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Measurable power gains found in multi-rotor Vestas concept
Vestas is dismantling its multi-rotor concept after a two-and-a-half-year testing and validation campaign, in which the Danish manufacturer observed many technical benefits from the four-turbine prototype including a 1.5% power gain.
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German wind output to increase in 2018
Renewables are expected to cover 38% of gross electricity consumption in Germany in 2018, according to preliminary figures, up two percentage points from last year, with grid upgrades also on the horizon.
Progress in French planning laws slow but sure
Legal challenges to onshore wind projects in France should move faster through the courts thanks to two measures enacted on 1 December, giving hope to 2GW of pipeline capacity.
Updated: Senvion confirm Rannou's start date
Former Alstom Wind senior vice president Yves Rannou will join Senvion as chief executive on 1 January 2019, the manufacturer has confirmed.
Taiwanese offshore policy criticised
Taiwan's ministry of economic affairs (MOEA) did not award contracts properly in its offshore wind auctions earlier this year, according to a government watchdog.
Vestas opens Russian blade factory
Vestas has opened its blade production facility in Ulyanovsk, according to the Russian Association of the Wind Industry (RAWI).
Mercedes-Benz to build electric car with wind power
Vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has signed a power purchase agreement with Statkraft to supply its electric car factory in Bremen, northern Germany, with renewable electricity.
Calls for 'level playing field' in US energy storage
A number of wind power developers and industry associations have urged US political leaders to pass a bill making energy storage projects eligible to receive investment tax credits (ITCs).
'Bend-twist coupling' tests begin
Blades equipped with 'bend-twist coupling', which enables them to react to varying wind speeds, will be tested by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES).
Mexican debut for uprated SGRE model
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has been awarded the first contract for its 4MW class of turbines since upgrading the platform's nominal power rating to 4.5MW.
Success for clean energy advocates in US elections
Climbing a wind turbine was a key image of Michelle Lujan Grisham's successful campaign for election of governor in New Mexico in the US midterm elections
Self-aligning floater with integrated tower follows shipbuilding principles
A German consortium has developed, tested and validated a self-aligning, lightweight, four-legged semi-submersible floating-platform concept that integrates the turbine tower. Eize de Vries highlights the technological innovations.
Tamil Nadu launches 500MW tender
A tender for 500MW of wind power capacity has been issued by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco).
Tenders
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Windpower monthly events
Opinion
Growth slowing at crucial time
Traditionally there is a flurry of activity towards the end of the calendar year, particularly in the US, as developers race to meet various tax relief and support deadlines for new wind projects.
Wind atlases no substitute for on-ground experience
Atlases and the maps they contain have been used for hundreds of years as a means of navigating the unknown. Wind atlases serve the same purpose. They are designed to help stakeholders identify locations of high wind speeds and understand the overall potential for wind development in an area.
Analysis: UK keeps a tight rein on offshore expansion
UK: Draft plans for the UK's next contracts for difference (CfD) budget for offshore wind may show a reduced ambition but there are still positive signals.
FINANCE
In Depth
WindEconomics: Renewables lead the way in Germany
GERMANY: An authoritative report from the German Fraunhofer Institute confirms that wind and solar are now cheaper than all other electricity-generating technologies. In Germany, the most productive solar plants are slightly cheaper than the most productive wind farms.
Star-studded climate conference comes up short
UNITED STATES: The great and the good convened in San Francisco to discuss ways and means of combating climate change at a conference that was long on ambition and aspiration but short on practical answers.
Rethinking the use of rare-earth elements
As demand for rare-earth elements pushes up prices, Windpower Monthly looks at how the wind industry is applying the lessons learned from the last price hike in 2011.
Wind's most influential and interesting people of 2018
WORLDWIDE: Windpower Monthly's annual review of the industry's movers and shakers finds plenty of analysts showing what needs to be done, but few policymakers making it happen.
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