Facts and figures

Delegates to EWEC '97 numbered 459, making it one of the smaller European conferences in recent times. This was a deliberate ploy of the organisers, who had chosen a venue which limited the size of the event in order to encourage a conference focused on major issues. It was a strategy welcomed by seasoned conference participants. "It was well organised and most sessions were well attended. The presentations were generally good, better than before, although some speakers droned on, unaware of time constraints," commented one observer, summing up the views of many. Like others he complained, though, of the "standing room only" problem in several of the technical sessions, which were relegated to a smaller hall.

The largest national delegation to EWEC '97 was from the United Kingdom, with the Danish delegation almost rivalling it in size. Indeed north Europeans were once again dominant at an EWEC event, providing nearly 300 of the 459 delegates. Spain, the United States and Sweden all fielded over 20 delegates, however, and Greece, Japan, Finland and France managed between 12 and 18 delegates apiece. A total of 23 countries were represented, including six non European countries. Speakers presented a total of 108 oral papers (table) and there were about 100 poster presentations. "We're glad we came. There was good technical stuff," said Bob Thresher of the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "There is a lot more co-operation on the science side," he added. "The work on standards has helped. It has made people talk." EWEC '97, hosted by the European Wind Energy Association, was held in Dublin during October 6-9,