrounding climate change open up a range of possibilities for new areas of technology and business.

Climate change could change the way certain sectors are valued. Investors need to ensure the management of the companies they back are properly managing the risks and opportunities thrown up by climate change and carbon management.

Investors must fully understand the financial implications of climate change on investment valuations. Companies that are prepared for the shifting dynamics could profit; those that aren't won't.

Investors need to respond to the challenge of climate change. The Carbon Trust can help you make the right decisions.

@:

[crystalclear] 14/2/2005 01:27

I bought a small inverter the other day so I could power my laptop in the car.
I realised I could power other things from it like lamps and was reflecting on the fact that I have no lights in a garage. So I bought a spare car battery (made sure it was right for the car if I ever need it), and a couple of quick release clips, and connected it up to the invertor. And I put a bulb on the end of a piece of wire. I now have light in my garage when I want it.

So today I read up a little on solar cells. Basically, I just need to plug a decent sized solar panel into the battery (and maybe protect it with a diode) and I've theoretically gone green (in the garage). The solar panel will recharge the battery and I can use the electric light when its dark. (Even without the panel, the battery is portable so I now have emergency electricity for the house and I can use a battery charger to replenish the battery until I get the solar panel).

I'm going to start expanding. I'll put lights on the footpath from the house to the garage and start looking at what there is in the house I could switch over.
Now I know how easy it is, I might get a solar panel to play with first, but sometime I'll splash out on a decent (higher power) inverter, more and better batteries and a decent array of solar panels.

Wind? Its just another way of recharging the batteries.

I was always frightened by not knowing if 12V wiring was best or if the hassle of converting to AC was a big headache, and the problems of maybe getting a solar panel and having no immediate use for it, or batteries and not knowing enough about inverters, etc. Now after the simple purchase of the inverter to run my laptop in the car, I wonder why it all looked so hard.

If you are thinking about it, and its chicken and egg, then start with a small cheap 12DC to 240V AC inverter to play with and I bet things just fall into place from there!

[pc4900074200] 13/2/2005 19:59

Times on _. 13-02-2005.

Livingstone has plans for a windy city.
Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor.

LONDON could become a city of wind turbines and solar- powered buildings under a plan drawn up by Ken Livingstone, the mayor, to make it the world's "greenest" capital.

Under the plan, the lower reaches of the Thames would be lined with wind farms, with more turbines to be situated across the city on sites such as the roofs of tall buildings, homes and offices.

Many buildings could also be fitted with solar panels and other features aimed at generating and conserving energy. Livingstone hopes one day to disconnect the capital from the national grid and make it self-sufficient in electricity.

The grid would be progressively replaced by a network of small power stations fuelled by natural gas and organic waste as well as wind and solar energy.

Livingstone will implement the strategy through the Climate Change Agency for London, which he will launch this spring. He has already told London assembly members of his plan but only hinted at how far he wants to go.

He said: "London uses more energy than the whole of Ireland and about the same amount as Greece or Portugal. By 2050 summers will be up to 3.5C hotter and in central London the urban heat island effect could mean the increase is even greater."

Among the most controversial aspects of Livingstone's plan is his proposal for transport. He plans to make greater London a "low emission zone" by 2007. That would mean banning lorries, coaches, buses and taxis from the streets unless they met tough pollution standards. The ruling could hit hundreds of thousands of commercial vehicles.

Livingstone's proposals will be welcomed by environmentalists as long overdue. They also fit into the strategy of the government, which has set out ambitious targets to cut emissions by 60% by 2050.

Others fear that if Livingstone moves too fast he will provoke a revolt by voters fed up with surging transport and energy costs.

The changes will be masterminded by Allan Jones, who was recruited by Livingstone last year to run the Climate Change Agency. Jones had been working at Woking, in Surrey, now seen as Britain's greenest local authority, where he removed public buildings from the national grid, replacing it with local power stations that provide hot water for heating as well as generating electricity.

He also oversaw installation of solar panels on many public buildings. Woking council now saves about £1m a year on energy bills.

Jones has been working with Livingstone's officials to finalise plans for a similar transformation of London. One Livingstone aide said: "Ken has gone into legacy mode. Transforming London into one of the world's greenest cities is how he wants to be remembered."

The agency would also promote energy efficiency in buildings. This could include solar panels and extra insulation or building wind turbines on roofs or open land. Another idea is to build wind farms along the river for the proposed Thames Gateway development east of Greenwich. oTessa Jowell, the culture secretary, has supported Livingstone despite his labelling of a Jewish journalist as "just like a concentration camp guard". Jowell is anxious to avoid splits in the team bidding to bring the 2012 Olympics to London. The International Olympic Committee visits the capital this week.

Jowell said Livingstone's comments made no difference, calling the mayor "an unqualified asset to the bid team".

pc

[ariane] 11/2/2005 08:48

LONDON (AFX) - Shares in Renewable Energy staged a solid debut on AIM,
climbing from a placing price of 50 pence to 59-1/2 in volume of 79,053. The
company, which raised 10 mln stg via the placing, seeks to invest in both proven
and innovative renewable energy technologies.

fjb/vjt/

[pc4900074200] 07/2/2005 08:43

The Scotsman. 07-02-2005.

Coming soon to a sea near you: biggest wind farm in the world.

MICHAEL BLACKLEY

PLANS are being drawn up to build the world's biggest wind farm in the North Sea at a cost of £1.2 billion.

Irish firm Airtricity, which aims to become one of the leaders in renewable energy production in the UK, wants to put up about 5,000 turbines that would produce more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity.

It is believed the plan could pay back the development costs within about six years.

The scheme would be a major boost to the Scottish Executive's target of generating 18 per cent of Scotland's power from renewable sources by 2010, rising to 40 per cent by 2020.

The Scotsman's Online Debate on wind farms, which began on Friday, has already received hundreds of responses, with an even split between support and opposition for wind farms.

On Friday, the television botanist, David Bellamy, added his voice to the campaign against wind farms. He argued that they are not a reliable source of wind power and are also a threat to birds and bats.

There have also been claims that the impact on communities with wind farms nearby has been so extreme that property prices have dropped. Among the main complaints are that they are noisy and the large strobing shadows can be highly irritating for home-owners.

However, Gillian Bishop, a spokeswoman for Views of Scotland, a leading campaign group, said she was also opposed to the idea of off-shore wind farms.

"The main problem that we identified in our national campaign was that we simply don't believe wind farms will work," she said. "We do not believe the main claims that they will cut emissions or provide green jobs. As there is not a significant cut in emissions, we would urge that the money be invested elsewhere.

"It is very important that we do cut CO2 emissions but wind power is not the answer."

The Airtricity move follows a joint venture into wind farms in the North Sea by Scottish & Southern Energy and Canadian company Talisman.

Airtricity, who yesterday were not available for comment, will need to link up with a national grid operator, such as National Grid Transco, ScottishPower or Scottish & Southern Energy.

Denis Kervy, a spokesman for Scottish & Southern Energy, said the opposition to wind farms came mainly from a vocal minority.

"There is a lobby against wind farms that is extremely vociferous but small in number. I'm sure the government will be extremely pleased to hear about developments such as this. It will help the UK to become a leading country in the use of renewable energy technology," he said.

At present, only 4 per cent of Britain's power is generated from renewable sources.

The Dublin-based Airtricity group last year opened its first fully-operational Scottish wind farm at Ardrossan in Ayrshire, which is said now to provide green energy to 20,000 homes. The group has also recently won consent for a 49-turbine development near Stirling.

Scottish & Southern Energy is involved in various renewable energy projects, including Britain's largest deep-water wind farm in the Moray Firth.

The project is being used to test plans to build a wind farm of up to 200 turbines - capable of generating enough electricity to power the city of Aberdeen - 12 miles off the coast.

That it is an Irish company which is planning to build the world's biggest wind farm will add ammunition to those who have complained that Scottish companies are failing to take advantage of a proliferation of schemes around the country.

Last week a German company, REpower, announced that it will propose to the European Commission plans to build the world's biggest wind turbines 25 kilometres off the east coast of Scotland as part of a demonstration project. All of the equipment used for the REpower 5M turbines is to be made in Germany.

In December, the island of Gigha switched on the power at Scotland's first community-owned wind farm. Three 100ft-high high turbines now provide the island with two-thirds of its power.

Gigha - owned and run by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, which was set up by its inhabitants - will put all the money raised from the sale of power to the national grid to rebuild homes which had fallen below a tolerable standard and to pay off debts.

The wind farm cost £400,000 to plan and build but profits are anticipated to be initially £75,000 a year, rising to £135,000 after a few years of operation.

pc

[pc4900074200] 02/2/2005 23:06

The Scotsman. 02-02-2005.

Scotland split over wind turbine plans.

EDWARD BLACK.

UP TO 6,500 wind turbines could be erected across Scotland, if planning applications are approved, a pressure group warned last night.

As plans for turbines on the prominent Edinburgh landmark of Salisbury Crags were revealed, the Scottish Wind Assessment Project (SWAP), set up by a consortium of businesses and landowners, said that in the central belt alone as many as 90 wind farms are planned.

Across Scotland as a whole, 256 wind farms are proposed with a total of 6,472 turbines.

David Bruce, SWAP project manager and chairman of Views of Scotland, said most people mistakenly believed these wind farms would be built in remote areas.

But he said SWAP's research showed that populated areas could be swamped by turbines unless there is a change in government policy.

His concerns were borne out yesterday after it was revealed that one organisation has applied to place a wind farm less than a mile from Edinburgh's city centre.

He said: "We have compiled a map of 256 dots across Scotland which is where each new wind farm will be built. About half will be in the central belt and Scottish Borders which is maybe something that a lot of people might not be aware of. These will change the countryside as we know it - and all for the sake of questionable technology."

He continued: "The problem with wind farms is their unreliability and they are not compatible for a stable grid which needs to adjust to the changing demands of the consumer. If all the wind farms do go ahead they will be producing 14,000MW of power which is one and a half times the combined capacity of the country's coal, gas, nuclear and hydro stations.

"The result is mass overcapacity meaning that a lot of these sites will be redundant because the electricity cannot be used. Countries such as Denmark have been forced to export their electricity because they can't use it domestically."

But Maf Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Renewable Forum, dismissed SWAP's findings as "scaremongering".

He said: "We currently have 15 wind farms across Scotland and we need a further 55 to meet our 20 per cent renewable energy targets. SWAP want to whip people into a frenzy and into the mistaken belief that there will be wind farms going up on every hill. The reality is the planning process is rigorous and means that only the good proposals get through. Of the 250 proposed wind farms the majority will not get beyond the planning phase as a lot of them are tentative applications.

"It also shows a misunderstanding of Scotland's energy resources to suggest that wind farms will be defunct. Scotland is the best country in Europe to develop wind energy and fortunately 70 per cent of Scots agree with this and want to see them developed. They are the solution to providing electricity for Scotland and addressing the problem of climate change."

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive added sufficient legislation was in place to ensure planned wind farms did not have a detrimental environmental effect.

He said: "A clear policy for renewable energy development in Scotland was set out in the document Securing a Renewable Future: Scotland's Renewable Energy. In this document we set an ambitious target of ensuring 40 per cent of Scotland's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020."

"To impose a strict national framework at this point would suppress good applications that are worth consideration. We will continue to work with planning authorities through channels such as the Executive's new advisory forum to ensure that no project comes at an unacceptable environmental cost."

Dan Barlow, of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Wind farms are an important part of the strategy to tackle emissions and climate change. They need to be built in appropriate sites that are sensitive to their location so the best, not the first, plans should go through."

Conservation groups battle plan for wind farm at city beauty spot

THE unique Edinburgh landmark of Salisbury Crags could be under threat from a plan to set up a wind farm.

A proposal to build a 50-metre-high mast on the city-centre beauty spot to test whether the scheme is viable has already sparked criticism from heritage watchdogs.

The giant mast, which will measure wind speed and direction, is the brainchild of Calton Hill Energy, a firm based in Milnathort, Kinross.

David Kennedy, a spokesman for the company, confirmed that he had lodged a planning application for the test mast on the crags.

He said: "It is to assess the wind speed to see if it is possible to set up a wind farm up there. We hope to assess the potential and take it forward from there.

"It is very close to a centre of population," he said. "The longer the distance, you lose a significant percentage of energy transferring it."

He said the turbines could be as high as 120 metres from the tip of the blade to the ground, but did not say how many would be built. The wind also had to reach speeds of at least seven metres per second to make the scheme economically viable.

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said: "I can confirm that Historic Scotland has formally objected to this proposal, because of the adverse impact on part of the royal park and on the setting of a category-A listed building, the Palace of Holyroodhouse."

Salisbury Crags has also been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage, the highest category of protection that can be afforded to a piece of land.

pc

[grupo guitarlumber] 27/1/2005 09:04

COPENHAGEN (AFX) - Siemens AG's Danish unit Siemens Wind Power plans to
double its sales to 5 bln dkr in five years, daily Boersen reported, citing the
head of the division, Palle Noergaard.
"We expect to double sales to 5 bln dkr within five years," said Noergaard
to the daily.
"This is a very modest forecast, and I believe it could be even better,"
said Noergaard.
Siemens acquired the Danish private-owned wind turbine producer, Bonus
Energy AS, last October, forming the new Siemens Wind Power unit.
kj/lam

[maywillow] 24/1/2005 19:31

Courtesy of johnwwwilkinson from the Corus thread.


Wind farm vow Jan 24 2005




Dave Robson, Evening Gazette


Delayed plans for Britain's biggest onshore wind farm are set to be reviewed by Corus, the firm revealed today.

In July 2002, Corus and Amec announced plans to build a large wind farm on the Corus manufacturing site at Redcar.

Tees Wind North was to supply enough electricity to meet the needs of 30,000 households.

The project was due to be completed by the end of 2003, but work has yet to begin.

With no sign of progress, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar, Ian Swales, has now called on Corus to resurrect the plan, or sell the land to someone who will.

In response, Corus Teesside Cast Products says it remains committed to renewable energy, but proposes a "close look" at the plans to see if they will affect future "infrastructure developments."

Mr Swales said: "It may be that the partnership deal with Amec has lapsed or that TCP management no longer want to focus on this development. In that case, I feel they should lease the land to another operator.

"There is no shortage of companies looking for sites to develop these facilities and here we have a large site with planning permission already granted."

In a statement, Corus told the Gazette: "Development of the wind farm did not progress last year due to the focus of the management team on the strategic review of the site.

"Corus TCP remains supportive of renewable energy, but we will need to look closely at the effect of the wind farm on any infrastructure developments, as these remain key for the future of the Teesside site."

David Hodkinson, managing director of Amec's wind energy business, said: "Now that the future of the site has been secured, we are hoping to reopen discussions with Corus as soon as possible to progress the implementation of this project, which remains the largest consented onshore wind farm in England."

[maywillow] 24/1/2005 10:18

Airtricity in al Fayed wind farm plan
Monday, January 24 09:23:29

(BizWorld)

Irish wind farm firm Airtricity has joined forces with Harrods owner Mohammed al Fayed to build a 72m euro wind farm in Scotland.

The farm is planned on a 65,000 acre estate owned by the outspoken retailer at Balnagowan near Lairg.
Airtricity has confirmed that it has been chosen as partner for the project but had declined to give further details.


Reports suggest, however, that al Fayed wants to install 40 turbines on his vast estate to generate 40mw of electricity.

A spokesman for al Fayed's estate said income from the wind farm would be reinvested in his estates and other Scottish ventures.

Airtricity said recently that it is putting a hold on wind farm development in Ireland, due to uncertainty over government support.

[maywillow] 13/1/2005 14:43

Power group in £50m wind farm deal
Robert Lea, Evening Standard
13 January 2005
THE South East's largest wind farm - off the Kent coast in the Thames Estuary - has sold all the electricity it will generate in the next three years to London's main provider, EDF Energy.

EDF, the French owner of the former London Electricity, is paying £50m to Kentish Flats wind farm for the 300 gigawatt-hours its 30 giant turbines are expected to produce over the period.

That indicates that EDF, which only this week raised its electricity prices to households for the third time in 10 months, is paying about three times the going rate for electricity produced by power stations.


EDF, like all UK energy companies, has to take 5% of its electricity from renewable sources, rising to 10% by the end of the decade.

Wind energy - especially from offshore facilities - is much more expensive because of the cost of getting it on to the National Grid.


Kentish Flats, which is expected to start operating in May, is owned by Danish power company Elsam.

[maywillow] 11/1/2005 11:34

BP building wind farm in Amsterdam port supplied by Vestas Wind

AMSTERDAM (AFX) - BP PLC is building a wind farm near its terminal in the
Amsterdam port, the company said.
The three wind turbines, produced by Vestas Wind Systems, each generate 3
megawatts of power. BP expects to generate enough electricity for 5,000
hourseholds, while also reducing CO2 emissions by some 5,000 tonnes a year.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of
this year. BP already has a similar farm close to its refinery near Rotterdam,
which generates some 22.5 megawatts of power.
[e-mail]
cjs/lam

[pc4900074200] 08/1/2005 08:42

The Scotsman. 08-01-2005.

E.ON powering up for £45m wind farm

JOHN BOWKER

E.ON, the Germany-based utility firm, has unveiled plans to build a £45 million wind farm in Caithness - its fourth renewable energy project in Scotland.

The company said it had earmarked a site at Camster, near Wick, for a 25 turbine-venture, and was applying to local authorities for planning consent.

If approved, the farm would generate 50 megawatts (MW) of power - enough to power 30,000 homes. E.ON is one of several firms attempting to cash in on Scottish Executive attempts to boost renewable energy resources.

Jason Scagell, E.ON UK's head of renewables, described the area as a "great site" for a wind farm. He claimed it could save the emission of more than 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year - referring to the UK's obligation to the Kyoto agreement.

E.ON UK already has two wind farms up and running in Scotland. It owns a 31 MW site at Bowbeat, near Peebles, while Deucheran Hill on Kintyre has a smaller capacity of just 15.75 MW. Its largest up-and-coming project has been pencilled in for Afton, in East Ayrshire. If approved, it would add another 74 MW to Scotland's wind energy programme.

It is not known how long either the Afton or Camster ventures would be embroiled in the planning system, but the process has in the past taken over a year. Many wind projects have struggled to get off the ground due to stiff opposition from local residents, who say they spoil the landscape and bring down house prices.

ScottishPower was forced to negotiate for 15 months before a 62-turbine site in Lothian was approved last February. The Glasgow-based giant has also had problems at Harestanes in Dumfries-shire, where the Ministry of Defence was concerned about the affects of 94 turbines on the Royal Airforce.

The Scottish Renewables Forum said that Caithness was a popular area for wind farms due to its remote location and exposure to the elements. It is yet to be decided if the E.ON development will be referred to the Scottish Executive for final approval, as 50 MW has previously been the minimum size to concern the authority.

The largest wind farm scheduled to be built in Scotland is a 234-turbine project earmarked for the Isle of Lewis. The venture has been put together by Amec and British Energy, but has already attracted thousands of complaints.

The Scottish Executive has pledged to generate 18 per cent of all Scotland's energy from renewable sources by 2010. That figure could rise to 40 per cent by 2020.

E.ON has in the past week also announced it has applied for permission to convert an oil-fired power station near London into Europe's biggest gas-fired plant.

pc

[energyi] 08/1/2005 01:36

WIND ENERGY AT OXFORD


John Bower is a Senior Research Fellow at
the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies,
which is an independent research charity affiliated to Oxford University and dedicated to advanced research in the social science aspects of energy. John joined OIES in November 2001 and his research interest is in the emergence and evolution of integrated cross-border electricity and gas markets. Specifically; the development of efficient pricing and investment mechanisms for energy, transmission capacity, and emissions. Before joining the OIES, John completed his PhD at London Business School and his previous career was in the commodity industry. His experience ranges from energy trading, at Marc Rich & Co, to risk management consultancy, with Coopers & Lybrand, advising commodity traders, producers and processors in base metal, precious metal, 'softs' and energy markets. Immediately prior to his PhD he was Global Controller Metals/Commodities at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell.

Environmental Change Inst. (ECI):

United Kingdom Energy Research Centre:

website:

[grupo guitarlumber] 27/12/2004 09:03

COPENHAGEN (AFX) - Vestas Wind Systems AS, the world market leader in wind
turbines, still aims to increase its market share to 35 pct, despite the
ambitions of General Electric Co with GE Wind, and Siemens AG with Bonus Energy
AS, daily Boersen said, citing Svend Sigaard, Vestas' chief executive officer.
The group is also in the process of selling its unit that develops wind-farm
projects, the daily added.
"It is GE and Siemens who are up against us, not the other way about,"
Sigaard said. "It is actually not so easy to go against the market leader in an
industry."
While some investors continue to fear a profit warning for 2004 from Vestas
only a few days before the end of the financial year, the daily said Sigaard is
convinced that the Danish wind-turbine maker will increase its market share from
the 32.6 pct of the combined Vestas and NEG Micon AS last year. Vestas took over
NEG Micon in April.
"Our aim is a world market share of 35 pct and we will be closer to that
this year than last year –- I am sure of that," Sigaard said. "But I will not
guess about the actual figure."
Sigaard also told the daily that Vestas is to sell Global Renewable Energy
Partner (GREP), which develops wind-farm projects and owns a half share in a
number of wind farms in California with a couple of thousand wind turbines.
GREP was a unit of NEG Micon, but its activities do not suit Vestas'
strategy of concentrating on the development and manufacture of wind turbines.
"We have chosen to continue the strategy that has always applied to Vestas
-– producing wind turbines," Sigaard said. "Developing projects and owning
wind-power installations can be regarded as being in direct competition with our
customers –- a situation that we do not want."
It not certain when the sales process will end nor whether Vestas can get an
acceptable price, the daily said.
[e-mail]
mdl/cmr

[grupo guitarlumber] 27/12/2004 09:01

COPENHAGEN (AFX) - Vestas Wind Systems AS, the world market leader in wind
turbines, still aims to increase its market share to 35 pct, despite the
ambitions of General Electric Co with GE Wind, and Siemens AG with Bonus Energy
AS, daily Boersen said, citing Svend Sigaard, Vestas' chief executive officer.
The group is also in the process of selling its unit that develops wind-farm
projects, the daily added.
"It is GE and Siemens who are up against us, not the other way about,"
Sigaard said. "It is actually not so easy to go against the market leader in an
industry."
While some investors continue to fear a profit warning for 2004 from Vestas
only a few days before the end of the financial year, the daily said Sigaard is
convinced that the Danish wind-turbine maker will increase its market share from
the 32.6 pct of the combined Vestas and NEG Micon AS last year. Vestas took over
NEG Micon in April.
"Our aim is a world market share of 35 pct and we will be closer to that
this year than last year –- I am sure of that," Sigaard said. "But I will not
guess about the actual figure."
Sigaard also told the daily that Vestas is to sell Global Renewable Energy
Partner (GREP), which develops wind-farm projects and owns a half share in a
number of wind farms in California with a couple of thousand wind turbines.
GREP was a unit of NEG Micon, but its activities do not suit Vestas'
strategy of concentrating on the development and manufacture of wind turbines.
"We have chosen to continue the strategy that has always applied to Vestas
-– producing wind turbines," Sigaard said. "Developing projects and owning
wind-power installations can be regarded as being in direct competition with our
customers –- a situation that we do not want."
It not certain when the sales process will end nor whether Vestas can get an
acceptable price, the daily said.
[e-mail]
mdl/cmr

[maywillow] 22/12/2004 14:57

MUNICH (AFX) - Siemens AG said it has secured a 90 mln eur order to supply
40 wind turbines to the Farr Wind Farm in Scotland from RWE npower plc.
The turnkey project has a total capacity of 92 megawatts and will go online
in the spring of 2005.
The Wind Farm is located 10 kms south of Inverness in northern Scotland.
Siemens said the order underlines the company's strong market position in
the growing market for wind power systems in the United Kingdom.
[e-mail]
rkj/ab

[waldron] 13/12/2004 13:52

LONDON (AFX) - E.ON AG, the German utility giant that owns UK generator
PowerGen, said its Scroby Sands offshore wind farm has now been commissioned.
In a statement, the company said all 30 of the turbines have completed their
10-day test runs, although there is still some additional testing to be
completed.
Construction of the wind farm began late last year, but the final
commissioning was delayed by poor weather.
The 75 mln stg wind farm, off the coast of Great Yarmouth, is capable of
generating 60 MW and is one of the UK's first commercial-sized offshore
wind-farms.
[e-mail]
ra

[pc4900074200] 13/11/2004 17:45

This is Southwales. 13-11-2004.

WIND BLOWS UP ON PLAN FOR TURBINE

CHRIS DAVIES

Swansea Valley councillors are in a huff over plans to install a wind turbine in their area. Members of Ystradgynlais Town Council were shocked to hear of the proposals for the Palleg tip in Cwmtwrch.

The company behind the plan says it has more than 65 per cent of locals backing its plan after a consultation.

But not one town councillor knew anything about it.

Awel Amman Tawe wants to install a small turbine on the site and is also looking at installing a biomass heating system which uses wooden pellets.

But it has upset the town council by not consulting on the issue.

Councillor Graham Davies said: "It disturbs me that they can get this far and not consult with the town council. I think it is totally out of order."

Mr Davies was also upset over claims in AAT documentation that a local referendum had shown 68 per cent support for the scheme. The town council says it is not aware of it.

The document also says that local group Ffordd y Glowyr has supported them. But Mr Davies, a founder member of the group, says that it is now defunct.

Project manager for AAT Dan McCallum said he was happy to meet town councillors.

He said he realised Ffordd y Glowyr was currently disbanded but said that he had spoken with members who had supported the plans.

Mr McCallum said they had lodged a planning application for the wind turbine.

He said: "What we have applied for is a small turbine, about the size of a telegraph pole.

"The turbine will generate enough for about a three-bedroom house. The main purpose of this is to demonstrate the diversity of turbines."

He also confirmed that they were looking at introducing a biomass hut in the area.

It would use compressed wooden pellets and is classed as a renewable form of energy by the Government.

Mr McCallum said: "We are doing a feasibility study into this but it is a long way off."

AAT was set up in 2000 as a not-for- profit organisation to look at how best to use all forms of renewable energy.

The Gwaun-cae-Gurwen-based group has a number of projects underway across the area and says that working with local communities is a key part of its work.

Mr McCallum added: "We are happy to go there and talk to Ystradgynlais Town Council."

pc

[energyi] 11/11/2004 13:03

Consultant's solutions are blowing in the wind
By MARY VANDEVEIRE
The Business Journal
...SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- Call him the Don Quixote of Scottsdale Airpark.
...Richard Sutz has been jousting with windmills for more than 10 years.
... He wants to make them a tool to bring clean water to third-world countries.
...Following a transaction that closes this week, his Renewable Energy Systems & Technology company is now expected to see more flexibility and potential for growth.
...Sutz, a former marketing executive with Grumman Aircraft who now is a consultant, has paired RESTEC together with The Literacy Company, with his marketing background being the main commonality between the two.
...The Literacy Co., which Sutz has developed based on experience as a former consultant to Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics.
...The strategy of The Literacy Co. is to provide speed reading and remedial reading software products through marketing on the Internet and infomercials.
...Sutz has lived in Scottsdale since 1975 and has had an office in Scottsdale Airpark since 1992.
..."I became familiar with the need for water in north Africa and sub-Saharan Africa," while with Grumman, said Sutz, whose career includes working as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Energy and as the assistant director of the Arizona Energy Office, under former Gov. Raul Castro.
...Sutz, who has a college degree in mechanical engineering, shepherded the design of a windmill that would work at a wind speed of 4 miles per hour, which is 90 percent of the time. The windmill is intended to provide water-pumping, water-purification, water-desalination and low-power electrical generation.
..."The Chinese made technical developments that finally made it feasible," Sutz said.
...An agreement with Jilin Daxin Industry Corp (JDIC) and Jilin Civil Engineering Machinery Works (JCEMW) will provide for manufacture of the windmills.
..."If you combine that with their lower labor costs, it was a wonderful marriage," Sutz said. "They're much better at manufacturing than marketing."
...Sutz has his eye on Africa as a prime export market, a strategy that makes sense to a manager at the Phoenix-based International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH).
...The foundation, started by the Rev. Leon Sullivan, works to improve conditions for people in Africa.
..."It's needed -- water is a big issue," said Elrick Williams, a program administrator for the group. "Health and the basic need for sustaining life are paramount, but a steady supply of clean drinking water would also assist in entrepreneurial development and create jobs. There are private business people who would welcome such a steady mechanism for bringing a clean water supply."
...IFESH is working on raising money to erect demonstration models of the windmill to display in certain areas of Africa.
..."The long-term plan is to bring the technology to Africa on a self-sustaining, profitable basis," Williams said. "I am hopeful that success in China will lead to success elsewhere, especially in Africa, but also in Latin America. The key would be cost. Since manufacturing costs would be low, the price would be relatively low."
...Sutz said manufacture of the windmill requires entry-level mechanical skills.
..."In this country, where 70 percent of the cost is in labor, it's difficult to pay $35 to $40 per hour and then ship it to Third-World countries that have to pay in hard currency," Sutz said.
...The agreement with Jilin Daxin gives exclusive manufacturing and sales rights JDIC in China, exclusive worldwide sales rights outside China for RESTEC , which also would receive 20 percent of JDIC's profits. The agreement was reached in September.
..."Except for the language, it was like dealing here," Sutz said. "The only difference is the enormous social aspect -- the dinners, and the parties, the signing ceremonies, so to speak. An enormous amount in the private sector depends on personal chemistry between individuals. It's more important than paper contracts."

[energyi] 11/11/2004 13:01

HOUSE PRICES WILL FALL, WARN SURVEYORS
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11:00 - 10 November 2004
House prices in the Westcountry will be hit in areas where windfarms are built, a snapshot of the housing market by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed. Nationally, 60 per cent of chartered surveyors with experience of house transactions near to windfarms reported that they negatively affect house prices, with most saying the biggest impact is at the time of the planning application.

That figure rockets to 77 per cent in the Westcountry - the highest of any UK region.

Among the surveyors who said that house prices were reduced by proximity to a windfarm, most gave the visual impact as the biggest cause for concern. Next was the general fear of blight, suggesting that concern over the ability to sell-on a property played a part.

Some surveyors across the UK said that windfarms added to the value of agricultural land, but none of the surveyors in the Westcountry reported such an increase - with 42 per cent stating that windfarms detracted from the land's normal value.

@:

[crystalclear] 11/11/2004 03:53

Wind water sky and Earth

I don't know why I think of it now, but international innovations are developing a thermal generator for countries like Saudi Arabia, so that they can power things from the difference in temperature between the earth and the surrounding air temperature (which can be high in the day and low at night). I assume it works like a Sterling engine - which I know nothing about but models can be bought on the internet to power a fan from a cup of coffee or a few ice cubes.

Off to read the China windmills thing now ...

[djalan] 10/11/2004 03:06

Windmills in China