Technology Status - NET Nowak Energie & Technologie AG

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The 2 to 3 MW power class will probably become established in the coming
years assuming generation cost in the USD cents 3-6 range. Experience with
these machines will contribute to the optimisation of offshore wind farms
with the next generation of turbines between 3 and 5 MW.
Wind energy can be used for both very specific, localised energy services and
for bulk power, on-grid production. Provided the wind and site conditions
are suitable, applications from autonomous energy supply to grid-connected
wind farms are possible. Some of the applications contributing to sustained
market growth include:
On-land wind energy in industrialised countries: Single operating
machines and wind farms connected to the grid currently have the largest
market share (about 85%). Wind turbines and farms are growing rapidly in
size and number (grid-connected, on-land for single turbines from 1 MW to
several MW and wind farms from 10 MW to several hundred megawatts).
The phenomenal growth of wind energy markets has happened in those
countries which provide financial support (such as feed-in tariffs or
production tax credits), encourage R&D, and /or facilitate regulatory
measures to further support wind development .
Offshore wind energy in industrialised countries: Based on growth
expectations for the offshore wind park market, leading wind turbine
manufacturers consider the multi-MW class to be the most promising market
segment. Large turbines are generally more cost-effective.
On-land wind energy in developing countries: Countries with rapidly increasing
electricity demand and good sites (see Plate 5 page 101) should consider wind
power to be a relatively competitive energy source to add to their energy mix.
Renovation: A lot of decentralised and single operating machines connected
to the grid, especially in the pioneer countries like the US and Denmark, face
increasing maintenance costs due to wear and tear. These machines will
either be replaced with larger state-of-the-art models or refurbished.
Isolated systems in developing countries: Opportunities for village-scale
systems, particularly hybrids with a conventional generator, are expected to
increase in coming years. Components that in the past were too expensive or
unreliable, such as electronic control components, have improved
considerably so that a revival of autonomous systems is probable.
Small stand-alone turbines: Small battery-charging wind turbines for water
pumping, heating and other applications are commercially very successful in
certain niche markets.
WIND POWER X7