Optimising wind farm design for maximum financial return

Turbines can now offer a 20-30% production gain compared with a year or two ago.’ Blade design has played a significant role in this progress.

‹* New materials: improve strength and reduce the need for repairs
‹* Using state of the art testing to improve reliability
‹* How blade design is bringing down the cost of energy

Finance that seemed virtually limitless 5 years ago is now far harder to come by. Banks are still lending, but how, and to who has gone through a paradigm shift.
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* What makes wind an attractive investment?
‹‹* Who is financing wind projects, and in what form are they lending?
‹‹* What are the effects of increasing regulation on investment in wind?
‹‹* Is there anything that can be done to drive progress?

A significant proportion of wind turbine components won’t last the lifetime of the machine. The decision of where to source replacement parts is key, and can mean the difference between success and failure.
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* Third parties offer flexibility and customer service, but can they deliver the goods?
‹‹* OEMs have extensive experience, often offer updates to control systems, and may share some of the risk. Are the extra costs worth it?
‹‹* Strategies for sourcing the right supplier for your project

2013 is set to be a defining year for wind power. The turbulence of 2012 will undoubtedly continue, but there are huge opportunities for anyone innovative enough to take advantage of them.

Tune into Windpower Monthly TV’s exclusive EWEA Preview Webcast, where leading speakers from the conference will whet your appetite for the main event. Christian Kjaer: CEO - EWEA, Peder Nickelsen: Head of Product Lifecycle Management - Siemens Wind Power , and Tom Murley: Head of Renewables at HG Capital offer their expert advice on where you should be focussed in the coming year and share invaluable insights into the growing potential of Europe’s emerging wind energy markets.

Gain insights into:

* Industry oveview from Christian Kjaer: CEO - EWEA: What’s happening in wind?
* Finance: Who’s funding new wind projects in 2013?
* Technology: Siemens predict trends in future key turbine advancements.

Viewing is essential for all renewable energy professionals wanting to get a head start over the competition.

Moderated by Eric Prideaux: Editor - Windpower intelligence

- Best practices for working at height in high wind: How to ensure technicians’ safety during blade and tower maintenance.

- Blades can be particularly difficult to access effectively. Case study: How to access the blade safely, reliably and cost-effectively.

- Remote turbines have much higher accident rates and take far longer to service, as specialist equipment is often not held on site: What should be done in this case?

Does wind power have a part to play in meeting the UK’s legally binding environmental targets, or is it just too expensive?

This heated webcast will get to the bottom of the issues raised by the controversial AF Consult report, and the Sunday Times article published as a result.

- Nuclear vs. offshore wind. What do different power sources actually cost?
- Importing gas and uranium. Is the value of energy security appropriately weighted?
- Neglecting Brussels. What are the legal implications of ignoring EU renewable energy targets?

Speakers confirmed:
Alice Waltham - Country Manager at AF Consult
Adam Bell - Communications Manager at RenewableUK
David Handley - Energy Economics and Policy Manager at RES Group

Next-Generation Wind Assessment: Take The Guesswork Out Of Project Profitability

This quick-fire video will allow you to:

* gain an update on the latest thinking and technologies from met masts to remote sensing
* harvest accurate performance data using the right tools for your project
* translate reliable metrics into investor confidence to ensuring predicted returns are realised

High-level speakers include:
Stephen Norman, Senior Wind Energy Consultant, Met Office
Ian Burrow, Head of Sectors, Agriculture & Renewable Energy , The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Julian Martin, Chairman & CEO, ICE Renewables Limited
Charles Conner, Director, Temporis Wind Ltd

Master the challenges of offshore turbine installation in deeper water to ensure efficiency and safety

With more demands for flexibility and wind power moving further from shore, gain the latest thinking on installation in this quick-fire video which will:

- Hear the pros and cons of going into deeper water to ensure maximum efficiency

-Learn about the heavier components and how best to transport them from main harbours to site to keep costs down

-Installation from fixed platforms Vs floating vessels

Gain key learnings from installations during R1 and R2 on what works best in deeper waters

-The future - what are the next steps?

Speakers:
Ole Bigum Nielsen, Director Offshore Projects, Vattenfall
Kaj Lindvig, CSO, A2SEA

Optimising wind farm design for maximum financial return
Wind turbine layout for greatest energy capture, minimum lifetime fatigue and optimum risk control

This hard-hitting webcast will get to grips with:
-What is wind farm design all about?
-Wind farm design tools -- computational modelling
-Achieving the right distance between wind turbines
-What next for wind farm design?