WIND BLATT

THE ENERCON MAGAZINE

Issue
03/2005

Green
Ireland
2 WIND BLATT 3/2005

EDITORIAL

Contents Dear Readers,

Page 2: Editorial
What does wind energy cost?
Currently, wind energy makes up 4 per renewable energy take a burden off the tax

Pages 3: New type of turbine cent of Germany's power requirements. If payer, but unfortunately do not show up on
More yield with the E
82 we take a regional view of wind energy the electricity bill. Costs to avoid CO2 emis

power supply, wind energy provides more sions should drop to between 41 and 77
Pages 4
7: Title story
Green isle of Ireland than 50 per cent in some regions. This is euro per ton of CO2 through the use of wind
proof that stable power supply can easily energy.
Pages 8
9: Hanover fair
be provided with a high percentage of
Successful event
wind energy due to new generation wind In addition, wind turbine efficiency is con

Page 10
11: Supplier Lapp turbines. stantly being improved and ENERCON is
1,850 m cable for one E
70 setting the benchmark.

Pages 12
13: Southern Germany Today, wind energy technology is highly

How much wind do we have? sophisticated and one of the most econo
An example of our outstanding technologi

mical sources of power. Together with cal innovative strength is the new design
Pages 14
15: News
other energy options, wind energy plays for our rotor blade which came on the mar

Research and development
Climate and sea level one of the key roles in the future energy ket in 2004. This new shape significantly
Ecosystem in bad condition mix. increases revenue and reduces noise
Info Service emissions and loads on the turbine. Fur

Page 16: Climate change
Glaciers are melting
Cover photo: ENERCON wind farm in
Ireland.
Imprint WINDBLATT MAGAZINE
Publisher:
ENERCON GmbH · Dreekamp 5 · 26605 Aurich
Phone: +49 4941 927
0 · Fax: +49 4941 927
109
www.enercon.de/english/fs_windblatt_e.html
Editorial office:
ENERCON GmbH Aurich
Printed by: Stürtz GmbH, Postfach 67 20,
97017 Würzburg
The WINDBLATT magazine appears every two months and
is regularly included in the newspaper “New Energy”,
magazine of the Federal Association for Wind Energy.
Phone: +49 541 350600 or Fax: +49 541 3506030
As far as cost development is concerned,
the trend is looking positive. The Dena Grid
Study showed that the development of
wind energy will only cost the average
household around 13 euro per year. Addi

tional costs for the development of wind
energy would be between 0.39 and 0.49
cent per kilowatthour.
While government subsidies for anthracite
and lignite mining use up almost 10 billion
euro in tax money every year, the consu

mer only has marginal costs with the de

gressive minimum prices for wind power
determined by the Renewable Energies Act
(Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz
EEG). From
1991 to 2003, the compensation for wind
energy dropped by 55 per cent and by
2010 should fall another 20 per cent.
Of course, any costs for environmental and
health damage avoided through the use of
ther steps towards improving efficiency
are the latest tower heights of over 100 m.
ENERCON's patented storm control system
allows the wind turbines to remain availa

ble even at wind speeds of over 25 m/s
(approx. 90 km/h). ENERCON wind tur

bines gradually reduce output during
storms and remain connected to the grid
instead of shutting down. This prevents
yield losses at locations with gusty or
strong winds.
Sincerely yours,
Aloys Wobben,
Managing Director ENERCON GmbH
 3/2005 WIND BLATT 3
ENERCON NEWS

New type produces

35 per cent more
E
82 prototype will be installed in autumn

ith the development of the E
82

W wind turbine, ENERCON has add

ed yet another turbine type to its product
range which is also highly efficient
at inland locations.

The 39 m long rotor blades of the new

E
82 wind turbine has a swept area of
5.281m2 which guarantees at least 35
per cent more energy output at mean
wind speeds (wind class II) than its pre

decessor the E
66/20.70. "This gives our
customers an enormous advantage con

cerning the price for each generated ki

lowatt hour" , ENERCON Project Manager
Rolf Rohden explains. Due to its
ENERCON blade design, the yields of
the E
82 wind turbine can, to all intents
and purposes, be compared with the
yields of the 90 m rotor diameter class.

Thanks to the construction of the 2 MW

wind turbine with longer rotor blades
than the E
70, ENERCON has filled a gap
in the product range. Whereas the robust
E
70 wind turbines are part of wind
class I and can operate even at complex
and strong wind locations, the E
82 tur

bines achieve peak efficiency in all other
regions.

The E
82 generator and machine con

struction does not essentially differ from
that of a E
70 turbine. However,
ENERCON has slightly modified the E
82
towers and offers them in three hub
3D model of the E
82.
heights (78 m, 98 m, 108 m). The E
82
electronic control system is based on oped concept which protects all turbine and the E
82 series production will start
new technology like the control system components under extreme conditions. in the middle of 2006.
of the E
112 and E
48 on a newly devel
The prototype will be erected in autumn
4 WIND BLATT 3/2005
E
70 wind farm Moanmore in Ireland.
The green isle
Optimism due to profitable winds on the Irish coast
Ireland has one of the best wind capa

cities in Europe and the development
of green energy is on the rise.
reland is full of contrasts, for example,
I one can find modern computer factories
next to cottages using peat moss as fuel.
The Gulf Stream offers a warmer climate,
but the Atlantic Ocean brings on a lot of
wind and rain. So due to its island posi

tion, Ireland benefits from above average
wind speeds, especially in coastal regions
and its adjoining areas. No wonder people
on the Emerald Isle made use of the wind
long before the first modern wind turbine
was installed. The first wind mill was built
in 1281 in Kilscanlon and in the county
town of Wexford, there were 250 in 1840.
Until such time as steam power took over,
followed by electricity, the driving force of
the wind was extensively harnessed to
power tools.
You'll find the highest wind speeds in the
northwestern regions as well as in the
south
southeasterly coasts which also in

clude Wexford. This town was founded by
the Vikings and is now a historical harbour
surrounded by mountains, valleys, rivers,
beaches and salt meadows. Twenty one
TITLE STORY
ENERCON E
70 (2 MW) turbines are in

stalled in a salt meadow at Ballywater Low

er on the coast between Gorey and Wex

ford town, 3 km north of Kilmuckridge at a
distance of less than 600 m from the coast

line. The wind farm is 10 to 20 m above
sea level, set in an area described as shal

low undulating terrain and is currently
used extensively for farming. The site is
largely free of trees and hedgerows and is
separated from the open sea by marsh

lands and sand dunes of up to 8 m in
height. In an area of 12 km the highest
single elevation is no more than 120 m.
The distance to the nearest dwellings is
more than 500 m and 2 km to the next vil

 3/2005 WIND BLATT 5
TITLE STORY
lage. Altogether, this forms an ideal loca

tion for a wind farm consisting of open, flat
terrain and very low wind turbulence.

The Irish company, Ryland Construction

Ltd, is in charge of running the Ballywater
wind farm. The farm's technical manager,
Gotthard George Sonneborn, estimates a
total annual yield of 110,000 GWh at
8.1 m/s at a 64 m hub height. "Ballywater
isn't an ordinary wind farm" , raves Sonne

born, "it's the first farm on the island
which was connected to the power distri

bution network by the operator, instead of
the power supply company connecting its
cables to the wind farm."

The energy is transformed to a level

of 110 kV. The high voltage levels have
been chosen to minimize the line losses.
So in total losses of less than 2 per cent of
the produced energy have been expected.
To reach the high voltage level of 110 kV a
transformer had to be installed.

The energy is then fed into a 23 km long

cable connection into the ESB substation
at Crane. This is the longest subterrestrial
high voltage cable on Ireland. There is
the boundary of this investment and the
metering point of the transmission system
operator: ESB Networks.

Back in the 90s Ireland already created the

framework conditions for the development
of wind energy through the so
called AER
Programme. In view of the National Cli

mateChange Programme and the reduction
of CO2 emissions, directives concerning
the use of renewable energies are mainly
focused on the promotion of wind energy.
On top of European financial aid, this also
includes the national AER
Programme.
Within the call for tender framework long

term power purchase guarantees are allo

cated through the grid operator ESB. In
1998 ten E
40s, the first ENERCON tur

bines, were installed in northerly Buncrana.
These were followed last year by six E
70s
in Moanmore near Whitegate with a total of
Installation of an E
70 turbine in the wind farm Ballywater.
12 MW and two E
40s in wind farm Anar

get in Donegal with 1.2 MW.
The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA)
promotes the use of wind energy in Ire

land. It's members are business people,
environmentalists, academics and land
owners who recognise that wind energy
will soon become one of Ireland's most
significant sources of energy. Tim Cowhig,
IWEA Chairman, underlined that wind
energy provides least cost electricity going
forward when a realistic premium is pro

vided for security of supply, for stability of
price, for environmental benefit and for the
benefits of learning by doing here in Ire

land.
Based on studies, the Chambers of In

dustry and Commerce for Ireland and Ger

many estimate that Ireland
seen from a
technical usage point of view, has approx.
200,000 MW wind energy potential. Ire

land, which has approx. 70,000 km² and
3.8 million inhabitants, had produced
422.59 MW wind energy at the end of
6 WIND BLATT 3/2005
Cloudy sky over wind farm Moanmore in Ireland.
2004 (including Northern Ireland) out of
which 148.35 MW were installed only in
the past year.
However, the technical potential differs
from the economic potential – which is to
be defined as the economically viable part
of the technical potential, taking all costs
and additional financial benefits into ac

count. The central question is why the eco

nomic potential is lower than the technical
potential. In essence, the unfavourable en

vironment for renewables allied to the ab

sence of incentives, is hampering the en

hanced use of renewable energy.
Renewable energy is made almost unvia

ble, because energy production from fos

sil fuels is still cheaper than tapping into
renewable energy sources. In addition, the
unfavourable framework conditions in

cluding the regulatory environment and
the lack of public awareness and know

how continue to impede further deployment.
To increase medium and long term devel

opment potential, the Chamber of Com

merce estimates that network and de

mand restrictions have to be eliminated.
In particular, this means expanding the
existing electricity network in order to
ensure access for grid feed, especially in
country areas on the north
western coast
of Ireland suffering from urban spread.
Furthermore, investment in improved
medium
high voltage is necessary in order
to accommodate additional wind turbine
capacities. To make up for missing invest

ments in public electrical power supply,
ESB is planning to improve and develop an
adequate infrastructure. Especially, the
TITLE STORY
region around Dublin and the northern
Donegal, Mayo and Connemara regions
should benefit from the planned structural
improvements.
Looking at medium and long terms, Ireland
expects to have an economical develop

ment potential of approx. 2,000 MW
installed power with an energy output of
7,000 GWh. Which means that wind ener

gy could cover power supply for more than
1.5 million households (more than 1/3 the
population).
At the end of the year Mr. Noel Dempseys
T.D., Minister for Communication, Marine
and Natural Resources gave the green
light for further development in the field of
renewable energies. Plans are to realise
235 MW out of wind, biomass, hydropower
 3/2005 WIND BLATT 7
TITLE STORY
and solar energy. In the long run envi

ronmentally friendly energy politics should
be able to guarantee supply. The lion's
share, however, will go to wind energy.
Given the very real challenges of climate
change and the excessive national reli

ance on imported fuels (that currently
stands at around 89 per cent), Ireland's
dependency on fossil fuels is unsustain

able in both environmental and economic
terms. Increasing the deployment of renewa

ble energy resources, which include wind,
hydro, biomass and solar energy, is re

cognised as a key component of sustain

able development, at both national and EU
level. Realising the potential of national re

newable energy resources has strategic
importance as a means of improving
security of supply and protecting the econ

omy. In addition the Minister confirmed
offers of contracts to two offshore wind
demonstration projects and three biomass
combined heat and power projects. Other
technologies include landfill gas and
anaerobic digestion plants. Ireland has one of the best wind resources in the world. The red and blue areas on the European Wind Atlas
show the highest wind speeds in Europe
almost the entire country of Ireland has either an excellent or very
good wind resource.
Daniela Niggemeier, ENERCON Sales Ma

nager, observes the new terms within the the initial investment costs with no con
be favourable. This is helped by the gene

AER Programme matter
of
factly: "AER is sideration being taken of the recurring ex
rally positive view of the public towards re

a marketoriented programme, but the de
penses. It takes a number of years for re
newable energy, and in particular towards
velopment quota should be increased and newable energy technologies to pay off. wind energy: wind energy is seen as a
smaller project planning offices should With this framework in place, what hope 'good thing'. Furthermore, people living in
have a fair chance at calls for tender." can there be for renewable energy tech
proximity to a wind farm also hold these
nologies to be used in public building pro
positive attitudes. It is encouraging that
According to Ralf Lissek, Executive Direc
jects?” those among the general public who have
tor of the German
Irish Chamber of In
actually seen a wind farm are even more
dustry and Commerce, there are “numerous However, the Irish don't seem to be op
positively disposed towards them than
Government subsidies available for elec
posed to renewable energy. A survey carried those who have not yet seen one. Even
tricity generation or for research, develop
out by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) de
more encouraging is the finding that those
ment and demonstration purposes. Ne
partment in 2003 indicated that decision
who live within sight of an existing wind
vertheless, we wonder why there are no makers and planners were ready to meet farm express positive views about it.”
funds available for heat generation from up with occasional conflicts, but in gen
However, the public have definite prefer

renewable sources in private households.” eral the Irish are quite open to wind farms. ences when it comes to the number of
He also points out that only the private wind farms and their spatial extent. There
sector – if funded for the use of renewa
David Taylor, CEO SEI, explains: “The prin
is a preference for smaller wind farms
bles will generate the necessary demand cipal conclusion of this major study of at
(comprising less than 25 turbines), even if
to convince installers to deal with the mat
titudes to wind farms in Ireland is a posi
this means having more than one wind
ter. “Public projects are financed by the tive one
that those involved in planning farm in the locality.
exchequer. We hear that these projects are and developing wind farms should expect
assessed only in relation to the amount of that the general attitude of the public will
8 WIND BLATT 3/2005

ENERCON NEWS

Above: The visitors were impressed by the E
112 stator.

Below left: Curious man took a close look at the E
112 pins.
Below right: The inside of the new E
48 was explained by ENERCON personal.

ENERCON NEWS
Impressive
82 tons of steel
ENERCON at the Hanover fair
I n the Energy Hall at the Hanover fair,
the guests marvelled at the 23 m long E

48 rotor blade reaching high above the
ENERCON Stand. The machine house for
the innovative 800 kW turbine gave visit

ors an interesting insight in the heart of a
highly sophisticated gearless turbine.
Compared to the compact nacelle the
E
112 exhibit was gigantic. The machine
carrier, stator star and half the stator of the
4.5 MW turbine were an impressive back

drop out of 81 tons of steel. The 4.2 m
wide machine carrier just barely fit
through the widest exposition hall door.
Two 80 ton cranes had to haul the stator
components to its location under the expo
hall roof. Of course, not only the exhibits
attracted the crowds to the stand. Present

ations on current topics concerning wind
3/2005 WIND BLATT 9
energy also drew a great number of in

terested listeners.
Every year, the highlight of the Hanover
Fair is the lecture presented Mr. Aloys
Wobben, ENERCON's managing director.
This year, amongst others, he announced
the installation of another new prototype
in autumn. The E
82 (see page 3) with its
new rotor blade diameter and blade design
is one of the most cost effective turbines
in the ENERCON product range.
When the Hanover Fair closed its gates af

ter five exciting but strenuous days,
ENERCON employees who manned the
stand were pleased with the turnout. Once
again the Hanover fair was the ideal show

Above: Mr. Wobben had some news for his audi

place for the ENERCON team. ence (below).
10 WIND BLATT 3/2005

SUPPLIER

1,850 m cable
for one E
70
Stuttgart company Lapp supplies cable to ENERCON

More than 1,850 m of tower cable are

able links the present with the fu
hook
up wires into tubes. At the same
used inside one single ENERCON

wind turbine, type E
70, with a 113 m

high tower. And then there must be
added a lot of small cables inside the
electrical boxes. The German com

pany Lapp supplies about one third
of all ENERCON turbines with cable.
C ture. This motto of the Company's
founder Oskar Lapp formed the begin

ning of many important product develop

ments at Lapp Kabel. When 40 years ago
Oskar Lapp developed the world's first
industrially manufactured control cable,
he drew a line under the laborious meth

od of inserting single wires and stranded
time he laid the foundation stone for
the successful development of the Com

pany with its headquarters in Stuttgart

Vaihingen. Being close to its market and
thanks to detailed knowledge of the
areas of applications of his customers,
ever new innovative wires and cables
were created. Based on matched sys

 3/2005 WIND BLATT 11
SUPPLIER

Big three ignore

climate change
The British Greens accused the three ma

jor parties of ignoring climate change in
the election campaign, and released a mi

ni
manifesto on cutting carbon emissions.
Labour was accused of having committed
"a crime against humanity" by ignoring
the "weapon of mass destruction" of cli

mate change, while the Liberal Democrats
were accused of hypocrisy for building
motorways and opposing congestion
charging in Scotland
where they share
power with Labour.

The environment shot up the agenda in the

last weeks. Labour, it was reported, built
new nuclear power plants in a bid to meet
tems the spectrum of products was con
ming is one of the most important asp
carbon emission targets, and the fuel pro

stantly expanded over the years. Today ects in our cooperation. The transport testors of five years ago re
emerged to
the Lapp Group with more than 50 comp
company of the supplier has to bring the picket a Shell refinery in protest at high fu

cable at the agreed time to the site. Lapp el prices.
anies, around 60 agencies and approx.
2,600 employees is one of the lead
Kabel is able to manage this demand.”
Nonetheless, the environment still strug

ing suppliers worldwide for wires and ca
gles to make an impression at election
Lapp products are used worldwide: In the
bles, cable accessories, industrial con
time. Today the Greens
who have still to
transrapid in Shanghai as well as in the
nectors and communication technology. win their first Westminster seat
accused
Öresund
Bridge or the stage technology the government of ignoring their own
for Rolling Stones concerts. scientific advisor's warning that climate
The company is split
into three different change would be a "bigger threat than ter

rorism".
sections: Lapp Kabel,
Contact Connectors,
Caroline Lucas, Green MEP and "female
and Lapp Systems. principal speaker"
the party divides up
leadership duties
said: "The govern

ENERCON has used ment's own scientific adviser has said that
Lapp products for climate change is a bigger threat than ter

more than ten years. rorism, yet it has been entirely absent from
Udo Kau, Manager of the Westminster parties' campaigns, be

ENERCON Electric cause their policies and their records in of

Materials Administra
fice actively contribute to the problem.
tion: “It started with
"Well, climate change is a weapon of mass
screw connections.
destruction too. So where is his commit

And for about one and
ment to spend whatever it takes on cli

a half years we in

mate change?" She said Mr Blair's "failure
creasingly use Lapp to act will come to be seen as the defining
cable products in our betrayal of the Blair premiership," even
wind turbines.” Kau more than the Iraq war, and that "to do
describes the partner
nothing about climate change is tanta

ship as fruitful: “Ti
mount to a crime against humanity."
12 WIND BLATT 3/2005
E
66 wind farm in a Bavarian village.
Using opportunities
Wind energy in Southern Germany is only progressing slowly
Often seen in Southern Germany: A crux. Might
wind turbines become as normal as this?
Southern Germany is talking about
solar energy and biomass but wind
energy is hardly being considered.
Do we sense a wind of change?
ast year 21 turbines with 35 MW rated
L power were installed in Bavaria, which
means that at the end of 2004 a total of
251 wind turbines with 224.23 MW were
feeding power into the grid. Only four other
German states installed fewer turbines:
Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg and Saarland.
However, all four states together do not
even cover a fourth of the area in Bavaria.
In Baden
Württemberg the case is similar.
Is there no wind in Southern Germany?
WIND ENERGY
That would be rather strange since
neighbouring Austria installed 108 new
wind turbines last year and with 600 MW
rated power produced 1.2 billion kWh
electricity.
Bavarian wind maps indicate areas with
mean wind speeds at 50m height which,
with appropriate technology, are suitable
for wind power production. That is 16.28
percent of the State of Bavaria.
If 20 percent of these windy regions were
used to produce power, that comes to 3.25
percent of Bavaria's total area. If 2 MW tur

bines such as the E
70 were installed on
these surfaces, 31.27 billion kWh could be

WIND ENERGY
produced. This is approx. 46 percent of Ba

varia's energy consumption. Land required
for access roads, construction and opera

tion based on an estimated number of
9,380 turbines would be 3752 hectares or
0.053 percent of the area
approx. 4,000
m² per turbine. If we consider 400m² of
impermeable surface per turbine, only ap

prox. 375.2 hectares or 0.0053 percent of
the region's surface sealed. The rest of the
area would be available mainly for agricul

tural use. If E
112s with 4.5 MW capacity
were installed the number of turbines
could be reduced to approx. a third.
"Bavaria is a windy region", emphasizes
Joachim Keuerleber, Head of ENERCON
Sales for Southern Germany and Chairman
of the German Association for Wind Ener

gy (Bundesverband WindEnergie) for Up

per Franconia. The prerequisite however is
that politics, communities and residents
realise the necessity for a change in ener

gy supply and place more emphasis on an
energy mix of hydro, wind, biomass, solar
and hydrogen cell power supply. "One
source alone cannot provide sufficient pow

er. Just the same as fossil fuel power
plants are not able to cover the entire
need. But first this fact has to be recog

nised," he adds.
in this wine region by the end of 2004. Last
year alone 27 new turbines with 39.7 MW
were installed. The year before that it was
only 19. "Unfortunately, the level of in

stalled power is still low due to strong re

sistance from the parting Prime Minister",
Pesch regrets. "We still have a sufficient
number of suitable locations which would
be worth developing. Wind energy could
produce at least 10 percent of Baden

Württemberg's power and together with
other renewable energy sources could
provide a considerable amount of clean
and consumer friendly electricity."
Karl May is a resident of Middle Franconi

an Steinsfeld near Rothenburg ob der Tau

ber. His first experience with wind energy
was not very pleasant. In 2000, a turbine
was erected near his farmyard and he was
bothered by shadow flickering. However,
this problem was solved with shadow
shutdown and he began to become more
interested in wind energy. "Our turbine
was connected to the grid on 19 Decem

ber 2002," he remembers. The E
40,
which has a 78 m hub height, produced
3/2005 WIND BLATT 13
830,000 kWh of clean energy in 2003
which was a not a windy year. Last year it
produced 110,000 kWh more. When he
announced his plans for the turbine, May's
neighbours were in an uproar and com

plained that it would destroy the view of
the countryside. Since it was erected, it
doesn't seem to bother anyone anymore.
The nearby natural reserve Frankenhöhe
which borders Baden
Württemberg is one
of the sunniest regions in Southern Ger

many. The southern slopes are covered
with mountain thyme and wild orchids.
Wild boars, foxes and martens often cross
the hiking trails. Here, May senses close

ness to nature. He runs a farm and also
keeps bees. "Things aren't looking very
bright for farmers at the moment," says
May. At first he thought about installing a
biogas plant but later scrapped the idea
because he wanted stop animal farming
and therefore would no longer have had
manure to produce the gas. Karl May is
certain that many South German farmers
would be happy if they could assure their
future as alternative energy farmers.

Keuerleber also points out that the region

will benefit from economic advantages
through wind energy: "There is a consi

derable number of suppliers for wind tur

bine parts in Bavaria. Why shouldn't com

munities reap the benefits from other
businesses such as wind farms?"

Dr. Josef Pesch, who is the regional Chair

man of the German Association for Wind
Energy (Landesvorsitzender des Bundes

verbandes Windenergie) in Baden
Würt

temberg, also gives an optimistic appraisal
for wind conditions in Southern Germany:
"Baden
Württemberg has excellent wind
conditions in higher areas such as the
Black Forest and the Alb."

Two hundred and fifty two turbines with

View from the Schauinslandgipfel near Freiburg: Two E
66 in a height of 1,000 m above absolute altitude.
248.98 MW rated power were in operation
14 WIND BLATT 3/2005
Research and
development important
EWEA about wind energy growth in Europe
he European Wind Energy Association
T (EWEA) called for an increase in wind
energy research and development (R&D)
spending under the EU’s 7th Framework
Programme for research and development
(FP7), and the establishment of a Wind
Energy Technology Platform in order to
continue its track record of cost reductions
and maintain European technology lead

ership in wind energy. “European re

search efforts should be focused on those
technologies where Europe is strong. R&D
is a crucial factor in reaching full cost
Regional sea
level change
ne of the major consequences of fu

O ture ocean circulation changes
would be sea level change. This is shown
in a new study by scientists from the Pots

dam Institute for Climate Impact Research
in Germany which was published in one of
the recent issues of "Climate Dynamics".
They investigated the scenario of a possi

ble shutdown of the Atlantic overturning
competitiveness with other power
sources, and goes hand
in
hand with
reaping further economies of scale
through increased market volumes,” said
Corin Millais CEO of EWEA. “Europe is in
pole position with wind energy technology,
but there is a risk that we may fall behind
unless significant support to long
term
and short
term R&D is included in the
forthcoming European research pro
gramme FP7.”
The cost of generating wind power has
circulation and found this would cause up
to one metre of sea level rise at coasts
around the northern Atlantic, while sea
level would drop in the South Atlantic.
Compared to future sea level rise due to
warming or ice melt, these changes could
occur more rapidly, following the circula

tion changes almost without delay.
Sea level rise is widely discussed as a ma

jor consequence of future climate change.
Global warming will lead to the melting of
land ice, adding water to the global ocean.
NEWS
decreased by some 80 per cent since the
first modern wind turbines were installed
in the beginning of the 1980s. The sector
estimates that some 40 per cent of the
cost reductions achieved over the past two
decades can be contributed to improved
technology through R&D. Scale economies
in production, a function of market vol

ume, has been the other large contributor.
At present, the European wind industry
leads the world with an 83 per cent world
market share. Long
term commitment
from EU and national R&D programmes,
combined with close cooperation between
industry and research institutions, has
been a principal contributor to Europe’s
dominant position in wind turbine tech

nology and the wind power industry R&D
in general. However, European leadership
in wind energy is challenged by foreign
competitors getting increasingly aware of
the substantial growth potential of the
sector. Support for wind energy R&D under
the current EU framework programme,
FP6, was severely restricted, and funding
for long
term research was initially comp

letely removed.
Furthermore, in a warming world sea wa

ter also warms and consequently expands.
These two effects lead to a global sea lev

el rise of some decimetres per century
(the current rise as measured by satellites
is 3 mm/yr) and pose a threat to many
coastal areas. Now, researchers from the
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Re

search (PIK) in Germany examined a diffe

rent, possibly more rapid mechanism for
changes in sea level (up to 25 mm/yr in
some regions).

NEWS
Dramatic
destruction
Ecosystem in bad condition
rowing populations and expanding
G economic activity have strained
the planet's ecosystems over the past
half century, a trend that threatens inter

national efforts to combat poverty and dis

ease, a U.N.
sponsored study of the
Earth's health warned now. The four

year, $24 million Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment found humans have caused
heavy damage of the world's farmlands,
forests and watercourses.
Unless nations adopt more eco
friendly
policies, increased human demands for
food, clean water and fuels could speed
the disappearance of forests, fish and
fresh water reserves and lead to more
frequent disease outbreaks over the next
50 years, it warned. "This report is es

sentially an audit of nature's economy
and the audit shows that we have driven
most of the accounts into the red," Jo

nathan Lash, a member of the Millenni

um Ecosystem Assessment board, said in
London. The report said degradation of
ecosystems was a barrier to achieving
development goals adopted at the U.N.
Millennium Summit in Johannesburg,
Due to the existence of ocean currents,
the sea surface is not "flat" but has hills
and valleys in balance with the Coriolis
force associated with the currents. The
sinking of deep water in the northern At

lantic, which is part of the Atlantic over

turning circulation which keeps Europe
warm, is associated with a particularly
low sea level. Many scientists are con

cerned that this circulation could
weaken or even cease altogether; the
latter is widely considered a small, but
non
negligible risk of global warming.
3/2005 WIND BLATT 15
Info Service
June / July 2005
06
10/06/
2005
Barcelona /
20th European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference and Exhibition
Organiser, or information from:
Spanien WIP
Munich
Phone +49 (0) 89 720 12735
South Africa in September 2000: halving
the proportion of people without access
to clean water and basic sanitation by
Fax 089 720 12791
pv.conference@wip
munich.de
www.wip
munich.de
2015 and improving the lives of 100 mil

lion slum dwellers by 2020. Walter Reid,
director of the Millennium Ecosystem As
07
10/06/ EXPO World Conference
2005 Integrating Renewable Energy for
sessment, said over the past 50 years
Hamamatsu / the Future
humans had changed ecosystems more Japan Organiser, or information from:
rapidly and extensively than any compa
World Wind Energy Association
rable period in human history. "These WWEA Head Office
changes have resulted in a substantial Phone + 49 (0) 228 36940 80
and largely irreversible loss to the biolo
Fax: +49 (0) 228 36940 84
gical diversity of the planet," Reid said. sg@wwindea.org
U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan said www.wwindea.org
the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
"tells us how we can change course,"
23
25/06/ Intersolar
and urged nations to consider its recom
2005 Biggest fair for solar technology in
mendations. Freiburg Europe
Organiser, or information from:
The study was compiled by 1,360 scien
Solar Promotion GmbH
tists from 95 nations who pored over Phone +49 (0) 7231 351380
16,000 satellite photos from the U.S. Na
Fax +49 (0) 7231 351381
www.intersolar.de
tional Aeronautics and Space Administra

tion, and analyzed statistics and scienti

fic journals. Their findings highlight the 28
30/06/ Visit ENERCON at the
planet's problems at the end of the 20th 2005 Fair “Power Gen Europe"
century, as the human population Milan / Italy Hall 14, Stand L26/3
reached 6 billion. International fair und conference for
energy production
Organiser, or information from:
Mike Treacher
Phone +44 (0)1992 656 636
The new study shows that after a
Fax +44 (0)1992 656 700
breakdown of this circulation, sea level exhibitpge@pennwell.com
in the northern Atlantic would rapidly in
www.powergeneurope.com
crease by up to one metre, in addition to
any global sea level rise caused by glo
10
13/08/
bal warming. In the South Atlantic on the 2005 Fair "Energia"
other hand, sea level would drop. Al
Sao Paulo / Organiser, or information from:
Brasilien Deutsche Energie
Agentur GmbH
though these dynamic changes do not
(dena)
affect the global mean sea level, their re

Phone +49 (0) 30 7261656 0
gional effects on coastal areas of North Fax +49 (0) 30 7261656 99
America and Europe could be serious. info@deutsche
energie
agentur.de
www.deutsche
energie
agentur.de
WIND BLATT
THE ENERCON MAGAZINE
Glaciers begin
to melt
In the Antarctic it is getting warm
S
cientists have issued a
fresh warning about the effect
of climate change on Antarcti

ca, saying that more than 200
coastal glaciers are in retreat
because of higher tempera

tures.
For many scientists it is clear
that the man
made "green

house effect"
the burning of
fossil fuels which disgorged
carbon dioxide into the atmos

phere, trapping solar heat
is
entirely to blame.
Of the 244 marine glaciers that
drain inland ice on the Antarctic
peninsula, a region previously
identified as vulnerable to glob

al warming, 87 per cent have
fallen back over the last half
century, according to research
by British experts.
Using 2,000 aerial photos dat

ing back to the late 1940s and
100 satellite pictures, experts
from the British Antarctic Sur

vey (BAS) compiled a record of
glacier
ice shelves and tidewa

ter glaciers along the peninsula
the tongue of land that juts
800 kilometers (500 miles)
northwards out of continental
Antarctica.
Glacier
ice shelves are floating
glaciers on the shoreline that
are still connected to the land
glaciers from which they
flowed. Tidewater glaciers rest
on rock and break off into the
ocean when they reach the wa

ter's edge.
Over the last half century, dur

ing which time regional tem

peratures have risen by around
2 C (3.6 F), these glacier fronts
have reversed direction, the au

thors note in a study published
on Friday in the U.S. weekly
journal Science.
Until the mid
1950s, most of
the glaciers advanced. For the
next decade after that, they
were roughly stable. Since
then, though, most have been
shrinking.
In the past five years, the retreat
has accelerated, and the pat

tern of retreat is widening. It
started in the warmer northern
tip of the peninsula and is head

ing progressively to the colder
south as atmospheric tempera

tures rise.
"Fifty years ago, 62 per cent of
the glaciers that flowed down
from the mountains to the sea
we looked at were slowly grow

ing in length, but since then this
pattern has reversed," said lead
author Alison Cook. The aver

age retreat of the 212 shrinking
glaciers has been 600 meters
(yards) over 50 years.
But this does not take into ac

count a dramatic acceleration
in recent years, exposing nu

merous islands that were once
ice
smothered.
Sjogren Glacier, at the northern
tip of the peninsula has fallen
back eight kilometers (8.5
miles) since 1993, while Wid

dowson Glacier, on the west
coast, has been retreated at 1.1
kms (0.6 miles) per year over
the past five years.
ADDRESSES
ENERCON International sales offices
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e
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