Renewable Energy World Magazine - Volume 12,Number 2, March - April 2009

Take a look at Renewable Energy World magazine, the perfect complement to Renewable Energy World.com. REW magazine is for the people who are making growth happen in this exciting and expanding sector - in industry, policy, utilities, finance and more. We have readers in over 160 growing markets around the world.

FEATURES
Green superhighway: Overhauling the
grid to accommodate renewables…………. 20
The key to widespread expansion of renewable technologies in the
US is a transmission and distribution system that can despatch
energy from distant generators to the heart of demand heavy cities
and other load centres. Significant efforts are needed to promote
transmission and distribution expansion in the US if the country is
to realize its full renewable energy potential.
By Elisa Wood
Light cycle: Recycling PV materials ……….. 28
Though some years distant, the photovoltaics sector is already
adopting strategies and developing technologies to deal with the
eventual disposal of large numbers of modules. By focusing on a
sustainable, high value recycling method, the industry is making
the most of the valuable materials contained in their products and
simultaneously improving their positive environmental impact.
By David Appleyard
Working with the wind: Growing
employment in the European and
US wind power sectors ………………………… 37
Wind development and its associated sectors is rapidly becoming
a major employment sector in both the US and Europe.
Awareness of the sector’s potential in such troubled times is
raised in new report published by the European Wind Energy
Association. It looks at the rapidly growing wind sector jobs
market, throwing up some interesting trends, and highlighting a
number of opportunities and challenges for the future.
By Alasdair Cameron
Masdar City: A source of inspiration………. 44
With the ready cash required to back up its aspirations, from the
heart of oil and gas world emerges a significant new force for
renewables development. Abu Dhabi’s flagship Masdar City – a
pioneering zero-carbon, zero-waste development – is the focus of
a much wider sustainable energy initiative.
By Edward Milford
REpower Systems: Less is more offshore.. 53
The Luneort industrial area, part of Germany’s offshore wind
boomtown Bremerhaven, has been the site of a REpower
Systems offshore wind turbine assembly facility since mid-2008.
Here we report on developments at the site.
By Eize de Vries

PowerBlades: Gearing up for
the offshore wind boom ……………………….. 58
A few minutes walk from REpower’s Bremerhaven site stand the
facilities of a key part of company’s business development strategy
– a joint venture company that will exclusively manufacture rotor
blades for its on and offshore machines.
By Eize de Vries
Advanced anaerobic digestion:
More gas from sewage sludge ……………… 62
One UK water company is using advanced anaerobic digestion
in its water treatment process to generate high value biogas.
With increasing pressure to find alternatives to the landfill
disposal of waste, such developments significantly reduce
waste volumes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But,
by using the gas in an on-site CHP unit, the company is also
saving considerable sums of cash.
By Graham Neave
Senegal solar: Uninterrupted
power for vital medical care …………………. 67
Given Africa’s vast solar resources and an underdeveloped
electric power sector, solar technologies have a lot to offer this
vast continent. Beyond the important offgrid solar home system,
photovoltaics can provide a stable power supply to essential
services – such as the clinic featured here.
By Lars Waldmann
Wind farm design: Planning, research
and commissioning………………………………. 80
Without clear consideration of early design parameters, the
development of a commercially successful wind farm is
inevitably haphazard. In an extract from a new publication by
the European Wind Energy Association: ‘Wind Energy: The Facts’
the first principals of good wind farm design are explored.
Extract from EWEA
Solomon Islands solar: A new microfinance
concept takes root …………………… 85
A novel commodities exchange scheme is apparently solving
one of the most thorny of development issues, that those most in
need of new renewable technologies are often those least
able to raise the finance necessary to fund such developments.
Now a rural payment programme is bringing renewables to the
South Pacific, and perhaps showing that money does not
have to make the world go round.
By Binu Parthan
The upside in the downturn:
Realigning the wind industry …………………. 89
At first glance the global financial turmoil and economic
slowdown may appear devastating to the wind industry. But, by
stabilizing costs, strengthening the supply chain and leading to a
more mature construction and ownership model, the downturn
may yet prove to be the key to consistent, sustainable growth.
By Seth Beck and David Haarmeyer
Action plan for 50%:
How solar thermal can
supply Europe’s energy ………………………… 99
Solar thermal has the potential to supply 50% of Europe’s space
and water heating requirements by 2050. In a bid to make this
ambitious goal reality, a research agenda has been developed in
which the solar thermal sector sets out its strategy for growth.
By David Appleyard
La Revolución Energética:
Cuba’s energy revolution………………………106
A small Caribbean island could teach the superpowers a
thing or two when it comes to developing an energy strategy
based on low carbon and efficiency. Such is the success of
the two-year old programme of energy revolution, Cuba has
made massive progress.
By Laurie Guevara-Stone
Mitigating variability:
Advances in wind resource
assessment and modelling…………………… 114
Understanding the wind resource is crucial in an industry where
even a slight variation can have significant financial impact.
Indeed, investing in a detailed resource analysis of a prospective
site could be the best money ever spent on a project.

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