WIND TO BOOM IN CHINA, U.S. SPAIN

A market survey of wind industry insiders found expectations matching other data: Wind energy is expected to continue expanding for the next quarter century.

China, the U.S. and Spain are expected to have rising importance.

Offshore wind is expected to boom after 2012 and with that boom turbines are expected to get bigger.

Point of political interest: U.S. growth, as big as any in the world over the last 2 to 3 years, is expected to falter if the current Congress continues to deny the production tax credits (PTCs) that have facilitated the recent boom. Those surveyed expect the 2009 Congress to restore the PTCs, allowing the U.S. market to pick up again.

Think it’s absurd to put the booming U.S. wind energy industry through that? Tell Congress at Support Renewable Energy Tax Credits

(from the Husum study - click to enlarge)

China, U.S., Spain to drive wind energy growth – study
Eva Kuehnen , May 26, 2008 (Reuters)

WHO
Deutsches Windenergie-Institut (DEWI), Husum WindEnergy Trade Fair organizers

(from the Husum study - click to enlarge)

WHAT
The WindEnergy Study 2008, performed by DEWI and commissioned by the Husum Windenergy trade fair organizers, assessed the world wind energy market through 2017.

WHEN
- The Husum WindEnergy 2008 trade fair will be Sept. 9-13.
- 2007: World wind installation increased 27% to 94,593 megawatts.
- 2012: World capacity is expected to be 288,000+ megawatts.
- 2017: 718,000+ megawatts

(from the Husum study - click to enlarge)

WHERE
- 78% of 2007 new installations were in the U.S., China, Spain, Germany and India.
- The study identifies China, the U.S., the major EU economies and India as the big 2008 markets.

WHY
- World new installations are expected to grow fivefold in the next 10 years to 107,000 megawatts.
- Germany presently retains the world lead in total wind energy capacity but the U.S., Spain, China and India had more new installations in 2007.
Non-European markets will become progressively important between 2012 and 2017.
- Offshore wind installations will be a progressively larger part of total wind energy capacity, especially after 2012.
- Germany is expected to get 31% of its electricity from wind by 2030, about half from offshore installations.
- Turbines with capacities of 7.5 to 10 megawatts are expected to be developed after 2012.

(from the Husum study - click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Study: "Those polled in the study believed that the United States, China and Spain should retain their high growth potential in future but that countries such as Greece and South Korea are also gaining in importance…"
- Hanno Fecke, Managing Director, Husum Trade Fair: “This survey gives the companies in the industry a vital preview of the markets of the future. Its results are also reflected in the structure of the leading international trade fair of the wind energy industry, Husum WindEnergy, with exhibitors from 35 countries, including national pavilions from the USA, Canada, France and the UK, and with visitors from 40 countries, that is from the growth markets…”
- Bernd Aufderheide, Chairman of the Management Board, Hamburg Messe und Congress (partner of Husum Trade Fair): “The WindEnergy-Study has provided a continuous set of data over the years, giving the industry an outstanding overview and a valuable forecast of the development of the global wind energy market…”