For the last ten years worldwide wind turbine sales have grown approximately 29% annually and wind power is now the world’s fastest growing source of energy. For the next twenty years it is expected to expand at double-digit rates.
Currently like any other sector, this industry is also being affected by the global financial crisis and 2010 is supposed to be a challenging year for the global wind turbine industry. However, the silver lining is that though the global wind installations will not be able to match the record installations of 2008, a strong rebound is anticipated after 2010 with wind plant investment expected to reach $50 billion annually by 2015.
Also the dip in overall wind energy market demand that has followed the financial constraints has not constrained wind industry development & technology innovation.
However, it is anticipated that the market would be a buyers market and not a sellers market as the competition is going to heat up, courtesy oversupply and increasing global competition.
The global wind turbine market is dominated by a small number of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), but market competition is increasing as new OEMs enter the industry.
Manufacturers are developing the next generation of wind turbines in the US and Europe. Government support of markets in Europe, India and other developing countries, has been largely responsible for burgeoning sales, providing manufacturers with cash flow to conduct private development efforts.
European manufacturers currently supply most of the world market for utility-scale wind turbines and therefore provide the majority of the private investment in Research and Development.
On the supply chain side, the international wind power industry has been subject to constraints in certain key components and materials. It is now considered that the wind turbine industry and its suppliers should be able to meet an annual demand for new installed capacity of 50 GW per year by 2012, but only if there is a substantial increase in production capacity and quality improvements in the supply of specific materials.
The report begins with a complete and descriptive trace of the historical origins of wind power which is unique in nature as it provides a perspective of wind power in the hands of the earliest innovators of this resource. This if further traced up to the modern wind power story.
The most important cog in the wheel of wind power generation is the wind turbine which is explained in detail along with the basics of its operation and the various commercial avenues of wind farm applications in today’s economies.
Some of the earliest wind power scenarios made possible by wind turbines which are historically recorded are also described in brief in order to create a chronological link up to the presence of wind power even before our modern economies.
The report also provides quantifiable data to explore the emission impact of wind power as compared to the more traditional sources of energy which are mined or pumped from the earth. The report exhaustively explores the global wind power industry and its newer source as the offshore wind power net capacities added and installed by region globally.
The report dedicates an entire section to the global wind turbine technology and the even elaborates to explain the formula which is applied an industry standard to calculate the power produced by any turbine under consideration.
One of the key areas in decision making for any wind turbine application is the efficiency and economy which is to be derived from the weight and cost juggernaut. An important area of discussion which is the material used to develop wind turbines and the associated components is also discussed in this report.
Since wind turbines have many applications from the smallest to the biggest this report equips the reader with the key to classify wind turbine projects by capacity and identify their uses as well at same time explaining the core of wind turbine technology from the basics theoretically as well as diagrammatically.
The report also enables the user to understand the reverse chain of wind turbine production right from the raw materials used to the finished blades which go on the turbine.
Further, the report explains the applications of pure wind systems and other systems of energy which work in conjunction with the wind power systems which are further linking in to grid connected applications of wind power thereby feeding into any economy.
The important role played by small wind turbine systems across major markets as Europe, UK and the United States is also examined in this report. In a commercial capsule the report explains the global wind turbine market as a pie by the major wind turbine manufacturers which are present globally. These global players exercise some competition as well as constantly develop new technology trends and market activity.
The report provides a numerical base of the wind turbine market by providing detail on wind turbine market on the demand as well as turbine numbers and size installed in major markets which also give an insight on the trends which are being noticed in such established markets globally.
Since every technology needs the credit of the market as a backbone to grow and prosper; the recent slowdown of economic activity and its impact on this industry is also examined in this report. Thereafter, the opportunities which are present in the wind turbine industry globally as well as major market profiles are presented in this report with data figures.
The report also uniquely explores the entire supply chain of wind turbines and the role of OEMs in this vast industry. Some of the global major players of wind turbine production and their activity is also provided in this report.
The report also takes an analytical forecast on the strategy moves which will be rolled out by the various component manufacturing suppliers in the wind turbine industry as they expect an economic recovery and lot of activity during 2010. This report also exhaustively provides a brief profiling of the major industry players in the wind turbine industry globally.
In a forward looking perspective the report provides a vision on the technology trends spread across components which can be seen in the near future in this industry.
Wind is often a part of our daily lives and yet we seem to hitherto miss it as a daily occurrence. It is often only felt and then the thought is discarded after a momentary sensation. It often soothes our senses or excites them depending on the strength of its presence around us. We may usually ignore this wonder of nature as it only touches our limited senses and thereby only generates a limited memory. This may however, change if we really look at the impulse it generates by the simplest actions of powering a light bulb for us from the smallest towns to generating water for us in the biggest plants.
This wonderful resource of nature is known as wind to us and fuel to the turbine which transforms the energy from this natural resource into a form of energy which is more useful to us and thereby much needed for a sustainable future. This sustainable future has to be slowly but surely weaned away from the much inefficient methods of energy generation towards cleaner and earth friendly resources and wind turbines are a step in this direction.
Key Topics Covered:
A. Executive Summary
B. Introduction to Wind Power
C. Looking at the Wind Turbine Industry
D. Looking at the Wind Turbine Technology
E. Operation and Maintenance of Wind Turbines
F. Materials Used in Current Wind Turbines
G. Wind Turbines: Power and Size
H. How Does a Wind Turbine Work?
I. Analysis of Small Wind Turbines
J. Market Facts
K. Impact of the Credit Crunch on the Global Wind Turbine Industry
L. Wind Turbine Market Opportunities
M. Major Market Profiles
N. Analyzing Industry Trends
O. Analyzing the Wind Turbine Supply Chain
P. Analyzing Strategy Profiles
Q. Market Forecast
R. Leading Industry Players
S. Appendix
T. Glossary of Terms
Companies Mentioned: Acciona, Enercon, Gamesa, GE Energy, Goldwind, Nordex, REpower Systems AG, Siemens, Suzlon, Vestas, Bosch Rexroth AG, Echesa, Hansen, Moventas, ABB, Shanghai Electric, NSK, Knight & Carver
www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e6ae6b/analyzing_the_glob
