Wind energy needs skilled workers

» By | Published 25 Jan 2013 |

Wind energy is expanding across Europe – currently the continent has over 100 GW of wind energy capacity with levels set to rise as the EU continues on its path to a 20% share of renewable energy by 2020, but the expansion in the number of skilled workers the sector requires is not keeping up.

TPWind – wind energy’s research and development platform – is set to release new statistics at the European Wind Energy Association’s  2013 Annual Event in Vienna early February revealing just how deep the skills shortage runs today, and is likely to run in the future.

Engineers are in short supply, especially in operations and maintenance, the statistics will show.

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Belgian economic recovery powered by wind

» By | Published 10 Jan 2013 |

Wind energy’s contribution to Belgian GDP has risen by 69% in four years (2007-2011), new findings show. This is a rate far higher than the growth of GDP itself, making wind energy a catalyst for Belgium’s economic recovery. The wind sector brought €335.3 million to the Belgian economy in 2011.

The figures come from a Deloitte study which also finds that national wind energy jobs have increased by 74% while the overall employment rate has gone up by just 3.7% (a figure 20 times lower) since 2007.

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Build a European supergrid for jobs and energy

» By | Published 14 Dec 2012 |

Ana Aguado, CEO Friends of the Supergrid

Europe’s energy infrastructure urgently needs updating. In this interview published in the latest edition of EWEA’s Wind Directions magazine, Ana Aguado, CEO of Friends of the Supergrid, explores how this can be done.

What is the supergrid and why do we need it?

We define the supergrid as “a pan-European transmission network facilitating the integration of large-scale renewable energy and the balancing and transportation of electricity, with the aim of improving the European market”.

With such a definition it is stated quite clearly that in order to transform our energy systems to one that is based on clean and indigenous resources there is no other way but to build a European high voltage network able to integrate all those renewable energy sources, cope with their variability and transport electricity over long distances. We call such an EU planned network the supergrid.

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UK energy bill will create 125,000 green jobs

» By | Published 23 Nov 2012 |

Alarmist headlines in the UK today proclaimed the “tripling” of energy bills to pay for “green energy”. But the scaremongering belied a story that is positive for the British economy, the climate, the consumer and the European wind energy industry.

The feature of the upcoming energy bill most media seized on was that energy firms will be allowed to triple the amount of money consumers pay for so-called “green” measures, including renewables but also nuclear power. continue reading »

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Gone with the Romanian wind

» By | Published 16 Nov 2012 |

Strategy consultant in energy Radu Magdin argues that Romania is a potential goldmine for renewable energy investors.

Romania is a potential paradise for electricity from renewables – we can even say that it is gone with the wind, while solar has big potential as well. This can help with achieving the compulsory EU country targets, but it also brings profits for companies who know how to exploit the Romanian renewable “revolution”. The country has one of the most generous national support schemes, and, recently, smarter legislation in the field. While things can always improve, green light is there.

The biggest European wind park is being built in Romania and there is potential for even more investments. The local wind energy market has proved a rapid growth towards reaching European targets; by the second quarter of 2012, there were over 1,000 MW installed in wind (968 MW of this in 2010 and 2011). continue reading »

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