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Prioritising Wind Energy ResearchPrioritising Wind Energy ResearchStrategic Research Agenda of the Wind Energy Sector Strategic Research Agenda of the Wind Energy Sector

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T: +32 2 546 1940 • F: +32 2 546 [email protected] • www.ewea.org

About EWEAEWEA is the voice of the wind industry - actively promotingthe utilisation of wind power in Europe and worldwide.

EWEA members from over 40 countries include 230 companies,

organisations, and research institutions. EWEA members include

manufacturers covering 98% of the world wind power market,

component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and

renewables associations, developers, electricity providers, finance

and insurance companies and consultants. This combined strength

makes EWEA the world’s largest renewable energy association.

The EWEA Secretariat is located in Brussels at the Renewable

Energy House. The Secretariat co-ordinates international policy,

communications, research, and analysis. It co-ordinates various

European projects, hosts events and supports the needs of its

members.

EWEA is a founding member of the European Renewable Energy

Council (EREC), which groups the 6 key renewables industries

and research associations under one roof.

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Supported by theEuropean Commission

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Prepared by EWEA, July 2005

Contact: Hugo [email protected]. +32 (0)2 546 1943/40

Acknowledgements

The European Wind Energy Association would like to thank the fol-

lowing organisations for their involvement as project partners in the

Wind Energy Thematic Network:

Bundesverband Windenergie, Germany, http://www.wind-energie.de, including Jochen Twele and Manfred Dürr.

Elsam, Denmark, http://www.elsam.dk, including Peggy Friis and Jette I. Kjaer (Elsam Engineering).

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, The Netherlands,http://www.ecn.nl, particularly Jos Beurskens for his work on identification ofR&D priorities in Chapter Three of this report.

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, http://www.ib-sh.de, includ-ing Klaus Rave and Angelo Wille.

Pauwels Trafo Belgium, Belgium, http://www.pauwels.com, including Jan Declercq.

Renewable Energy Systems, United Kingdom, http://www.res-ltd.com, including Julia Rhodes and William Hopkins.

Risø National Laboratory, Denmark, http://www.risoe.dk, including PeterHjuler Jensen.

Vestas Wind Systems, Denmark, http://www.vestas.com, including AidanCronin and John T. Olesen.

EWEA would also like to thank the European Commission's Directorate General for Research for the valuable support and input it has given to this Project No. ENK6-CT-2001-20401.

EWEA would also like to thank the 200 or so members of the R&D Network for their inputs and collaboration over the course of the project.

Photographs: Jos Beurskens, DEWI, ECN, ISET, NLR, REpower, Wolf Winters.

Please note: this report is based on inputs from a variety of authors and information sources. EWEA does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the data included.

This report does not reflect the formal position of the European Commission.

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Prioritising Wind Energy ResearchStrategic Research Agenda of the Wind Energy Sector

P R I O R I T I S I N G W I N D E N E R G Y R E S E A R C H S T R A T E G I C R E S E A R C H A G E N D A O F T H E W I N D E N E R G Y S E C T O R

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The energy sector of today faces a triple challenge :how to tackle climate change and meet rapidlyincreasing demand for energy while ensuring thesecurity of its supply? Wind energy can be a signifi-cant part of the answer if sufficient support andincreased political will are applied to its development.

The European Commission’s May 2004Communication1 neatly encapsulates the benefitsof wind and other renewable energy sources :“ Developing Europe’s potential for using renewableenergy will contribute to security of energy supply,reduce fuel imports and dependency, reduce green-house gas emissions, improve environmental pro-tection, decouple economic growth from resourceuse, create jobs, and consolidate efforts towards aknowledge based society”.

IEA and European Commission estimates showthat, in a business as usual scenario, world and EUelectricity demand could double by 20302. Includingthe replacement of aging infrastructure, a globalinvestment of some €10,000 billion will be neces-sary to meet this demand.

Unlike conventional fuels, wind energy is abundant,clean and indigenous. In 1999, energy imports costthe EU €240 billion, equal to 6% of its totalimports. The European Commission’s Green Paperon Security of Supply suggests that, in twenty tothirty years time, the EU could be importing 70% ofits energy, up from 50% today. It concludes that:“ Renewable sources of energy have a considerablepotential for increasing security of supply in Europe.In the medium term, renewables are the only sourceof energy in which the European Union has a certainamount of room for manoeuvre aimed at increasingsupply in the current circumstances […]. Effectively,the only way of influencing [European energy] supplyis to make serious efforts with renewable sources.”

Wind energy is a provider of sustainable economicgrowth, high quality jobs, European technology andresearch leadership, and global competitiveness.Indeed wind energy can help significantly across

the whole range of goals in the Lisbon Strategy tomake Europe the world’s most dynamic and com-petitive knowledge based economy.

Installed wind power worldwide, mainly based onEuropean technology, stands at some 47,000Megawatts (MW). This is just the beginning. TheGlobal Wind Energy Council scenario Windforce 12demonstrates that there are no technical, economicor resource barriers to the supply of 12% of theworld’s electricity needs from wind power in 2020.This would mean an annual business worth some€80 billion.

Europe is the cradle of the wind industry, and todayEurope is the world leader. European manufactur-ers represent over 80% of global industry turnover.But essential research and development must beundertaken, and sufficient support provided at EUand Member State levels, if aggressive competitionis to be prevented from taking this lead, and nas-cent markets developed by European companies.

A Roadmap for Collaborative Research andDevelopmentThis Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) is a roadmapshowing wind energy research and development mile-stones towards increased wind power penetrationand benefit to the union. The SRA details the key pri-orities, as they are understood today, to beaddressed in the development of wind resourceassessment, turbine and wind farm design, and theintegration of wind power into European electricitysupply, as well as research related to public support,the environment, and standards and certification.

The research tasks identified fall into three main cate-gories: ‘showstoppers’, ‘barriers’ and ‘bottlenecks’.Most important, showstoppers are issues of suchimportance that failure to address them could poten-tially halt progress in wind energy altogether. As iden-tified in Chapter Three, such showstoppers include:

• In terms of resource estimation: maximumavailability of wind resource data, in the public

Overview

1 COM(2004) 3662 compared to 2002

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domain where possible, to ensure that financiers,insurers and project developers can develop highquality projects efficiently, avoiding project failurethrough inaccurate data.

• With regards to wind turbines: the availability ofrobust, low-maintenance offshore turbines, as wellas research into the development of increased reliability and availability of offshore turbines.

• For wind farms: the research and development ofwind farm level storage systems.

• In terms of grid integration: planning and designprocesses for a trans-European grid, with suffi-cient connection points to serve future large-scale wind power plants. This task should beundertaken by the wider energy sector in closecooperation with the wind energy sector.

• With regards to environment and public support:a European communication strategy for thedemonstration of research results on the effects

of large-scale wind power plants on ecologicalsystems, targeted at the general public and poli-cy makers. To include specific recommendationsfor wind park design and planning practices.

Funding for R&DWind energy is reaching closer and closer towardscost parity with competing conventional technolo-gies. Yet, even as progress is made, public fundingfor R&D is waning. The wind energy sector callsupon the EU and its Member States to renew theirsupport for wind energy R&D, and has proposedthat a European Technology Platform for WindEnergy be established to gather together all windenergy sector stakeholders, public and private, atEU and Member State levels, and including thewider energy sector, to help Europe harvest the fullbenefits of wind power.

O V E R V I E W

P R I O R I T I S I N G W I N D E N E R G Y R E S E A R C H S T R A T E G I C R E S E A R C H A G E N D A O F T H E W I N D E N E R G Y S E C T O R

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0. Introduction 6

0.1 The Wind Energy R&D Network 7

0.2 European Policy Context 8

1. Why is Wind Energy Research Necessary for the European Union 10

1.1 Increasing Demand for Electricity 10

1.2 Wind Energy Tomorrow… 11

1.2.1 Wind Energy in 2010… 12

1.2.2 …And in 2020 13

1.3 The Role of Wind Energy 14

1.3.1 Reductions in CO2 Emissions 14

1.3.2 European Energy Independence 14

1.3.3 Driving the Lisbon Strategy 15

1.4 Concluding Remarks 16

2. Perspectives on Wind Energy R&D Priorities 17

2.1 European Union Activities 17

2.1.1 European Commission Advisory Group on Energy 17

2.1.2 Framework Programmes 17

2.2 The International Energy Agency 19

2.3 G8 Perspective 20

3. R&D to Maximise the Value of Wind Energy 21

3.1 Harvesting the Resource 21

3.2 Building Tomorrow’s Wind Turbines 24

3.2.1 Small and Micro sized Wind Turbines 30

3.3 Wind “Power Plants” 31

3.4 Grid Integration 32

3.5 Public Support and the Environment 34

3.6 Standards and Certification 36

3.7 Research Infrastructures 38

3.8 Perceptions of R&D Priorities within the Network 40

Table of Contents

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4. Implementation of the SRA 43

4.1 European Technology Platform for Wind Energy 43

4.2 Financing the Strategic Research Agenda 44

4.2.1 EU Funding under Previous Framework Programmes 45

4.2.2 The Seventh Framework Programme 47

4.2.3 Private Sector Commitment 49

4.2.4 Member State Financing 50

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 53

5.1 Priorities for Research and Development 53

5.1.1 Showstoppers 53

5.1.2 Barriers 53

5.1.3 Bottlenecks 54

5.2 Enabling R&D 54

5.2.1 Funding 55

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

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Despite the great progress made in the past 25years, wind energy has a long way to go before itreaches its full potential in terms of the large-scalesupply of electricity. While it can already be costcompetitive with newly built conventional plant atsites with good wind speeds, significant furthercost reductions are necessary through marketdevelopment and R&D.

The objective of this document is to communicateto policy makers at EU and national levels theessential strategic R&D requirements of the windenergy sector: what it needs to attain its full potentialand become the cheapest electricity generatingoption for the future; and to demonstrate therewards such investment in R&D will bring, such asmaintaining European leadership in one of the mostexciting energy industries of the present day, anddriving the Lisbon Strategy.

This Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) is aimed par-ticularly towards the EU’s Seventh FrameworkProgramme for R&D (FP7), at present under development. FP7, to last from 2007 to 2013, willconstitute a vital period in the development of windenergy. Collaborative R&D undertaken at the EUlevel must take into account activities at the nationallevel, and vice versa, while both EU and nationalfunding should be stitched together to providesteady and reliable support for the development ofwind power technology.

But it is not enough to maximise public funding.This research agenda is also aimed at privateindustry, which must remain deeply involved in collaborative R&D efforts, such as the IntegratedProject, UpWind, for which funding under FP6 hasrecently been confirmed. Private-public partner-ships are essential to ensure steady progress intechnology development and cost reductions, andto maximise the efficient use of overall funding.

The European Technology Platform for Wind Energyproposed by the industry aims to develop this col-laborative approach. The platform would be steered

by a Strategic Advisory Board, with maximum trans-parency, representing and addressing the needsand activities of stakeholders from throughout thewind energy sector: private and public industry andresearch, Member States and the EU, and withstrong links to the wider energy sector.

A Dual Approach to Wind Energy Cost ReductionsTechnology and other research and development arecrucial in the attainment of full cost competitivenesswith other power sources, but they must go hand inhand with the creation of adequate framework conditions for investments in new markets, such aseffective payment mechanisms, the removal of gridrelated and administrative barriers to wind energypenetration, and public acceptance.

Taking grid integration as an example, basicresearch aims to develop new designs and systemoperation tools for the European grid system, andto conduct strategic grid planning, taking into accountprojected increases in distributed generation, including wind power. At the same time, frameworkissues such as grid accessibility and ownershipmust be addressed. In other words, valuable andcostly R&D must not be allowed to evaporate without leading to concrete results - it will be of little value if the strategic and operational aspectsof grid integration are not addressed.

Moreover, European grid redevelopment is an exam-ple of an area of research that is not the sole con-cern of the wind industry, but a task belonging tothe wider electricity sector as a whole.

Taking into account these twin elements of a successful wind energy strategy, the activities of theplatform would be arranged in two baskets: marketdevelopment, including short-term and operationalissues such as overcoming grid and administrativebarriers (with the support of the DirectorateGeneral for Transport and Energy); and researchand development (with the suppor t of theDirectorate General for Research).

0. Introduction

0 . I N T R O D U C T I O N

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This Strategic Research Agenda lays out the keyR&D priorities of the wind energy sector, both interms of tasks and necessary resources. At present,the SRA looks towards 2020. Pending the commit-ment of the European Commission, it will be developed by the proposed European TechnologyPlatform for Wind Energy, to provide a technologicalroadmap to 2030 and beyond.

Structure of the SRASection 0.1 of this introduction discusses the originsof this report, and Section 0.2 provides the key elements of European policy related to wind energy.The Lisbon Strategy, of particular relevance, is discussed in more detail in Chapter One, whichasks why wind energy should be a priority for theCommunity. Chapter Two provides perspectives onR&D Priorities, from outside the industry.

The research priorities detailed in Chapter Threeare broken down into a number of themes.

• Section 3.1: accessing the full technical potentialof wind energy - wind resource.

• Section 3.2: how to build tomorrow’s wind turbines, including issues related to design,manufacturing, transport, installation, operationand maintenance (O&M), offshore, complexterrain and cold climates.

• Section 3.3: running a wind farm as a singleplant, i.e. issues arising from development ofvery large wind farms.

• Section 3.4: technology issues related to thegrid penetration of wind power.

• Section 3.5: public support and environment.• Section 3.6: standards and certification for

reduction in uncertainty.

Chapter Four discusses the implementation andfinancing of the Strategic Research Agenda, andChapter Five provides conclusions and recommen-dations.

0.1 The Wind Energy R&D NetworkThe SRA has been developed over a period of threeyears, with the collaboration of the EuropeanCommission and the wind energy sector, throughthe Wind Energy Thematic Network Project3.

In a series of six strategy workshops held aroundEurope, ending in a final meeting at the Joint ResearchCentre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy, experts from throughoutthe sector have discussed their R&D perspectives andneeds in four groups: turbine and component manu-facturers, end users (developers, utilities and owners),R&D Institutions, and financiers and insurers.

This process has seen remarkable collaboration,both within the industry, in the expression of commonneeds, and with publicly funded research bodies. Ithas thrown to light many issues and questions:what exactly are the roles of public versus privateresearch (collaborative versus competitive)? Howcan the two be coordinated and integrated to somedegree without encroaching on intellectual propertyrights? How can national and European research bebetter coordinated and integrated? How can suffi-cient funding for R&D be ensured to enable the sec-tor to meet its potential?

In response to these questions, and partially as aresult of collaboration through the network, the windenergy sector has proposed and obtained an inte-grated project under FP6. The UpWind Project lookstowards the development of design tools for a newgeneration of wind turbines from 2010. It will lastfive years, ending in 2010. However, UpWind represents, to date, the only long-term funding availableto wind energy from the Community under FP6.

The network has benefited from the opinions andexpertise of over two hundred wind energy andwider energy sector specialists. It has demonstratedthe vital importance of strong collaboration and theintegration of R&D activities. The proposedEuropean Technology Platform for Wind Energy,while a much broader entity than the network, canbe seen as its direct descendent.

3 Contract number ENK6-CT-2001-20401

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0.2 European Policy ContextThis section outlines some of the key policy mile-stones driving wind energy development. Note thatthe Lisbon Agenda is particularly important in thecontext of research and is dealt with in more depthin Section 1.3.3 “Driving the Lisbon Strategy.”

The Renewables White PaperIn 1997, the European Commission White Paper onRenewable Sources of Energy4 set the goal of doubling the share of renewable energy in the EUfrom the 1997 level (of less than 6%) to 12% by2010. One of the targets of the white paper was toincrease EU electricity production from renewableenergy sources from 337 TWh in 1995 to 675 TWhin 2010. Within this target, the goal for wind powerwas 40,000 MW installed capacity by 2010, whichcould produce 80 TWh of electricity and save 72 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

Development since 1997 and expectations offuture development indicate that these targets forwind power will be exceeded, according to a May 2004 communication from the EuropeanCommission5.

The RES-E DirectiveDirective 2001/77/EC on the promotion of elec-tricity from renewable energy aims to increase theshare of electricity from renewable energy sourcesto 22.1% by 2010 (EU-15) from 14% in 2000. Forthe expanded EU, the target is 21% by 2010.Indicative targets for renewables’ share of electricity vary among Member States. TheDirective states:

“(1) The potential for the exploitation of renew-able energy sources is underused in theCommunity at present. The Community recognisesthe need to promote renewable energy sourcesas a priority measure given that their exploitationcontributes to environmental protection and sustainable development. In addition this canalso create local employment, have a positiveimpact on social cohesion, contribute to securityof supply and make it possible to reach Kyoto

targets more quickly. It is therefore necessary toensure that this potential is better exploited within the framework of the internal electricitymarket.”

“(2) The promotion of electricity produced fromrenewable energy sources is a high Communitypriority as outlined in the White Paper onRenewable Energy sources for reasons of security and diversification of energy supply, ofenvironmental protection and economic cohesion.”

Referring to these targets, and the effort requiredto reach them, the Energy Council concluded inNovember 2004, with regard to “sources of renewable energy with high potential such as windoffshore energy”:

”In order [to meet] the EU-targets on renewableenergy there is a need for [...] joint R&D effortsfocusing on further cost reductions of supportingtechnologies.”

The Commission’s May 2004 Communication onthe share of renewable energy in the EU shows thatmost Member States are not on track to meet theirnational targets. The Communication estimatesthat if current trends continue, a share of 18 or 19per cent will be achieved in the EU-15, as opposedto the 22.1% (21% for EU-25) foreseen in the direc-tive.

Only four of the EU-15 Member States assessed inthe Commission’s Communication look set to meettheir targets: Germany, Denmark, Finland andSpain. The Commission estimates that additionalinvestments of 10 to 15 billion Euros are requiredto achieve the 12% target the EU has set itself, tocome from both public and private sectors.

The Green Paper on Security of Energy SupplyAccording to the Commission’s Green Paper onSecurity of Energy Supply, in two decades Europewill be importing 70% of its energy (up from 50%today). The Green Paper points out that renewableenergy sources are indigenous and can be the forceto counteract this trend:

4 Energy for the future: renewable sources of energy - White Paper for a Community Strategy and Action Plan, European Commission, 19975 COM(2004) 366 final: Communication of the European Commission of 26/05/2004 on the share of renewable energy in the EU

0 . I N T R O D U C T I O N

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“Renewable sources of energy have a considerablepotential for increasing security of supply inEurope. Developing their use, however, willdepend on extremely substantial political andeconomic efforts. [...] In the medium term,renewables are the only source of energy inwhich the European Union has a certain amountof room for manoeuvre aimed at increasing supply in the current circumstances. We can notafford to neglect this form of energy.

Effectively, the only way of influencing [Europeanenergy] supply is to make serious efforts withrenewable sources.”

The Lisbon Strategy and Barcelona ObjectivesIn March 2000, meeting in Lisbon, the EuropeanCouncil set out the ten-year Lisbon Strategytowards making Europe:

“the most competitive and dynamic knowledgebased economy in the world, capable of sustain-able economic growth with more and better jobsand greater social cohesion.”

The European Research Area (ERA) was proposedby the European Commission following its endorse-ment by the Lisbon European Council. ERA aims toboost competitiveness, sustainable economicgrowth, and employment, and is a key pillar of theLisbon Strategy.

The “Barcelona Objectives” adopted at theBarcelona European Council in 2002 target anincrease in R&D spending to 3% of GDP by 2010(from 1.9% in 2000). It was also agreed that atleast two thirds of total investment should comefrom the private sector. The Community’s ActionPlan for Europe, resulting from the same summitmeeting, highlights the potential of technology platforms to address major societal, economic andtechnological challenges on the road to achieve-ment of the objectives, and to stimulate more effective and efficient R&D.

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Continued emphasis on wind energy R&D, both inthe long-term to generate new knowledge, and inthe short-term to apply it in today’s electricity systems, is of paramount importance. Through R&Dand market measures, the cost of wind energy willreduce to parity and below its cheapest competitors.At the same time it will provide secure and reliablepower at nearly zero cost to the environment, andensure European technology leadership, increasedemployment and economic growth.

At the launch of an earlier draft of the research agenda, in January 2004, then Commissioner forResearch and Development Philippe Busquin, statedthat:

"Wind power is a prime example of how an ambi-tious European research effort can give Europe avery strong leadership. [...The R&D strategy]contributes both to our research policy objectiveof reaching 3% of GDP for research investment by2010, and to our energy policy objective of reaching12% of renewable energy by the same date."

But it is not enough to rest on one’s laurels. If theUnion does not increase R&D funding to renewableenergy, at least to a par with that given to conven-tional technologies, it will fail to meet its targets forrenewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions,and to reduce its depency on energy imports.

In an answer to a recent written question6,European Commissioner for R&D, Janez Potocnikstated:

“The Commission is concerned by the decreasingtrend of the RTD spending in the field of renew-able energy sources these last twenty years bothat the national and European levels. If this trendis not reversed by a substantial increase of fun-ding in the future, it could hamper the progressof renewable energies in the EU energy mix.”

Although wind energy has grown at an averageannual rate of 22% over the last six years, there isa huge gap to be bridged between present installedcapacity and wind energy’s potential for 2020. Atpresent, in Europe, over 34,000 MW have beeninstalled, of which some 640 MW are located offshore. In 2020, some 180,000 MW are project-ed to be installed7, of which 70,000 MW would belocated offshore.

Many technological obstacles will emerge in thisjourney, and some of these can be pre-empted ifdedicated, sufficient R&D funding is assured in theshort to long term.

1.1 Increasing Demand for ElectricityIn its Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, i.e. in theabsence of intervention, or increased politicalefforts in the field of energy efficiency, the IEA esti-mates that the world’s electricity demand coulddouble between 2002 and 2030.

The European Commission estimates that EU-25electricity demand has increased by an average of1.7% per annum since 19908. In EU-15 states,demand growth has reached up to nearly 1.9%annually. In the New Member States (NMS) demandinitially exhibited limited growth (from 1990 levels)– around only 0.2% annually – but in the secondhalf of the last decade, it rose again to around 1.5%per annum.

Looking into the future, in its Business As Usualscenario, the European Commission expects totalelectricity generation in the EU-25 to grow by 1.4%annually from 2000 to 2030 (see Table 1.1).

1. Why is Wind Energy Research Necessary for theEuropean Union

6 Number E-2459/04, by Péter Olajos (PPE-DE) to the Commission7 EWEA: Windpower Targets for Europe, October 20038 European Commission DG TREN, European Energy and Transport: Scenarios on Key Drivers, September 2004

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1 . W H Y I S W I N D E N E R G Y R E S E A R C H N E C E S S A R Y F O R T H E E U R O P E A N U N I O N

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The disparity between EU-15 and New MemberState electrification levels as of 2000 is demon-strated in the table, reflected in the evolution ofelectricity demand up to 2030. While electricitydemand increases by 1.3% per annum in EU-15states between 2000 and 2030, deceleratingthroughout the period, the European Commission’sPrimes Model projects pronounced growth in NewMember States, averaging 1.8% per annum from2000 to 2030, acceleratingup to 2020 before also decel-erating up to 2030.

Overall then the amount ofTerawatt hours (TWh) neededto supply EU-25 states by2030 will increase by over50% from 2000 levels.

1.2 Wind EnergyTomorrow…

Wind power is a leading ele-ment in the European renew-able electricity market. Muchof this success is based onstrong research and develop-ment. Today, wind energycapacity installed accounts formore than 2% of EU electricityconsumption. In an averagewind year the 34,200megawatts of wind energycapacity installed in Europe(end 2004) can produce some73 TWh of electricity.

The benefits this capacity has brought, in terms ofsustainable economic growth, reduced energyimpor ts, employment, sustainability goals,reduced pollution and the achievement of commu-nity targets for renewable energy, are only a firsttaste of what wind energy can do for Europe. Figure1.1 shows the installed capacity of EU-25 coun-tries today.

Table 1.1

Electricity Demand in the EU-259

TWh % Annual Growth Rate1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 90/00 00/10 10/20 20/30 00/30

NMS 317 324 392 498 551 0.2 1.9 2.4 1.0 1.8EU-15 2,139 2,574 3,027 3,450 3,846 1.9 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.3Total 2,456 2,898 3,419 3,949 4,397 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.1 1.4

9 Ibid

Figure 1.1

Wind Power Installed in Europe by End 2004

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1.2.1 Wind Energy in 2010…The RES-E Directive (see Section 0.2) targets theachievement of 22.1% (21% for EU-25) penetra-tion by renewable energy of the overall electricitymarket in 2010, up from 14% in 1997. Accordingto industry projections in 200310, wind energyalone has the potential to meet half of this tar-get. The Commission’s 1997 White Paper onRenewable Sources of Energy targets the instal-lation of 40,000 MW of wind power in 2010.While the industry initially adopted this target, itsubsequently updated them in 2000, and againin 2003 to 75,000 MW, based on current growthtrends.

EWEA’s (2003) projection of EU-15 wind energyinstalled capacity for 2010 is presented in Figure 1.2.It shows that with continued political support and astrong R&D framework at Member State and EU levels, wind generating capacity by 2010 could reach75,OOO MW of installed capacity. In terms of overallcapacity, Germany will continue as European leader,followed by Spain. Boosted significantly by around50% of its total from offshore, the United Kingdomwill take third place with France, followed by Denmark.

Every EU-15 Member State is expected to generateelectricity from wind energy, and 10 states will havecleared the 1,000 MW level, marking their seriouscommitment to wind energy.

Figure 1.2

Projected Installed Wind Power Capacities in the EU-15 by 201011

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10 EWEA: Windpower Targets for Europe, October 200311 Ibid

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By 2010, in terms of capacity and power generation12,EWEA projects that wind power can provide:• Annual electricity generation of 167 Terawatt hours

(TWh), equivalent to 5.5% of European electricitydemand, or the power needs of 34 millionEuropean households / 86 million people

• 28% of all new installed generation capacity overthe period 2001 – 2010

• 10.6% of overall European installed generationcapacity

In terms of sustainability and savings, successfuldevelopment of wind power could:• Deliver 50% of the EU Renewable Energy

Directive target• Meet more than 30% of the EU Kyoto Protocol

commitment• Save annually 109 million tonnes of CO2

• Cumulative CO2 savings of 523 million tonnes(period 2001 – 2010)

And in terms of fuel and external cost savings, andinvestment in Europe, Wind power would mean: • Cumulative avoided fuel costs of € 13.2 billion• Annual avoided external costs of € 1.8 - 4.6 bil-

lion• Cumulative avoided external costs of € 9.4 -

24 billion over the period 2001 – 2010• An investment value of €49 billion over the period

2001 – 2010

1.2.2 …And in 2020EWEA figures from 2003 suggest that a target of180,000 MW installed wind power capacity is fea-sible for 2020, including 70,000 MW offshore. Thelatter marks the paradigm shift that will take placein wind energy. For 2010, some 13% of capacity isenvisaged offshore; by 2020 the proportion hasrisen to 39%.

Offshore wind energy is one of the new frontiers ofthe wind industry. While promising, able to takeadvantage of significantly higher offshore windspeeds, considerable research and developmenttasks remain to be carried out in offshore technology,and technological bottlenecks overcome.

An installed capacity of 180,000 MW in 2020would deliver 12.1% of European electricity needs,with an annual electricity generation of some 425 TWh. This is the equivalent of the power needsof 85 million European households. Wind energycapacity would constitute 37% of total new genera-tion capacity installed over the period 2010 to2020, and 21% of total European installed genera-tion capacity.

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), ofwhich the European Wind Energy Association is afounder member, is calling for a 20% share forrenewable energy technologies in gross inland energy consumption13.

The European Conference for Renewable EnergyIntelligent Policy Options in Berlin, January 2004,also concluded that the EU should set the 20% target for 2020 without delay:

“[…] new targets are needed to provide mediumand long-term investment security […] the insti-tutions of the European Union should proceedwithout delay in setting new ambitious targetsfor 2020 […] A target value of at least 20% ofgross inland energy consumption by 2020 for theEU is achievable. Such targets shall be accom-panied by a detailed action plan [to] maintain theEuropean Union’s role as driving force in thedevelopment of renewable energy markets.”

The European Parliament adopted the same targetin 200414. Subsequently, the European Parliament’sIndustry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committeeadopted on 27 June 2005 a report15 calling for anincrease in the share of energy from renewables by2020 to 25% (from the current level of around 6%).

The latest edition of the Global Wind Energy Counciland Greenpeace study Wind Force 12 shows thatalternative paths to the Business As Usual scenariosreferenced in Section 1.1 are possible. The reportshows that with increased political will, globalinstalled capacity of wind power could reach over1,200,000 MW (1.2 Terawatts), supplying 12% ofthe world’s electricity.

12 EWEA: Windpower Targets for Europe, October 200313 The methodology behind this figure was based on the Eurostat convention as this was the basis for the figures in the White Paper on Renewables and other relevant

official documents. A calculation based on the substitution principal yields a target of 25%.14 European Parliament Resolution on the International Conference for Renewable Energies (Bonn, June 2004), P5_TA(2004)027615 Report on the share of renewable energy in the EU and proposals for concrete actions, (2004/2153(INI))

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1.3 The Role of Wind EnergyThe benefits of wind energy are recognised and wellsummarised in the European Commission’s May2004 Communication16:

“Developing Europe’s potential for using renewableenergy will contribute to security of energy supply, reduce fuel imports and dependency,reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve envi-ronmental protection, decouple economic growthfrom resource use, create jobs, and consolidateefforts towards a knowledge-based society.”

The BAU scenario developed by the EuropeanCommission, and based on the Primes Model, doesnot count RES development through implementa-tion of the RES-E Directive, perhaps because overallMember State implementation of the Directive todate has been poor. However, the model doesdemonstrate that, if renewable energy does nottake up the new demand, traditional, polluting tech-nologies will be the only alternative.

This would cause irremediable harm to the environ-ment, reducing air quality still further, lead to substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions;drastically increase European dependence of foreign energy imports; and neglect what is at present one of Europe’s fastest growing industries,and potentially one of its greatest success stories.

1.3.1 Reductions in CO2 EmissionsUnder the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the EUhas committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% in 2010, compared to 1990 levels. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionsin the EU-15 have decreased by only 1.7% between1990 and 2003, and last year increased by 1.3%,according to a recent inventory report from theEuropean Environment Agency.17

Commissioner Piebalgs stated earlier in the year that: “It has been estimated that CO2 emissions in theEuropean Union […] are likely to exceed their1990 level by 14% in 2030. Such a developmentwill make it even more difficult to achieve theobjectives of the Kyoto Protocol.18”

Today, wind power installed in Europe is saving over50 million tonnes of CO2 every year. If currenttrends in growth continue, by 2010, wind energy willsave 109 million tonnes per year, the equivalent ofmore than 30% of the EU’s total Kyoto Protocolobligation19.

The key role of renewable energies like wind powerin tackling climate change is already acknowledged.The recent European Environment Agency (EEA)assessment on greenhouse gas emission trends inEurope concluded that:

“the promotion of renewable energy has thegreatest impact on emissions in most EUMember States for both implemented andplanned policies.”

The gravity of greenhouse gas emissions, and itsconsequent effects on global climate warming andinstability witnessed by El Niño phenomena andothers, often overshadows more microcosmic damage caused every day by continued reliance onfossil fuels and nuclear.

1.3.2 European Energy IndependenceThe 50% increase in European electricity demandpredicted by the European Commission in theirBusiness as Usual scenario20 would be met in themain by conventional fuels. This would be unfortunate, ensuring that Europe’s dependence onenergy supplies from other, often unstableeconomies would increase from its present level ofaround 50% today to 70% by 2030.

16 COM(2004) 366 final17 EEA, 21 June 2005. Due to a surge in electricity demand mainly met by coal-fired power plant18 Answers to Questionnaire for Commissioner Designate, Andris Piebalgs; Part B – Specific Questions; Spring 200519 EWEA, 2004: Wind Force 12: A blueprint to achieve 12% of the world’s electricity from wind power by 2020.20 European Commission DG TREN, European Energy and Transport: Scenarios on Key Drivers, September 2004

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Oil and gas reserves are finite and the effects oftheir depletion will be felt long before the fields areactually drained, in the form of drastic price increasesin energy supplies, and consequent economic distress. If measures are not taken today to prepare for the transition to an economy based onnew indigenous energy technologies such as windpower, time pressures and oil prices significantlyhigher than the already high prices of today are like-ly to cause great economic and social upheaval.

Renewable energy sources are more evenly distributedover the world, unlike oil reserves, for example, ofwhich 60% are located in only 40 oil fields, often inAfrican, Arabian and Central Asian States, prone tosocio-political disruption. Energy price volatility,caused by the insecurity this engenders, is bestexemplified by current (June 2005) oil prices inexcess of $60 / barrel21.

By contrast, wind energy involves no fuel price risk, asthere is no fuel. Wind is an endless resource that onlyrequires increased research for its effective extraction,accurate prediction, and optimised and intelligent inte-gration, and a market penetration large enough to‘absorb’ weather systems (see Section 3.1). Windenergy is one of Europe’s largest indigenous energyresources, bigger than oil, coal and gas together.

Wind can reduce energy import dependence as partof a more diverse and modernised European elec-tricity supply. If Europe is to have secure electricitysupply at stable prices, diversity, mitigating relianceon non indigenous energy sources, is essential.

In April this year, Energy Commissioner, AndrisPiebalgs admitted that not enough progress wasmade regarding the objectives of the Green Paperon Security of Energy Supply:

"The drive has not been too strong […] There isnow a real constraint on the security of supply ofenergy […] the current emphasis placed onrenewables and energy efficiency is insufficient."

He also stated the “growing need for co-ordinatedaction at EU level" - a need that the proposedEuropean Technology Platform for Wind Energy ispoised to address.

1.3.3 Driving the Lisbon StrategyA strong wind power development does not onlymean reduced CO2, as well as other environmentalbenefits. Sustainable economic growth, reducedenergy import dependence, high quality jobs, tech-nology development, global competitiveness, andEuropean industrial and research leadership – windis in the rare position of being able to satisfy allthese requirements. Indeed wind energy can helpsignificantly across the whole range of goals in theLisbon Strategy to make Europe the world’s mostdynamic and competitive knowledge based economy.

Right now, Europe leads the world in wind:European manufacturers represent over 80% ofglobal industry turnover; but foreign competitorsare aggressively fighting for market share. And it isnot only the benefits of a strong European windindustry that are at stake.

Wind is a Driver for Other TechnologiesSince its inception, the industry has depended to alarge degree on technology transferred from otherindustrial sectors, including aeronautics, shipping,steel and composites. Thus wind energy providednew markets for existing industries.

Today, while wind energy continues to provide suchmarkets, the trend is reversing somewhat andadvances in wind energy knowledge are increasinglyspilling over into other industries. Wind energyresearch is increasingly driving other technologies,not only in manufacturing, but in installation, andoperation and control, among others.

In other words, wind energy has become a driver fordevelopment and generation of new knowledge inother industries. However, wind energy lacks thestrategic investment that was made in, for example,aeronautics and military equipment industries,from which it has borrowed technology.

Aggressive Competition from Outside EuropeEurope not only leads the present world market butalso represents the centre of the manufacturingindustry and technology innovation. Only with con-tinued, strong political commitment and sufficientfunding to R&D can this leadership be maintained.

21 Light sweet crude. (June 28th 2005, Associated Press)

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Market assessments and industry analysis predictthat Europe will be the most significant wind energymarket over the rest of the decade. Danish windenergy consultancy, BTM Consult, expects twothirds of world new installed capacity between2002 and 2006 will take place within the EU.

80% of today’s capacity is located in just five coun-tries - Germany, Spain, Denmark, the USA andIndia. Recently, The Netherlands and Italy haveforged ahead to also break the 1000 MW barrier.The vast majority of the world market, then, in coun-tries with a good resource but little or no capacity,is as yet unharnessed. Also, large export marketsare emerging, for example, in the United States,India, China, Canada, Brazil and Japan. But howmuch European industry will profit from these markets, and how much of it will fall to competitorsfrom outside the EU, remains to be seen.

1.4 Concluding RemarksWind energy is already providing and has the poten-tial to provide greatly increased sustainable macro-economic benefit to the Community. The EuropeanCommission has set targets for renewable energyand electricity production, which are unlikely to bemet without increased concentration on thoserenewable energies best placed to provide the addi-tional capacity, such as wind power.

In order for wind power to become fully competitivewith conventional power generating technologies,even without internalisation of external costs tosociety, or reform of the very large subsidies they

receive, it is up to the wind energy sector to makefurther cost reductions.

Some 60% of cost reductions in the last twodecades are estimated to be the result ofeconomies of scale brought about by increasedmarket volume, in turn a result of market volume ina handful of Member States. The remaining 40% ofcost reductions can be directly attributed toresearch and development (R&D)22. Thus R&D is adirect driver towards achievement of Union targetsfor renewable energy market penetration.

Increased R&D funding is in itself an objectiveestablished at the Barcelona European Council in2003, which targeted an EU R&D spend of 3% ofGDP. Without such an increase, Europe will notachieve the objective of the Lisbon Strategy tobecome the world’s most powerful, knowledgebased economy, and without sacrificing en routethe sustainability pillar of the strategy.

Failure to provide sufficient support to R&D in windenergy would be to risk the loss of one of the keyenergy technology growth areas in Europe today.The Global Wind Energy Council and Greenpeace, inthe latest edition of their joint report Wind Force 1223

explain that - with significantly increased politicalwill and the development of strong and beneficialpolicy frameworks - the global wind energy marketcould develop into an $80 billion dollar annual market by 2020. If Europe is to provide for this market, and reap the benefits this would entail, itmust focus on research and development today.

22 Ad Hoc Group Report to the Executive Committee of the International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement for Co-operation in the Research and Development of WindTurbine Systems: Long-Term Research and Development Needs for Wind Energy for the Time-Frame 2000 to 2020; Approved By The IEA R&D Wind Executive Committee,October 2, 2001

23 Wind Force 12: A Blueprint to Achieve 12% of the World’s Electricity Supply by 2020

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This report communicates the R&D priorities of thewind energy sector. Other international groups areinvolved in wind energy R&D strategic planning.This chapter lays out the perspectives of some ofthese organisations.

2.1 European Union Activities

2.1.1 European Commission Advisor yGroup on Energy

The European Commission Advisory Group onEnergy (AGE) has established two working groups:the Strategic Working Group (SWOG) which is dedi-cated to providing guidance on energy researchagendas; and a European Energy Research AreaWorking Group (ERAWOG) which focuses on theanalysis and assessment of opportunities for collaboration in energy research.

SWOG has recently released a report, Key Tasks forFuture European Energy R&D: A first Set ofRecommendations for Research and Development.In the report the group recognises the need for adedicated wind energy research programme:

“SWOG believes […] that EU-wide, long termgeneric and scientific R&D in wind energy wouldbe appropriate to support the sector. The neces-sary basic element will be the establishment inFP7 of a research programme dedicated to windenergy, with the aim of supporting R&D projectsand facilitating the further development ofEuropean industry in the wind energy sector.”

SWOG stresses the importance of providing support at a level that will stave of internationalcompetition from the US and Japan, for example.

“[…] the days are over when the fledglingEuropean wind energy industry could depend onwind R&D being performed in national laborato-ries. Their future success therefore relies on theexistence in the EU of the necessary research,available to EU companies at costs [comparableto] US and Japanese competitors.”

SWOG R&D PrioritiesIn its annex dedicated to wind energy24, the reportcontinues to detail R&D tasks, summarised below.

• To develop better understanding of windresources, particularly in complex terrain andoffshore, including improved power output prediction, and increased reliability of short-term forecasting (6 to 48 hrs).

• ‘Fourth-generation’ wind turbine technology,i.e. novel rotor concepts using ‘intelligent’materials; enabling computational fluidmechanics; and new generator concepts.

• Offshore: there is a need for an R&D pro-gramme encompassing modeling and predictionof ocean currents and wave-state, wave-structureinteraction (internal waves and surface waves),sediment transport, and ice conditions, as wellas operation and maintenance.

• Grid integration, i.e. radically different and bettersystems and techniques for dynamic grid manage-ment based on improved systems integration,systems analysis, and control technologies.

• Stand Alone and Hybrid Systems: integrationof stand alone turbines with other powersources such as PV for use in small grids.

• Socio - Environment: understanding sound generation and transmission; sound reduction;potential ecological impacts; potential inter-ference with telecommunications and radar.

• Testing, standardisation and certification: forthe reduction of uncertainties.

2.1.2 Framework ProgrammesPrior to and during the present financial perspectivethe mistaken impression seems to have developedthat wind energy is a mature industry which nolonger requires long-term funding for fundamentalresearch and development. This is not the case.Indeed, it is more critical than ever that the industryfurther develops technologically in order to maintainEuropean leadership in line with the Lisbon Strategy.The research requirements for developing offshorewind energy and grid integration alone are substantialto warrant increased support.

2. Perspectives on Wind Energy R&D Priorities

24 See http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/energy/pdf/swog_en.pdf

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With this in mind, research institutes from aroundEurope have gathered together under the new aegisof the European Academy of Wind Energy, toexchange information and develop new knowledgein matters related to wind energy technology andpolicy, and constituting a major step towards theestablishment of a European Energy Research Area25.The proposed European Technology Platform willtake this collaborative approach even further, integrating the activities of research institutes withthose of other wind energy sector stakeholders.

The Seventh Framework ProgrammeIn November 2004, the Energy Council concluded,with regard to ”sources of renewable energy withhigh potential such as wind offshore energy:

‘In order [to meet] the EU-targets on renewableenergy there is a need for [...] joint R&D effortsfocusing on further cost reductions of supportingtechnologies.’”

In its June 2004 Communication, 'Science andtechnology, the key to Europe's future - Guidelinesfor future European Union policy to suppor tresearch'26, the European Commission outlined 6major objectives of EU action in the field ofresearch, and FP7, including the launching of:“European technological initiatives in promisingindustrial sectors such as energy, transport, mobilecommunications, embedded systems and nano-electronics. Technology platforms are being set upto bring together stakeholders to define a commonresearch agenda.”

Accordingly, The European Wind Energy Sector,together with national ministries is actively workingtowards the establishment of a EuropeanTechnology Platform for wind energy. In preparationfor the platform, the wind energy sector has produced this Strategic Research Agenda todemonstrate the need for strong support for windenergy R&D. At a recent event27, Commissioner forResearch, Janez Potocnik stated that:

“A challenge for FP7 is to support the imple-mentation of these [Strategic ResearchAgendas] established by the TechnologyPlatforms.”

The June 2004 communication raises the issuealso of ‘research infrastructures.’ Addressed sepa-rately in chapter 3.7 below, research infrastructuresare specific pieces of hardware, laboratories andthe like, existing or conceptual, considered essentialin the furthering of European research.

Much emphasis is placed on Small and MediumEnterprises (SMEs) in discussions on FP7, as theseare where innovation can be strongest. The vastmajority of wind energy companies fall into this cate-gory – highly innovative, technologically cutting edgecompanies, but lacking the reserves of larger com-panies, and therefore requiring the support of the EUinstitutions if they are to deliver their full potential.

FP7 is Still Under DevelopmentThe FP7 programme will not commence until January1st 2007, and the European Commission only madeits formal proposal to the European Parliament onApril 6th 2005. At the time of writing, the EuropeanParliament is preparing its response to theCommission, and one of the key questions on thetable is the funding that will be accorded to renewableenergy. As Polish MEP and former Prime Minister,Jerzy Buzek, the Parliament’s Rapporteur on theCommission’s proposal, explained:

“The European Parliament will put forward a fewhundred amendments, some of which ‘on verysensitive issues’, such as the proportion of R&Dallocated to nuclear and to renewables.”

The size and form of EU finance for R&D in windenergy will be decided by the Member State representatives in the Council together with theEuropean Parliament28. The position taken bynational ministries will be crucial in the winning ofsufficient financing for R&D in the wind sector.

25 See www.eawe.org for more information26 COM(2004) 35327 Closing Ceremony of the European BIC Network/International Association of Science Parks Nantes, 20 May 200528 According to Article 166 of the Treaty Establishing the Community

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National policy makers need to understand thatR&D in wind energy is at the heart of achieving theobjectives of the Lisbon Strategy. It is essential thatthe sector as a whole maintains the clear messagethat the great benefits offered by wind energy willonly materialise if sufficient, long term support ismaintained under FP7 and beyond. This messageshould be repeated right through the FP7 decisionmaking process in the spring and summer of 2006.

2.2 The International Energy Agency In Its Report Long-Term Research and DevelopmentNeeds for Wind Energy for the Time Frame 2000 to2020, the Executive Committee of the IEAImplementing Agreement for Wind Energy29 statedthat continued R&D is essential to provide the necessary reductions in cost and uncertainty necessary to realise anticipated deployment levels.

In the mid-term, the report describes the R&Dareas of major importance for the future deploymentof wind energy to be related to forecasting techniques, grid integration, public attitudes, andvisual impact:

“R&D to develop forecasting techniques willincrease the value of wind energy by allowingelectricity production to be forecast from 6 to 48hours in advance. R&D to facilitate integration ofwind generation into the electrical grid and R&Don demand-side management will be essentialwhen large quantities of electricity from wind willneed to be transported through a grid. R&D toprovide information on public attitudes and visualimpact of wind developments will be necessaryto incorporate such concerns into the deploy-ment process for new locations for wind energy[especially offshore].”

In the long-term, the IEA Implementing Agreement onWind Energy sees the focus of R&D on taking stepstowards making the wind turbine and its infrastructureinteract more closely:

“Adding intelligence to the complete wind systemand allowing it to interact with other energy

sources will be essential in areas of large-scaledeployment. R&D to improve electrical storagetechniques for different time scales [minutes tomonths] will increase value at penetration levelsabove 15% to 20%.”

Since its inception the IEA Implementing Agreementon Wind Energy has been involved in a wide range ofR&D activities30. The current research and develop-ment activities of the Implementing Agreement itselfare organised into six tasks (referred to as“Annexes”), giving insight into its perceptions of cur-rent R&D priorities.

• Task II: “Base technology informationexchange” - co-operative activities and infor-mation exchange in two areas: i) the develop-ment of recommended practices for wind turbine testing and evaluation, including noiseemissions and cup anemometry; and ii) jointactions in specific research areas such as turbine aerodynamics, turbine fatigue, windcharacteristics, offshore wind systems, andforecasting techniques.

• Task XIX: “Wind energy in cold climates”. Theobjectives here include i) to gather and shareinformation on wind turbines operating in coldclimates; ii) to establish a formula for site-clas-sification, aligning meteorological conditionswith local needs; iii) monitoring the reliabilityand availability of standard and adapted turbine technology; as well as the developmentof guidelines.

• Task XX: HAWT31 Aerodynamics and modelsfrom wind tunnel tests and measurements.The main objective here is to gather high quality data on aerodynamic and structuralloads for HAWTs, to model their causes andpredict their occurrence in full scale machines.

• Task XXI: Dynamic models of wind farms forpower system studies, of which the main objec-tive is to assist in the planning and design of windfarms through development of models for use incombination with software packages for simula-tion and analysis of power system stability.

29 The Executive Committee of the International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement for Co-operation in the Research and Development of Wind Turbine Systems, at its54th Executive Committee meeting in Oulu, Finland, in 2004, invited the European Wind Energy Association to join the Implementing Agreement, pending an amendmentto the Agreement to enable this.

30 See http://www.ieawind.org/iea_wind_pdf/PDF_2004_IEA_Annual_Report%20PDF/15-42%20ImpAgree.pdf for more information31 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

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• Task XXIII: Off shore Wind Energy TechnologyDevelopment – to identify and conduct R&Dactivities towards the reduction of costs anduncertainties and to identify joint researchtasks among interested countries.

• Task XXIV: Integration of Wind and HydropowerSystems – to identify feasible wind/hydro system configurations, limitations and oppor-tunities, involving analysis of the integration ofwind energy into grids fed by a significant proportion of hydropower and opportunities forpumped hydro storage.

• Task XXV: "Design and operation of power systems with large amounts of wind power production" has recently been proposed as anadditional task.

This brief overview of the activities of theImplementing Agreement can be compared with theR&D tasks outlined below in this StrategicResearch Agenda. A predominantly common viewon priorities is apparent. Through its pending membership of the IEA Wind ImplementingAgreement (WIA) Executive Committee, and throughthe European Technology Platform for Wind Energy,to which the IEA WIA will contribute, this StrategicResearch Agenda will be further developed, takinginto account the findings of both bodies32.

2.3 G8 PerspectiveAt the Evian G8 Summit, in 2003, leaders agreed aScience and Technology for SustainableDevelopment Action Plan, including, in the contextof accelerating the research, development and diffusion of energy technologies, to:

“(2.2) Promote rapid innovation and market introduction of clean technologies, in both developed and developing countries […]

(2.3) Support efforts aimed at substantially increa-sing the share of renewable energy sources in glob-al energy use [including to] stimulate fundamentalresearch in renewable energies, such as solarphotovoltaics, off-shore wind energy, next genera-tion wind turbines, wave/tidal and geothermal, bio-mass; collaborate on sharing research results,development and deployment of emerging technolo-gies in this area; work towards making renewableenergy technologies more price competitive.”

The Evian Action Plan committed G8 countries toconvene senior G8 policy and research officials andtheir research institutions to compare and to linkprogrammes and policies. A follow up meeting washeld in Oxford in May of this year, focusing on infor-mation on strategic research priorities, and to identify scope for closer collaboration.

In January 2005, the report Meeting the ClimateChallenge – Recommendations of the InternationalClimate Change Task Force stated:

“A long term objective [should] be established toprevent global average temperature from risingmore than 2°C above the pre-industrial level, to limitthe extent and magnitude of climate changeimpacts.

“G8 Governments [should] establish nationalrenewable portfolio standards to generate at least25% of electricity from renewable energy sources by2025, with higher targets needed for some G8 governments.

“Governments [should] remove barriers to andincrease investment in renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and practice suchmeasures as the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies.”

“Increased Commitment to Energy R&D”At the Gleneagles Summit in Scotland, in July2005, G8 leaders agreed an Action Plan includingpromotion measures for R&D in the field of energy:

“18. We recognise the need for increased commitment to, international cooperation in andco-ordination of research and development ofenergy technologies. We will continue to take forward research, development and diffusion ofenergy technologies in all the fields identified inthe Evian Science and Technology Action Plan.

“20. We take note of the Energy Research andInnovation Workshop held in Oxford in May2005, and will […] work with the IEA to:• build on the work already underway through its

implementing agreements to facilitate coopera-tion and share energy research findings;

• reinforce links with the international businesscommunity and developing countries;”

32 See http://www.ieawind.org/

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3.1 Harvesting the ResourceThe power in the wind is proportional to the cube ofthe wind speed, as demonstrated in Figure 3.1. A 20% higher wind speed means over 70% moreenergy content in the wind.

This means that the cost of electricity produced isvery sensitive: the speed and distribution of thewind, and therefore choice of location – with thebest resource – is key. Understanding the windregime accurately, which is to say the average windspeed, the vertical wind gradient and the frequencydistribution, is the most important factor whenassessing the economic feasibility of a project. A10% difference between measured and actual windspeed can make the difference between a “go” and“no-go” project.

Figure 3.1

The power of wind is proportional to the cube of the windspeed. To calculate the power in the wind at a future windturbine location, V should be the value of the undisturbedwind speed at hub height, A the rotor swept area and ρthe air density. On the basis of flow theory (Betz law) a wind turbine can never extract more than 16/27(=59.3%) mechanical energy from the wind.

3. R&D to Maximise the Value of Wind Energy

This chapter describes the R&D priorities of thewind energy sector, as identified through the WindEnergy R&D Network. They are broken down into anumber of themes.

• Accessing the full technical potential of windenergy (wind resource).

• Building tomorrow’s wind turbines.• Running a wind farm as a single plant.• Technological issues related to the grid

penetration of wind power.• Public support and environment.• Standards and certification for reductions in

uncertainty.• Research infrastructures.• Perspectives of Network Working Groups.• R&D tasks in the wider energy sector.

In each section, key technological elements areexplained to provide the context of the priorities,which are shown at the end of each section, divided into three categories, each with a differentcolour code, reflecting a different ‘type’ and level ofpriority.

• The key priority is presented as a potential“Show-Stopper” (in red), which is to saythat it is considered to be an issue (techno-logical / societal) of such importance thatfailure to address it could halt progress alto-gether. Thus it needs special and urgentattention.

• Orange represents a “Barrier”, defined asbeing a principal physical limitation in cur-rent technology, which may be overcomethrough the opening up of new horizonsthrough generic / basic research over themedium to long term.

• Green represents “Bottlenecks.” Not to beconfused with the above, Bottlenecks areproblems which can be relatively quicklyovercome through additional short or medi-um term R&D, i.e. through the application oftargeted funding and / other resources.

Power in the wind is:Pwind=1/2.ρ.V3 [W/m2].

Wind speed Power in the (m/s) wind (Watt/m2)

3 166 13012 1035

V (m/s)

A (m2)

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

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In the past, in order to facilitate site selection andassess the feasibility of possible projects, wind‘atlases’ have been produced, containing not onlywind speed characteristics at different locations, but

also methods to estimate wind speeds other thanthose used at a particular location, as well as me-thods to determine the vertical wind gradient for dif-ferent levels of terrain roughness (see Figure 3.3).

Figure 3.2

Different systems to measure the wind characteristics. From left to right: an offshore mast equipped with i.a. classical cupanemometers, two experiments with SODAR (on land and offshore).

Source: DEWI

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

Source: Peter Eecen, ECN

60

z(m)

30

20

10

9.6

530 W/m2 890 W/m2 1010 W/m2

11.4 11.9

11.210.5

8.8

0

10.0

Figure 3.3

The vertical wind gradient for different values of surface roughness (built up area, such as the centre of a city; area with scrub vege-tation; open flat land or sea surface). Note that the wind power content of the wind at the same height (30 m) varies considerably.

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The European Wind Atlas, developed under theEuropean Commission’s JOULE programme in 1989,has been an essential tool in the exploration ofEuropean wind energy potential, and in the selectionof new high potential wind energy sites. However, theAtlas is not complete. Data from New Member Stateshave not been fully verified or included, nor has theoffshore wind resource in any real detail33.

It is essential that additional measurements of thewind resource around Europe be carried out.Recent measurements must be screened for relia-bility and included in the atlas database. Many addi-tional field measurements have become availablesince the first issue of the Atlas, and consequentlylarge amounts of data exist which could be used toverify meteorological models.

New observation, measurement and data commu-nication technologies are enabling the wind energycommunity to explore potentially interesting areasmore efficiently. One of these techniques is remotesensing. It is becoming possible to measure windspeed at high altitudes from measuring units atground level by means of acoustic sound (SODAR)or light (LIDAR). But the reliability and accuracy ofthese methods is as yet far from sufficient. Furtherresearch into and development of such techniqueswill offer great possibilities worldwide, to map thetotal wind energy resource of the planet and thusidentify the best sites to be developed to produceelectricity at the lowest prices.

The offshore wind resource is not well mapped. Theaccuracy of many existing data is low and there arelarge areas that are not yet explored at all.Measuring wind characteristics at sea is needed,but very costly, mainly because of the highanemometry towers that are necessary (see Figure3.2). Installation and removal of the towers adds tothe cost considerably. Satellite observation canoffer opportunities for measuring the offshoreresource at an acceptable cost level. However suchmethods need to be further developed so they canmeet minimum accuracy requirements for windenergy applications.

Such new methods are particularly relevant inexploring potentially interesting sites in complex terrain.Wind speed and turbulence characteristics in complexterrain can vary significantly over relatively shortdistances. The potential avoidance of a need foranemometry masts would make the exploration ofsuch terrain types feasible, in terms of both investment cost and time saved.

New communications technologies, such as GSM(Global System for Mobile communication) and follow up systems like GPRS (General Packet RadioServices), GPS (Global Positioning System), satellite links, and glass fibre links will enablealmost continuous analysis and display of data.

Measurement data could be made immediatelyavailable to customers in great detail and in variousformats. This is particularly relevant for operatorsof large wind farms who have to specify the powerthat they will make available a few hours ahead.The forecasters which are required for such a service need geographically dispersed, accurate,synchronous wind data which can be providedthrough systems mentioned above. Not only opera-tors need such data but also project developers, inthe assessment of suitable wind energy sites.

R&D Priorities regarding Wind ResourceEstimation and Mapping

Maximum availability of wind resource data, ifpossible in the public domain, to ensure thatfinanciers, insurers and project developers candevelop high quality projects as efficiently aspossible, and avoid project failure through inaccurate data

Resource mapping of areas with a high probabilityof high wind resource potential, but as yet unex-plored, including the Baltic, North and Black Seas.

Development of cost effective measuring units,including communications and processing, andwhich are easily transportable, for the assess-ment of wind resource characteristics, such asLIDAR, SODAR and satellite observation.

33 Which is not to say that no attempt to map the offshore wind resource has been carried out.

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3.2 Building Tomorrow’s WindTurbines

The long-term economic success of the Europeanwind industry will primarily depend on its ability topenetrate the world market. Therefore, providingcost efficient and reliable turbines is a key factorfor success.

The bulk of wind energy capacity presently installedor under installation consists of wind turbines withrotor diameters between 60 and 90 metres, withrated installed capacity varying from 1 to 3Megawatts (MW)34. The first examples of 5 MW turbines with a rotor diameter of around 120 m areat present in the prototype phase (see Figure 3.4).

The up-scaling of wind turbines during the lastdecade is unprecedented, and will likely continueas offshore installations become more economical-ly attractive and common (see Figure 3.5).

Figure 3.4

The largest wind turbines of 5 MW and over.

There are a number of advantages inherent in thisup-scaling, and which drive the trend:

1. Reduction in visual impacts. This is an inter-esting point as public perception may notalways take into account that a small numberof larger turbines can replace a larger numberof small turbines (see Figure 3.6). Larger tur-bines also rotate slower, and thus tend to beless intrusive visually.

2. In ‘Line-Clusters’ the generating capacity perkilometre is more than proportional to therotor diameter, which favours the installationof wind turbine as large as possible, seeFigure 3.8.

3. The minimisation of the cost of offshoreinstallations, a significant proportion of whichis the cost of foundations, necessitates thatthe largest possible capacity be installed oneach foundation unit. The same applies to thegrid transporting the power from offshore tothe shore.

Multibrid, rotor diameter 116 m, 5 MW, Bremerhaven (D) Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

Repower, rotor diameter 126 m, 5 MW, Brunsbüttel (D) Source: REpower Systems AG, Jan Oelker

ENERCON E 112, rotor diameter 112 m, 4.5/6 MW, Emden (D) Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

34 This is not to say that small and micro wind turbines are not of importance. See Section 3.2.1.

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Figure 3.5

The size of wind turbines at market introduction. Mid 2005 the largest wind turbine had a diameter of 126 metres and aninstalled power of 5 MW.

Figure 3.6

The generating capacity of the wind turbine on the left is ten times that of the machine on the right. The visual impact hardly differs.

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

15 m Ø

112 m Ø

126 m Ø

160 m Ø

wing span80m

.05 .3 .5 1.3 1.6 2 4.5 5 8/10 MW

'85 '87 '89 '91 '93 '95 '97 '99 '01 '03 '05

?

?

Rot

or d

iam

eter

(m

)

Airbus A380

Photos: Jos Beurskens, ECN

=10Xpower

1st year of operationinstalled power

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Up-scaling, however, incorporates developmentrisks. Up-scaling without radically changing designconcepts and material properties, leads to higherinternal material stresses. Such stresses can onlybe kept at acceptable levels if materials are usedwith higher strength to mass ratio or compliantcomponents are incorporated in the design. If com-ponents bearing heavy, dynamic loads, such asblades, blade roots and yawing systems are madeof flexible materials, then the forces acting uponthem are not transferred to the supporting struc-ture (see Figure 3.7). In this way dynamic forces areaveraged out, leading to significantly lower fatigueloading of the relevant components.

Design Tools for Reduced Uncertainty Currently used design tools are only partially suit-able for the reliable design of very large wind tur-bines, and have been validated and verified bymeans of measurements on what are now only‘medium size’ machines. However, some physicalproperties that are irrelevant in small and mediumsized turbines cannot be neglected in the design oflarge, multi-megawatt turbines.

It is difficult to define a sharp upper limit for themachines to which existing design tools can be applied.However it is generally acknowledged by experts thatthe design risks increase considerably for machineswith rotors of over around 125 metres in diameter.

Photo: Jos Beurskens, ECN

20

Wei

ght

(10

3 k

g)

Rotor Radius (m)

Modeling results

y x3

Commercial blades

10

0

20 30 40 50 60

Figure 3.7

This graph shows the calculated relationship between blade length and the development of commercial blades. Commercialblades are relatively lighter than calculated reference blades because new materials are being applied and design codesbecome more accurate. This leads to less conservative designs. Blades are made extremely flexible which avoids dynamicforces to be transferred to the hub construction. In the picture the deflection of a blade during normal operation can clearlybe seen.

Source: NREL, USA

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For this reason, new design tools are needed, sup-plemented with new features taking into accountsuch issues as extreme blade deflections, andwave loading of support structures, particularly inthe case of offshore turbines. Such new tools willbe essential if a new generation of wind turbines isto be designed and manufactured in a cost effec-tive way.

If the elaborate and expensive testing of prototypescan be reduced by the availability of high qualitydesign tools, the time to market innovative conceptswill also be reduced, providing manufacturers withcompetitive advantage. The probability of failure ofwind turbines newly introduced to the market willalso reduce, so providing financiers and end userswith a lower risk profile, and less uncertainty, andconsequently lower electricity costs to the consumer.

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

H

3H

2H

4.3 P

2.5 P

P

3D

2D

DP: powerH: height of towerD: rotor diameter

Figure 3.8

Depending on the roughness of the terrain, the total capacity of a line cluster is more than proportional to the size of the rotor.This is one reason to install wind turbines as large as possible.

One of the key challenges in developing design tools suitable for very large wind turbines is to understandand model aero-elastic phenomena. Figure 3.9 gives an impression of the many dynamic external forces thatact on wind turbines and the many ways the wind turbine structure may be distorted and may vibrate.

Figure 3.9

On the left all external dynamic forces are indicated that expose a turbine to extreme fatigue loading. On the right the various vibration and deflection modes of a wind turbine can be seen. From the dynamic point of view a wind turbine is a complex structure to design reliably for a given service life time.

Source: Kießling, F: Modellierung des aeroelastischen Gesamtsystems einer Windturbine mit Hilfe symbolischer Programmierung. DFVLR-Report, DFVFLR-FB 84-10, 1984.

cross wind

verticalwind shear

gusts

centrifugalforces

tower wake

gravity forces

unsteadyaerodynamicforcesgyroscopic

forces tower torsionflapdeflection

tower lateralbending

tower longitudinalbending

yawing

rolling

pitching

lagdeflection

bladetorsion

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In fact, the fatigue loading of a wind turbine is moresevere than that experienced by helicopters, air-craft wings and car engines. The reason is not onlythe magnitude of the forces but also the number ofload cycles that the structure has to stand duringits life time of 20 or more years (see Figure 3.10).

The larger the wind turbine becomes, the more extremethe phenomena become. To better understand thecomplex flow in the rotor area, computational fluiddynamics (CFD) need to be further developed. Largescale wind turbines can be equipped with sensorsrecording dynamic behaviour. Thus, system identifica-tion and inverse methods for providing the loads underreal conditions are required. Comparing the loads withcomputational results will provide validated methods.Figure 3.11 illustrates the complexity of rotor flow.

A number of numerical codes exist to analyse anddesign components and subsystems such as drivetrains, rotor blades, drive train dynamics, and towerdynamics. A state of the art integrated design

to regulations based on the very first principles ofcomposite mechanics. Furthermore, equationsdescribing material properties are considered linear, although it is common knowledge that thisdoes not allow for some phenomena. Such short-comings in state-of-the-art numerical tools andexisting formulations of composite mechanicsresult in uncertainty levels that lead to rotor bladesof unnecessarily high weight and cost.

Also new components are needed to control insta-bilities and reduce dynamic loads. Smart, passivelycontrolled blades; and slow running, compact ge-nerators, are just two examples. Such componentswill have to be intensively tested in laboratories that

methodology, which can incorporate new findings,however, is not yet available and is urgently needed.

New materials and manufacturing methods arerequired to design and manufacture extremely largemachines. For example, nowadays fibre reinforcedplastics (FRP) rotor blades are designed according

Figure 3.10

The fatigue loading of a wind turbine during its life time is large compared to examples bridges, helicopters, airplanes andbicycles.

Source: WMC (TU Delft-ECN)

Number of cycles during lifetime

Load

irre

gula

rity

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can also simulate extreme external conditions foreseen during their projected lifetime.

Insufficient facilities exist at present for such testing. Section 3.7 of this report addresses theresearch infrastructure.

In the absence of such testing facilities it remainsunclear whether a complicated structure such as avery large wind turbine can operate with full reliabilityand security, under all operating conditions,throughout its lifetime, while producing electricitywith maximum efficiency. Multi-parameter controlstrategies are needed to minimise mechanicalloads, enable active vibration damping, and opti-mise energy output and load factors, to mitigatedestructive loads, and ensure full grid compatibility.

Figure 3.11

Sketch of 3-dimensional flow, stall induced vibrations andcentrifugal effects on flow. The interaction between flow andblade deformation is very complex. 3-dimensional aspects(tip vortices), axial flow, flow detachment (stall) and flowinduced vibrations all have to be taken into account in orderto guarantee stable operation of the blade and accurate cal-culation of lifetime. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) islikely to be used in the future for detailed flow calculations asthe computing time is reduced and the non linear effects arebetter understood and modelled. The picture on the right shows the result of a CFD calculationof the flow around a rotor blade. The future vision is that inte-gral design of a wind turbine can be carried out so reliably thatno extensive field tests are needed before market introduction.

Source: Risø/TUDk

Tip vortex

lead lag vibrations

flapwisevibrations

Outer flow (inviscid)

radi

al fl

ow

Outer flow streamline

Boundary layer streamline

Boundary layer region(viscous)

Source: Van Garrel, ECN

Source: Risø/TUDk

Source: Van Garrel, ECN

Cal

cula

tion

time

Accuracy

BEM

Free Vortex Wake Models

BEM: Blade Element Momentum Model (being used for design)

R&D Target:Potential Flow and Boundary Layer Models

RANS (Reynold

Navier-Stokes Solvers)

now being used for thorough but time-consuming

analysis

CFD includes RANS, Potential Flow and Boundary Layer Models

and Free Vortex Wake Models

Figure 3.12

Existing models (RANS and BEM) both are inadequate forindustrial use and R&D purposes. RANS are accurate but thecalculation times prohibit their use in the industry, and hamper R&D work. BEM is fast, but inaccurate. Modernresearch aims for fast calculation codes with accuraciesapproaching RANS, such as Potential Flow and BoundaryLayer Models.

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R&D related to Minimising Operational CostsThe cost break down of wind electricity has no fuelcomponent; it comprises mainly capital cost andoperation and maintenance (O&M) costs. All of theR&D tasks mentioned above are concerned withminimising capital cost.

But to manage a valuable and high-tech asset likea wind turbine, dedicated O&M methods and trans-port and installation systems need to be devel-oped. The need for tailored systems is particularlygreat in extreme locations such as offshore,extreme cold climates and mountainous terrain. Tomake this possible, the specific geographical andmeteorological characteristics of such sites mustalso be explored and mapped. In particular, there isvery limited access to offshore wind turbines in badweather conditions. Currently no integrated healthmonitoring system for early diagnosis and assess-ment of damage (to machinery, supporting struc-ture and blades) is available. This can be a show-stopper, since it leads to extremely conservativedesign, to long standstill times and severe pro-blems with insurance.

3.2.1 Small and Micro Sized WindTurbines

As the world market is dominated by large wind tur-bines, the importance of small (50 kW < 500 kW)and micro (< 50 kW) wind turbines (figure 3.13) isoften forgotten. Especially in remote areas, smallisolated communities and sites connected to weakgrids, the market perspective for those machines isconsiderable. As yet, the market is showing muchless strength than its potential, for reasons such asa lack of quality control facilities for testing and cer-tification, and lack of clear government policy andfunding from national and EU levels.

A co-ordinated European R&D effort to provide thebasis for technical quality for small and micro tur-bines, simultaneously to the development of largeunits, is greatly needed.

Figure 3.13

Application of a small wind turbine in a hybridised systemconsisting of wind, solar and diesel energy units.

R&D Priorities Related to Wind Turbines

The availability of robust, low-maintenance offshore turbines, possibly incorporating noveldesign concepts such as vertical axismachines. Research into the development ofincreased reliability and availability of offshore turbines.

1. Integrated design tools for very large windturbines operating in extreme climates,such as offshore, cold / hot climates andcomplex terrain.

2. State of the art laboratories for acceleratedtesting of large components under realisticexternal (climatological) conditions.

Development of component level design toolsand multi-parameter control strategies.

Source : EU-Project HYBRIX, ISET/IBERINCO

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35 From an economics point of view it is not only necessary to maximise the energy output of a wind turbine or wind farm, but also the capacity factor. A high capacity fac-tor leads to higher utilisation of the cable connection capacity and thus an overall higher penetration degree of wind power. However an optimal balance has to be struckbetween energy output and capacity factor as they are not independent of each other.

3.3 Wind “Power Plants”

As wind farms grow in rated capacity, in quantityand in geographical dispersion, it is to be expectedthat they will be operated more and more as a ‘con-ventional’ power plant, in other words with moreand more similar output characteristics as existing,conventional power plant.

This has as a prerequisite that the power output ofthe wind farm / plant be controllable and the outputmore predictable, in order to dispatch power asmuch as possible when it is needed and at maximumvalue. Of course, the controllability of wind farms willalways be limited compared to fuel-fired plants aslong as wind power plants are not supplemented withstorage systems, and as long as they are too few innumber and insufficiently widespread, with insuffi-cient interconnection, to be able to ‘absorb’ weathersystems - in other words, when the wind is not blowing in the North Sea, it may well be in the Baltic.

As the penetration of wind energy into Europeangrids increases, further analysis of potential storagesystems will be needed. Research and developmentin this area will not only target the type of storagesystem (for example, hydrogen, pressurised air,hydropower reservoirs, Redox-, Lead-acid andLithium-Ion batteries, etc.), but also its location -where to integrate such systems into the electricitysupply system - and its operation and managementto maximise overall firm power output. High voltagehigh density storage even in theshort term (up to 7 hours) wouldgreatly improve the integration of windinto the electricity supply system.

To enable the operation of largewind farms in a comparable mannerto conventional electricity plant, thefollowing elements need to bedeveloped further:

• Reliable output forecasting sys-tems, for readings up to 24 hoursin advance.

• Control systems for output control35.

Figure 3.14

The effect of a large wind farm on the wind resource of a nearby wind farm. The magnitude of the total available wind resource in a certain area will dependon the numbers of large wind farms to be installed and their relative distances.

• Storage systems, as wind power penetration intogrids rises above, for example, 20%, to balanceelectricity supply and demand.

Economic attractiveness in the development andoperation of large wind farms will be furtherenhanced through the development of the belowknow-how and systems.

• Improved, long-term energy output calculationsare of the utmost importance in the assessmentof risk. The annual energy content of the windmay vary up to plus or minus 30% of the longterm (10 - 20 years) average value. It is this longterm average that financiers need to know incombination with the life time expectancy of thewind power plant.

• Understanding of the air flow in and around windfarms. Researchers expect to be able to increasethe energy performance of a wind farm with greaterunderstanding of the air flows around and throughit. It is also necessary to gain further under-standing of flow to assess the cumulative effectson the available wind resource of many wind farmsinstalled in a given area (See Figure 3.14).

• Publicly available, site-specific data for planningand risk assessment, such as data on terraintypes, ecology, competing activities for land / seausage, climatological conditions including extremeevents (waves [offshore], temperature, seismicactivity, precipitation, wind speed, wind gradient,wind turbulence characteristics, and geology).

Source : Risø

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Figure 3.15

Measurements in an atmospheric wind tunnel to determinethe flow in and aroud a wind farm in order to optimise windfarm control.

The latter data are also essential in the full exploita-tion of the wind energy resource in a given area.Understanding of cumulative effects on, for exam-ple, bird migration routes, shipping safety, thetransport of sand on the sea bottom, and theeffects on wind flow of a large number of windfarms, is crucial in the strategic assessment ofenvironmental impacts. Simple extrapolation of theeffects of one wind turbine or one wind farm inorder to assess the effects of many falls far shortof sufficient, as saturation or unexpected phenom-ena may be observed on the crossing of certainthresholds.

R&D Priorities Related to Wind Farms

Research into and development of storagesystems for use at the wind farm level.

1. Understanding the (wind) flow in andaround large wind farms.

2. Control systems to optimise power outputand load factors at wind farm level.

3. Development of risk assessment methodolo-gies.

3.4 Grid Integration

In principle there is no absolute technical limit towind power penetration. Based on studies it is con-sidered feasible to realise penetrations of powerconsumption in a given area of up to 20 % withoutmaking large adjustments to the structure or operation of the grid, and the additional systemcosts are moderate.

A system with a much higher flexibility of generationmix, which is better interconnected, and with vari-ous demand side control options and storage, willbe capable of accommodating high proportions ofwind power. It is reasonable to expect that windpower integration costs will increase smoothly andgradually with increasing penetration and that theywill not increase significantly beyond a certainthreshold.

It is considered to be much more economically effi-cient to implement other measures to maximiseboth the penetration degree and security of supply.Such measures include:

• Increase the ‘fault ride through’ capability ofthe electrical conversion systems of windfarms (whereby the wind farm is able to sup-port the grid in cases of grid faults) in highwind penetration supply areas.

Generally a wind farm is disconnected from thegrid when a significant voltage dip occurs, for instance as a result of a fault in the system, such as a sudden outage of largepower plant or line faults. In such cases thequality of the grid is further restricted by thesudden loss of generation, which could initiatefurther grid instabilities. Equipping wind farmswith ride through control capability based onmodern power electronic systems could provide extra security.

Wind power plants could feature ‘virtual powerplant’ operation characteristics, which meanthat they fulfil grid code requirements withrespect to active power control, reactive powerand voltage control, and fault ride throughcapability.

Source: Gustave Corten, ECN

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• Active voltage control at wind farm sites.Voltage control is realised by reactive powercontrol of the wind turbines (feasible with vari-able speed turbines with partial or full size fre-quency converters, and by the installation of

static and dynamic voltage controllers in thegrid near wind farm locations.

• Electricity output forecasting systems (as men-tioned in the section above).

Figure 3.16

Wind turbines will be connected to a grid that is fundamentally different from the conventional grid, as a large variety of generators will be integrated. Thus the grid needs to become “intelligent”.

Consumers + generators

wind farm

wind

hydronuclearcoalhydro centralpower

stations

high voltage

grid

intermediatevoltage

grid

lowvoltage

grid

nuclearcoal

Transport

Distribution

Consumers

Future Grid withDecentralized Power Production

ConventionalPower Distribution Structure

PV FC CHPPV FC

Source: ISET

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R&D tasks related to the grid integration of windenergy fall into two categories: 1) Measures to betaken by the wind industry (bullets i – iii); and 2)Measures of a more general nature, to be taken byTSOs (Transmission System Operators) and widerenergy stakeholders with the involvement of the windenergy sector (bullets iv – vii).

i. Development of technology that provideswind plant with some of the capabilities ofother types of plant, such as power control,voltage control, fault ride through capabilityand, if needed, primary control capability.

ii. Advanced forecasting systems, at wind farmoperator, DSO and energy supplier level.

iii. Improved methods of assessing the interac-tion of wind farms and the electricity system.

iv. Development of cost effective technologiesfor grid management and reinforcement,such as static and dynamic voltage controldevices.

v. Increased flexibility in the generation mix(future investment strategy), to enable the util-isation of distributed intermittent generation.

vi. From a market development perspective, theplanning of interconnection capacity as afunction of the wind resource is important.R&D into the quantification of the intercon-nection capacity to be established for powerexchange and balancing of intermittent generation is essential to enable this.

vii. Demand side management and storagetechnologies.

On a European level the role of wind energy andother renewables can be maximised if strong inter-connectors are available which are able to trans-port large amounts of electricity all over Europe.This is also needed to create real and undistortedcompetition in the Internal Electricity Market.

The large scale introduction of wind energy is, how-ever, not the only reason for a ‘Trans-European’grid. The increasing variety of a whole range of elec-tricity producers can only be catered for if such agrid is developed or the current grid structurealtered. Its realisation is a huge political and organ-isational challenge, which needs strong politicaland financial commitment and support from theEuropean institutions, Member States and otherstakeholders.

To enable decentralised units to operate efficiently,including small and stand-alone wind turbines, thegrid must become more ‘intelligent’, which is to saythat the power quality at all voltage levels of the gridshould be maintained, for example, by electronical-ly controlled transformers, and both generators andconsumers similarly remote controlled. To that endthe development of an international centre for con-trol would enable all actors to bring their require-ments: transmission system operators (TSOs), windfarm and other renewable energy and distributedelectricity generation system operators, nationalregulators, etc.

R&D Priorities Connected with Grid Integration

Planning and design processes for developmentof a Trans-European Grid, with sufficient connection points to serve future large scalewind power plants. This task should be under-taken in connection by the wider energy sector.

Control strategies and requirements for windfarms to make them fully grid compatible andable to support and maintain a stable grid.

Development of electric and electronic com-ponents and technologies for grid connection.

3.5 Public Support and the Environment

Besides the positive effects of wind energy on theenvironment, especially in the replacing of fossilfuels and consequent reduction in CO2 and otheremissions, wind energy potentially has negativeenvironmental impacts. These can be divided intoimpact on ecology, and visual and other-senseimpacts.

Into the first category fall:• Potential impacts on avian and bat popula-

tions, for example, collision, diversion, habitatdisturbance, impact on migration routes

• Effects on benthic organisms and fish, andsea mammals for offshore applications.

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The second category includes:• Acoustic sound emissions (see Figure 3.17)• Visual impact (See Figure 3.18)• Shadow effects and ‘flicker’• Safety

Figure 3.17

Measurements of acoustic noise emission of a rotor in an ana-choic wind tunnel (left) and in the field (right). The visalisationof the acoustic noise source gives the designers to change theshape of the blades to reduce aero-acoustic noise emission.

These aspects constitute inputs for environmentalimpact assessments (EIA) carried out in project deve-lopment, but also strategic environmental assessments(SEA) and screening which should be carried out at agovernmental level. All these issues require further, indepth exploration, even if only to prove that some of thesuggested potential impacts are perhaps not havingthe negative impacts sometimes perceived by the gen-eral public, politicians and the misinformed. The com-ing of large-scale offshore wind energy applicationsstimulates a great deal of research and is yielding asimilarly great volume of new knowledge of a genericnature. It would not be fair to expect the industry toshoulder the burden of such a cost alone, when itsbenefits will be felt in other sectors also. A great dealof labour is involved in carrying out such research with-in an EIA, and they are therefore very expensive, thecost falling in the main on project developers.

An international exchange of research data is quintes-sential in having results available to all actors in Europeas soon as they come available. Communicating thefindings of such R&D must be done with great care.Failure to communicate accurately and without delaymay be to the detriment of public support for wind ener-gy, thus becoming a potential showstopper.

R&D Priorities Related to Public Support and theEnvironment

European communication strategy on R&Dresults of effects of large scale wind powerplants on the ecological system, targetted atthe general public and policy makers. Toinclude specific recommendations for the bestwind park design and planning practices.

1. Monitoring effects on ecology adjacent towind energy developments.

2. Development of automatic equipment tomonitor in particular bird collisions, andsea mammals' reaction to underwatersound emissions. Equipment is needed todecrease cost of environmental monitoringduring both planning and operational phase.

International exchange and communication ofresults of R&D into ecological impacts.

Source: NLR, DATA project (EC)

The anachoic measuring sections of the German-Netherlands Windtunnel (DNW). On the right, field meas-urements of the location of acoustic noise sources of awind turbine.

Source: NLR, SIROCCO Project EC

Figure 3.18

Example of a well integrated wind farm in the landscape.The wind farm is located adjacent to large infrastructuralelements.

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

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3.6 Standards and Certification

Continuous effort is required in the translation ofresearch and development findings into updatedstandards and certification procedures. Reliablestandards are essential in the reduction of uncer-tainties or risk, particularly from the point of view ofinsurers and financiers of wind energy projects.

The International Electrotechnical Commission(IEC) standards currently in use in relation to windenergy technology (see Table 3.1) are maintainedunder the aegis of Technical Committee 88, whichis dedicated to wind energy. The working groupscharged with the maintenance require funding toensure that the most suitable experts are availableto examine the status of the standards, taking intoaccount new knowledge. Such funding comes atpresent in the main from the Member States, but islimited.

Although standardisation and certification are basi-cally different processes, they are often related toeach other. Certification is to formally declare thata piece of equipment, a process, or software meetscertain specific requirements.

The requirements against which a wind turbine,wind turbine component, or wind energy project, iscompared may be standards, but they may also betechnical specifications or design criteria.

Generally, the availability of standards makes certi-fication processes much easier, because nearly allrelevant actors were involved in designing stan-dards. The verification method may consist of adesign evaluation, field testing and/or laboratorytesting and checking of manufacturing quality.

For the mutual recognition of certificates, an inter-national agreement must be concluded on certifi-cation and testing methodologies. For this reason,standards are under development for certificationprocesses themselves.

Figure 3.19

Wind Energy R&D has come a long way since the 1970s.

Standards are often considered as the last phaseof a research or development process in which theresults are 'frozen' as state-of-the-art, until marketplayers take the initiative to update them. Regularupdating is essential to avoid their becoming bot-tlenecks on technical innovation, as new technicalconcepts and research results become available.

The objectives of both certification and standardis-ation processes are to set verified and independentminimum requirements for quality, reliability andsafety. In the pioneering phase of a technology thismight secure a successful market introduction. Itcould provide governmental authorities an instru-ment that guarantees that public funds are spentwell in the case subsidies are available for marketintroduction. At a later stage, when the market isdeveloped, certificates and standards are effectiveinstruments in removing trade barriers and thusstrengthening the integration of EU markets byallowing easy movement of equipment and invest-ment within EU member states. They also providequality standards for project developers and securi-ty for financiers and insurance companies.

The first activities to establish standards anddesign certification procedures started in the early1980s on a national scale in countries likeDenmark, the Netherlands and later in Germany. Inthe late 1980s and early 1990s, standardisationactivities were incorporated into internationalframeworks. On a global level the InternationalElectro-technical Committee (IEC), and on aEuropean level CEN and CENELEC (1995) provideworking platforms. All use the preparatory work car-

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ried out within the framework of the IEA WindEnergy programme and EC wind energy researchprogrammes as inputs. One of the very effectivespin-offs of EC research is the MEASNET initiative,which is an important source for new standardisa-tion actions.

A number of wind energy standards have been pub-lished, mostly under the TC88 Committee of IEC.Table 3.1 gives an overview of the publications asof mid 2005.

Table 3.1

State of the art of Wind Energy Standards

Standardisation area Title Standard number

Design Requirements Design Requirements for Wind Turbines IEC 61400-1, ed. 2IEC 61400-1, ed. 3 ballot procedure

Design Requirements for Small Wind Turbines IEC 61400-2, ed. 1IEC 61440-2, ed. 2 ballot procedure

Design Requirements for Offshore Wind Turbines IEC 61440-3, CD beingprepared

Gear Boxes for Turbines from 40 kW to 2 MW and larger ISO/IEC 81400-4, ed. 1ballot procedure

Measurements Acoustic Noise Measurement Techniques IEC 61400-11, ed. 2

Wind Turbine Power Performance Testing IEC 61400-12, ed. 1

Power Performance Measurements of Grid IEC 61400-12-1 FDIS Connected Wind turbines ballot procedure

Mechanical loads IEC TS 61400-13, ed. 1

Declaration of Apparent Sound Power Level IEC TS 61400-14, ed. 1and Tonality Values

Power Quality Characteristics of Grid Connected IEC 61400-21, ed. 1Wind turbines

Full-scale Structural Testing of Rotor Blades IEC TS 61400-23, ed. 1

Other Lightning Protection IEC TR 61400-24, ed. 1

Communication for control and monitoring IEC 61400-25 CDfinalised

IEC System for Conformity Testing and Certification IEC WT 01, ed. 1of Wind turbines

Protective Measures EN 50 308, ed. 1

Electromagnetic Compatibility prEN 50 373

Declaration of Sound Power Level and Tonality Values prEN 50 376

International Electrotechnical Vocabulary, Part 415 IEC 60050-415

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This may appear comprehensive but many holesremain. “Black spots” need urgently to be covered,at least on an EU wide basis, and include stan-dardisation in such areas as:

• Energy yield calculation• Grid connection protocols and procedures• Risk assessment method• Requirements for component design certifica-

tion, e.g. gearboxes• Standardisation of O&M mechanisms

Other urgent issues have already been incorporatedin new standardisation initiatives:

• Standardisation of certification and test proce-dures

• Design criteria for offshore wind turbines• Project certification.

R&D Priorities related to Standards andCertification

Development of the following internationalstandards:• Energy yield calculation• Grid connection protocols and procedures• Risk assessment methodology• Design Criteria for components and

materials• Standardisation of O&M mechanisms

Accelerated finalisation of ongoing standarddevelopment activities. (certification process-es and test procedures, design criteria for off-shore wind turbines, project certification)

3.7 Research Infrastructures

This section outlines some existing and desirableresearch infrastructures that should receive con-sideration for funding under FP7.

Only some of the major manufacturers of wind tur-bines and components have their own facilities totest their products. Testing in the industry usuallyserves the following purposes:1. Verification of product performance specification2. Industrial development3. Quality control

R&D institutions use experimental testing for verifi-cation of design tools, analysis of relevant physicalphenomena and to provide independent and nor-malised performance data of complete systems,components and materials.

For a sound development of the whole sector theexperimental capabilities both in the industry and inR&D institutions must be state of the art, tuned tothe short and medium term needs of the sector.This is of particular interest as the financial risks,as a result of the technical risks associated withthe following development trends, continue toincrease:

• Increasing size of the wind turbines (D>100m)• Increasing capacity of wind farms (P>100MW)• Wind turbine systems operating in extreme

external conditions (offshore, cold/hot cli-mates)

• Increasing occupation of existing grid connec-tion capacity

• Increasing requirements of grid operators

Also the spectacular growth of the market and sizeof individual projects implies increasing financialrisks. Introducing a new and failing type of wind tur-bine on the market might lead to unbearable cost,threatening the mere existence of companies.Extensive testing of components, sub systems andcomplete systems could avoid these problems.Physical phenomena, which could be ignored insmaller wind turbines, require improved modellingand associated design tools. To fully understandthese phenomena and to verify models and tools,facilities and basic research are needed.

A number of new facilities are required which are soexpensive to realise and operate that it is worth-while to investigate the possibility of their beingshared among different actors in the wind energysector. It is also very probable that the pooling ofexisting facilities such as test stations and bladetest rigs offers more value to the sector than oper-ating them as single units.

Below an inventory of existing and potential R&Dfacilities is presented, categorised according thesystem level.

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Table 3.2

R&D Infrastructure

Type of Facility Description & Purpose Remarks (present operators)

System testing: Wind turbine and wind farm

Independent verification of loads, environmentalcharacteristics and performance for differenthighest wind classes.

Test stations for large wind turbines

Facilities already available in Denmark, Germany,the Netherlands. However capacity falls short com-pared with demand. Extension of European testingcapacity needed. (Risø-DK, DEWI-D, ECN-NL,WINDTEST-D, ISET-D, CENER-E, ISET, etc.)

Independent verification of loads, environmentalcharacteristics and per formance for typical offshore external conditions.

Test station(s) for offshore windturbines

No offshore test sites exist to date. (Initiatives existin DE, DK, NL)

Improving output by control systems which optimise output and load factor on farm level.Impact on mechanical loading and energy efficiency.

Full size offshore wind farm forperformance evaluation

Experimental verification will be carried out using anexisting (commercial) wind farm, supplemented withexperimental operational settings and measuringsystems. Energy output lost through experimenta-tion to be considered as operational cost of an R&Dfacility.

Independent verification of loads and perfor-mance for licensing small wind turbines.

Test stations for small wind turbines

The quality of available small machines varies considerably. Uncertainty of quality blocks marketdevelopment. In order to improve quality, a certifi-cation system should be introduced based on obligatory system testing. (CIEMAT-E, SEPEN-F)

Performance and system reliability testing ofsystems for remote areas

Test rigs for hybrid and auto-nomous systems

All earlier rigs are abandoned / not in use anymore /outdated. Reconsideration of state-of-the-art faci-lities is needed as the industry develops a marketfor those systems. Lack of confidence throughabsence of reliability is a major barrier for marketdevelopment.

Large, variable speed and torque simulatingequipment driving a full scale drive train offersthe possibility to fully verify the electricity conversion system, suppress vibrations, imple-ment control strategies, etc.A climate chamber is required to carry out accelerated duration tests of the rotor head.

Rotational dynamics of drive trainfrom rotor to grid connection

Sub-Systems: Drive trains

Components and Materials

As the industry already has advanced large-scale systems for components of the drive train, such asgearbox and generator systems, the need for an R&Dfacility should be investigated. However no systems areavailable for accelerated duration testing of the complete rotor head (excl. blades) under various external conditions.

Facilities with testing capacities which exceedthat of presently available laboratories.

Fatigue testing rigs for very largeblades and other GRP components

Creating fewer large facilities, serving a larger marketoffers substantial cost and expertise advantages.(Risø/Sparkær-DK, WMC-NL (= ECN+TUDelft), CRES-GR, NAREC-GB, BTC-DK)

For very large turbines new materials with high-er strength to mass ratios are needed. For thiskind of wind turbine dedicated labs are needed.

Materials development & testing Crucial question: are existing fatigue and environmentaltesting facilities in the universities and institutes adequate and fully available? (Danish institutes andindustries)

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Figure 3.20

Perspectives and tasks of the four wind energy sectorgroups

3.8 Perceptions of R&D Prioritieswithin the Network

At the final Wind Energy Network R&D StrategyWorkshop, which took place at Ispra in February ofthis year, each of the four R&D Network workinggroups presented their key R&D priorities. In Figure3.20 these priorities are expressed graphically,showing their specific perspectives, according totheir role in the market.

Different perspectives of the WE groups

End users•Cheap, reliable &

efficient technology(whole value chain)

Manufacturers• Materials• Manufacturing technology• Concepts• Design tTools

Financiers & Insurers• Risk assessment• Standardisation &

Certification• Project implementation• Legal issues• Participation models

R&D Centres• Provide the knowledge base for all Wind Energy

sectors

Analysis of Physical Phenomena: Aerodynamics, Waveloads & Atmospheric Research

To investigate 3-dimensional and non-linear flowaround rotor blades, to be applied to design relatively compliant large turbine rotors

Large wind tunnel, dedicated towind energy applications

Present practice is that only a limited number of experiments can be carried out as the availability oflarge tunnels in the USA, China and Europe allow.

Two rotors, one for reference and one for experiments, located at the same site permitthe measurement of relatively small differencesin performance.

Field facility for differential measurements

There are no other ways of determining small differences in performance, thus no other means toprove improvements, which will lead to more energyoutput during longer periods. (ECN-NL has design)

A well defined site is needed to carry out comparative measurements of atmosphericparameters; wind speed and turbulence levelsbeing the most important. By defining one site,a number of (external) parameters can be keptconstant. Equipment to change turbulencemight be feasible.

Test site for comparative testingof atmospheric parameters

The energy production and lifetime of a wind turbinesystem is very sensitive to these parameters. Despiteits importance, current measuring techniques areinsufficient. New remote sensing techniques offer thepossibility to match classical anemometry without thenon linear behaviour. These techniques are muchcheaper for high altitude measurements.

Influence of waveloads on supporting struc-tures of offshore wind turbines (inclusive ofgeotechnical questions).

Wave-channel There is Europe´s largest facility of this kind available(ForWind group at University of Hannover, Germany).This needs to be adjusted to wind energy research.

Testing new electrical conversion system on itsability to meet grid requirements under variousexternal conditions, such as wind speed fluctu-ations and grid events.

Laboratory with simulated grid With an increasing degree of penetration, the require-ments of grid operators on electrical conversion systems increase also (For small scale applications:ISET-D, TUDelft-NL, CREST-DK)

Power Quality and Grid Integration

Source: Jos Beurskens, ECN

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These were discussed during the workshops with aview to i) identifying missing elements; and ii) iden-tifying overlaps between their agenda, highlightingareas of common concern. It is remarkable thatdespite the different perspectives of the fourgroups, approximately 80% of the R&D tasks iden-tified in the earlier draft of the SRA36 were identifiedas priorities by all four groups.

Participants of the Ispra workshop were requestedto assign a relative importance to R&D tasks in fourareas that correspond to the core of this StrategicResearch Agenda:

• Wind Turbines • Wind Farms• Grid Integration• Cross-Cutting Tasks, including resource

assessment, standards, and certification

Across all working groups, it is apparent from thedata received37 that, overall, the wind turbine itselfis seen as being the priority in terms of R&D (seeFigure 3.21). Grid Integration is considered the nextimportant area, and participants again stressedthat research in this area is not solely the burdenof the wind energy sector, but should be undertak-en with the involvement of TSOs and other stake-holders.

Figure 3.21

Overall Perception of Importance of R&D Areas

Figure 3.22, parts a-d, demonstrate the perspectiveof the four working groups on priorities within theR&D areas. The number of R&D tasks in the ‘windturbine’ category makes for confusing data, but cer-tain salient points emerge. Offshore is seen as animportant priority by all four groups, particularly fin-anciers and insurers, and end users, who are keento develop where the resource is highest – offshore– with the potential to generate the most electricityper unit.

Figure 3.22a

Relative Importance of Tasks in the “Wind Turbines”Research Area

‘Operational Issues’ and ‘Measurement andControl’ are similarly viewed as a high priorityacross the board. High priority also is accorded tostandards and certification, output verification andrisk analysis (see Figure 3.22d). It is essential thatwind energy builds its reputation as a reliablesource of energy, of benefit to the European grid.On a project level, the existence of reliable, up-to-date standards greatly increases the effectivenessof risk analysis, explaining the high priority accordedto it by financiers and end users. Design tools arealso a priority across the four groups.

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Figure 3.22b

Relative Importance of Tasks in the “Wind Farm” ResearchArea

In the Wind Farm Research Area, operationalissues are seen as the priority across the board.Operational issues include such research tasks asdevelopment of accurate short and long range fore-casting, estimation of operation and maintenancerequirements prior to installation, and access tech-nology, particularly with regards to offshore instal-lations.

Figure 3.22c

Relative Importance of Tasks in the “Grid Integration”Research Area

Figure 3.22d

Relative Importance of Tasks in the “Cross-Cutting Tasks”Research Area

Financiers &Insurers

ResearchInstitutions

End Users Turbine &Components

Manufacturers

■ Other■ Environment■ Electrical Infrastructure

■ Operational■ Flow for Performance Control

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■ Small Wind Turbines■ GIS data base■ Ressource Assessment

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4.1 European Technology Platformfor Wind Energy

The Commission’s April communication ‘Scienceand Technology, the Key to Europe’s Future’ hasemphasised the key role to be played by EuropeanTechnology Platforms in the implementation of theEuropean Research Area. European Commissioner forResearch, Janez Potocnik recently referred to anapparent “European Paradox”, wherein high quality EUresearch is not being translated into innovative output.

In a recent working document38, the Commissionstates:

“to ensure a solid industrial fabric throughout theEuropean territory, a stronger link between researchand industry is particularly important. Industry has,clearly, a key role to play in this endeavour.”

With this in mind, and in response to the expression ofthe needs of the wind energy sector, the European windindustry, together with national ministries and otherstakeholders in the development of wind energy hasproposed to the European Commission that aEuropean Technology Platform for Wind Energy beestablished.

Historically, the majority of overall wind energy costreductions can be traced to two essential drivers:• Increasing economies of scale – for around 60% of

reductions• Research and development – for around 40%

Thus, as the conceptual diagram (Figure 4.1) belowdemonstrates, the proposed wind platform will bebased on two central pillars, corresponding to thesedrivers. The platform aims to be: • A clear, single voice for European market develop-

ment and collaborative research needs, able toestablish clear priorities to best preserve andenhance European leadership in the wind energy sec-tor. At present there are many actors working in thesector with limited interaction and consensus onR&D priorities. Actions like the Wind Energy Network,and organisations such as the European Academy of

Wind Energy can only achieve a degree of coordina-tion. The technology platform on the other handwould seek to bring together all stakeholders, for aminimisation of duplication of effort.

• Able to steer long term R&D while harvesting the ‘lowhanging fruit’ – short term activities to increase mar-ket volumes and generate cost reductions througheconomies of scale.

• A transparent forum, open to all stakeholders, flexi-ble enough to respond to evolving needs.

• A facilitator to turn new knowledge into innovativeoutput as quickly as possible.

• A driver for maximising, steady, transparent fundingfor wind energy research, development and demon-stration from EU and national levels.

• A facilitator for interactive policy making amongEuropean, Member State and local (provincial) levels.

• The single point of contact for all R&D issues related tothe wind energy sector, and cross cutting R&D issuesinvolving interaction with the wider energy sector, includ-ing, among others, other electricity generation tech-nologies, TSOs, and their technology platforms.

In July 2004 by the Chairman of the InformalCompetitiveness Council, Dutch Economy MinisterLaurens Brinkhorst took the opportunity to call for theestablishment of a European Technology Platform forWind Energy to focus wind energy development. Heexpressed the need for:

“a limited number of platforms for precisely thoseareas in which Europe is successful, such as na-notechnology and wind power."

Participants of the Dutch EU Presidency’s PolicyWorkshop on the Development of Offshore WindEnergy, in Egmond, Holland agreed that:

“[Offshore] wind energy will contribute significantlyto the Lisbon Strategy and EU objectives on techno-logical development, exports, employment andregional development.”

“Participants emphasise the need for setting up aWind Energy technology platform within the frame-work of FP7, as proposed by the InformalCompetitiveness Council (Maastricht, July 2004).”

4. Implementation of the SRA

38 SEC(2005) 800, Commission Staff Working Document: Report on European Technology Platforms and Joint Technology Initiatives: Fostering Public-Private R&DPartnerships to Boost Europe’s Industrial Competitiveness

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Figure 4.1

A conceptual diagram of the proposed wind energy platform

4.2 Financing the Strategic ResearchAgenda

The IEA notes that between 1974 and 2001 only8.2% of total energy R&D funding in OECD countrieswas allocated to RES. In its recent repor t,Technology Perspectives for Energy Policy, theGoverning Board and Management Committee ofthe IEA affirmed that more research funding isneeded for renewable energy sources.

“The newest renewables technologies, such asthose for wind and solar energy, as well as […]bioenergy technology, hold the promise of thegreatest cost reductions […]. If ambitious butpractical goals are to be met for expandingrenewable energy’s share in the fuel mix, thenthe issue of increased R&D funding must beaddressed.”

Coming soon after warnings (at the time of writing)that the European Council may block theCommission’s and Parliament’s call for increasedsupport for wind energy R&D under the coming FP7programme, the report continues:

“Policies must support R&D and stimulate mar-ket demand […] policy makers can reduce theadded investments needed to bring renewablesinto the competitive mainstream by establishinga policy environment recognising the mutuallyreinforcing impact of policies to support R&Dand policies to stimulate market demand.”

Long-term commitment from national as well as EUR&D programmes, combined with close cooperationbetween industry and research institutions, has beena principal contributor to Europe’s global leadership inwind turbine and component manufacturing and windenergy capacity building in general.

Failure to support short to long term funding for windenergy R&D will threaten EU leadership in wind ener-gy at the same time as new markets begin to open uparound the world, markets from which EU industryand the EU as whole could benefit, and which areattracting interest from the EU’s competitors.

Since the early 1980s, when public renewable energyresearch funding was at an all-time high, direct spen-

DG TRENDG RTD

DG EnterpriseDG Environment

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Interfacewith other

technologies

EU Parl.Input

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ding by the Member States of the EU-15 has droppedby 40-50% in real terms. It now accounts for about15% of total energy research. On the other hand, fos-sil and nuclear energy research accounts for approxi-mately 60% of the total spend. The Bonn Conference39

political recommendations point out that:“governments have an opportunity to strengthenrenewable energies by reversing the ratio offunds allocated for renewables versus those pro-vided for conventional energy R&D.”

4.2.1 EU Funding under Previous Framework Programmes

Funding for Overall Energy ResearchThe European Commission’s Advisory group onEnergy (see Chapter 2.2.1) has recently released areport which shows the full extent of the reductionin European Union funding for energy R&D throughits Framework Programmes.

The figures below (4.2a - f) demonstrate that energyresearch funding as a percentage of all EU R&Dfunding has reduced to around 18% (in FP6) of thelevel it was at twenty years previously when theFirst Framework Programme began.40 The StrategicWorking Group of the Advisory Group on Energypoints out:

"in face value terms, expenditure is now lessthan it was 25 years ago, in real-value terms it isvery much less and, as a percentage of the totalCommunity R&D it is roughly six times smaller.41”

The oil crises in the years preceding FP1 causedenergy research to be viewed with a level ofurgency not seen before. The rocketing oil pricesof today, and the concomitant importance ofsourcing indigenous energy supply such as windpower and other renewable energies, should pro-vide sufficient impetus to policy makers to onceagain bring energy research and development tothe top of the agenda.

39 International Conference for Renewable Energies, Bonn, 2004 http://www.renewables2004.de/ 40 Source: SWOG, 2005: Key Tasks for Future European Energy R&D: A first Set of Recommendations for Research and Development41 Key Tasks for Future European Energy R&D: A first set of recommendations for research and development by the advisory Group on Energy: Directorate-General for

Research Sustainable Energy Systems: EUR 21352, 2005

Figure 4.2a

Energy Spending in FP1 (1983 – 1986)

Figure 4.2b

Energy Spending in FP2 (1987 – 1990)

Figure 4.2c

Energy Spending in FP3 (1991 – 1994)

Figure 4.2d

Energy Spending in FP4 (1995 – 1998)

Figure 4.2e

Energy Spending in FP5 (1999 – 2002)

Figure 4.2f

Energy Spending in FP6 (2003 – 2006)

Other R&D€m 5,094

77%

Energy R&D€m 1,508

23%

Other R&D€m 10,296

78%

Energy R&D€m 2,904

22%

Other R&D€m 1,292

34%

Energy R&D€m 2,508

66%

Other R&D€m 2,700

50%

Energy R&D€m 2,700

50%

Other R&D€m 12,200

82%

Energy R&D€m 2,700

18%

Other R&D€m 15,460

88%

Energy R&D€m 2,040

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The Advisory Group on Energy’s Strategic WorkingGroup (SWOG) continues to call for an increase of afactor four in the amount of funding dedicated toenergy R&D. It expresses well the energy challenges that the EU now faces:

“[SWOG] deplores the relentless erosion of energyR&D expenditure over the last 25 years. This hasled to a level of funding which is neither commen-surate with the importance and severity of the energy challenge nor with the conclusion that awide range of technologies must be pursued to besure that the challenge can be met.”

“SWOG believes that, for the enlarged EuropeanUnion (EU-25) the present level of EC energy R&Dexpenditure should be increased by at least a factor of four.”

Funding for Renewable Energy ResearchUnder FP6, €810 million was dedicated to R&D underthe “Sustainable Energy Systems” Chapter.42 Evenbefore an assessment is made of where the money isapplied specifically, which depends on the tenderingprocess, this already represents a reduction of some20% over its predecessor programme, FP5.

The name of the chapter or budget-line“Sustainable Energy Systems” engenders a lack oftransparency in the funding process. The chapterincludes so-called "clean coal" technologies, revolvingmainly about the sequestration of CO2. It alsoincludes hydrogen, which is not an energy source initself as it does not occur naturally and has to beproduced. Thus it is only as clean as the technologyused to produce it, which at present is predomi-nantly conventional. Nonetheless these technolo-gies are included in the same budget line as clean,renewable, everlasting energy technologies. Moreseriously still, a large amount of funding thatshould be dedicated to renewable energy technolo-gies is diverted to effectively conventional fuels.

The status of renewable energy R&D funding iscause for concern. EU funding for RES has droppedfrom €400 – 450 million in FP4 and FP5 to approxi-mately €380 – 410 million in FP6. Table 4.1 showsthe funding actually accorded (following tendering)to renewable energy and energy efficiency R&Dunder The Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) and inthe first half of FP643. Beneath these figures areshown those for conventional energy technologies,not including nuclear.

Table 4.1

Funding for renewable energy under FP5 and FP6 (first half only)

Technology FP5 - Non nuclear FP6 (first half) energy (€m) Sustainable

Energy Systems (€m)

PV 105 45

Biomass 140 30

Wind Energy44 70 10

Other (geothermal, solar thermal, etc.) 65 40

Hybrid, Energy Efficiency, Integration 170 90

Total Renewables and Energy Efficiency 550 215

Fuel Cells, Hydrogen, Energy Storage 140 90

Fossil Fuels 200

CO2 Sequestration 25 40

Socio-economic research 20 10

Source: Response to Written Question from MEP Mechtild Rothe, April 2005

42 €405 million to long-term R&D, administered by DG Research, and €405 million to short to medium-term research, administered by DG TREN.43 As FP6 will continue to run until the end of 2006, a final full figure is not available.44 The table does not include what will be received by the Upwind Project mentioned above.

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The EU is crucial, along with the Member States, in thedevelopment of wind energy technology. Yet supportfor wind energy R&D under the EU’s Sixth FrameworkProgramme (FP6) has been severely restricted.

The €10 million on wind energy R&D in the first halfof FP6 have been dedicated to short term anddemonstration projects, administered by theDirectorate General responsible for energy, DG TREN(rather than DG Research). While essential, suchactivities must have as their principal objective thedemonstration of long term research findings. For thesame period of FP6, the funding long term researchin wind energy was zero. In the same period the fundingreceived by “clean” coal (CO2 sequestration) wasfour times the total funding for wind energy.

Only in the third call for proposals (not included inthe above table), when specific text was included fora wind energy Integrated Project (IP), and followingan industry-wide effort, was the long-term R&DUpWind Project accepted. Thus, the total funding todate for wind energy under FP6, including this substan-tial project, is therefore only some €24 million.

The reduction in funding for wind R&D appears to bethe result of the mistaken impression that wind energyis sufficiently mature, that it no longer requires signifi-cant support for R&D. While wind energy has indeedmade great progress during the period of the frame-work programmes, further work remains in both theshort and the long term if wind energy is to achieve itspotential to become Europe’s cheapest energy source.If the EU does not consecrate significant and sufficientfunding to wind energy research, it risks losing its leadin one of the great technologies of the future.

4.2.2 The Seventh Framework ProgrammeIn his answer to a recent written question45,European Commissioner for Research, JanezPotocnik stated his concern about the reduction infunding for R&D, and the need to reverse the trend:

“The Commission is concerned by the decreas-ing trend of the RTD spending in the field ofrenewable energy sources these last twentyyears both at the national and European levels.If this trend is not reversed by a substantialincrease of funding in the future, it could hamperthe progress of renewable energies in the EUenergy mix.”

On April 6th of this year, the European Commissionmade its official proposal for FP746. Unlike its prede-cessors, which lasted four years, FP7 will last sevenyears, from 2007 to 2013. In its proposal, theCommission calls for an increase of 90% in the budgetof non-nuclear energy research. This would raise theannual budget to approximately €420 million perannum, totaling €2.9 billion over the lifetime of the pro-gramme.

The European wind industry welcomes theCommission’s proposal for a substantial increasein non-nuclear energy research. However, it hasbeen proposed to increase nuclear energy researchsignificantly more, particularly in the realm of fusiontechnology, for the ITER experimental reactor.Nuclear energy actions have been proposed toreceive an increase of 130% in funding.

Final figures for renewables funding are not availablefor FP6 as the programme is still ongoing (unlikenuclear, it is impossible to know how much fundingRES has received until the end of the programme).

But under FP5, nuclear energy research receivedapproximately 80% more EU funding than all renewableenergies and energy efficiency combined; and fourteen times that received by wind power.

45 Number E-2459/04, by Péter Olajos (PPE-DE) to the Commission46 COM(2005) 119 Final: Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council Concerning the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community

for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013)

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"The European Council has repeatedly empha-sised since its meeting in Lisbon in 2000 thecrucial role of research and technological deve-lopment policy in the context of the LisbonStrategy […] Nevertheless, the proposal of theLuxembourg Presidency would imply a substantialreduction (of the order of 30% or more) in thebudgetary resources for [FP7] compared to thoseproposed by the European Commission in April.”

“An FP7 budget at the level proposed by theCommission is an essential prerequisite for theattainment of the 3% target for European R&Dinvestment set by the Heads of State and government themselves in Barcelona.”

Joint Technology InitiativesFunding under FP7 would be delivered eitherthrough existing mechanisms such as IntegratedProjects (IP) and Concerted Actions (CA), or, in alimited number of cases where the Commissiondeems the need and potential added value to theEU are greatest, through the (as yet untried) JointTechnology Initiative mechanism (JTI).

The Spring 2005 European Council referred to thepotential role of the JTI, based on the develop-ment of technology platforms. At present theEuropean Commission is identifying platformswhere the mechanism may be implemented. Thehydrogen and fuel cells platform, established as aprototype under FP6, is set to operate under theJTI mechanism.

In its recent working document on the subject49, theCommission has shed new light on the previouslylittle known JTI. Each will involve the establishmentof a dedicated legal structure designed to imple-ment a clearly defined objective. A JTI can be usedto implement a specific part or the entirety of aEuropean Technology Platform and will combinefunding from FP7 with other sources of public fun-ding including the Structural Funds.

According to the Working Document, the key criteriafor establishing whether or not a Joint TechnologyInitiative is applicable or not to a given sector areas follows:

47 Source: http://www.cordis.lu/en/sitemap.htm#eu-research; Anthony Frogatt 2005; COM(2005) 119 Final48 FP7 will last from 2007 – 2013, but the figures in the Commission’s Proposal (COM(2005) 119 final) are based on the shorter duration of the programme previously foreseen49 SEC(2005) 800, Commission Staff Working Document: Report on European Technology Platforms and Joint Technology Initiatives: Fostering Public-Private R&D

Partnerships to Boost Europe’s Industrial Competitiveness

Table 4.2

Average Annual Euratom Spending on Nuclear Research1995 – 2006 (€million)47

Framework 4 5 6 7Programme N° 1995- 1999- 2003- 2007-

1998 2002 2006- 201148

Fusion 895 788 824 2159JRC

44149 319 539

Fission 142 209 394Total 1,336 978 1,352 3,092

Transparency and FundingTransparency issues may make it impossible to knowin advance how much funding will be awarded torenewable energy technologies, as opposed to othertechnologies included along side them, as is thecase under the FP6 Sustainable Energy Systemsbudget line (see above). Such a lack of transparencywould make it difficult for the (proposed) EuropeanTechnology Platform for Wind Energy to scheduleR&D tasks according to the funding on offer.

The European wind energy sector has in this reportidentified a large body of work to be undertaken inprivate public partnership. If the sector can know inadvance the level of funding to be provided by theEU, it can establish the best methods, in advance, ofraising its own contribution. MEP Claude Turmes, inhis draft report to the European Parliament’s EnergyCommittee (ITRE), on the Share of Renewables in theEU and Proposals for Concrete Actions stated:

(§27) “in the upcoming FP7 programme a mini-mum of €300 million a year should be dedicatedto renewable energies […] to compensate the his-torical bias in EU energy research programmes”

While the European Parliament strongly supportsthis increase, the proposal for FP7 as a whole hascaused disagreement in the European Council,which has joint decision making powers with theParliament over the future of the programme.

Following the expression of the European Councilunder the Luxembourg presidency that the pro-posed 90% increase in funding might be drasticallyreduced, Giles Chichester, Chairman of theEuropean Parliament’s Industry, Energy andResearch Committee (ITRE) stated:

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• Strategic importance of the topic and presenceof a clear deliverable

• Demonstration of market failure• Concrete evidence of potential added value to

the EU • Evidence of substantial, long-term industry

commitment• Clear inadequacy of existing instruments

In the light of these criteria, the renewable energysector as a whole could be a suitable candidate forthe application of an “umbrella” Joint technologyInitiative, ensuring that sufficient funding is chan-neled to where it is most needed.

4.2.3 Private Sector Commitment Research and development take many forms, but anessential distinction exists between private and pub-lic work. Public R&D tends to take the form of basic /fundamental long-term and pre-competitive work thathas a shared outcome and is of benefit to all parties.The Integrated Project Upwind falls into this category,for example. Private R&D, on the other hand, tendsto address shorter term work, through the develop-ment of prototypes for example, which can give thecompetitive edge to one company over another.

It is difficult to quantify the costs of the collaborativeR&D tasks described in this Strategic ResearchAgenda. Ideally, a figure might be extrapolated fromR&D needs, to be requested from the public purse.This has not proved possible to date. While the scopeof some research priorities has been identified, it cannot be thought of as definitive, as newly emergingtechnologies and as yet unforeseen technological bar-riers will always provide new opportunities and presentnew challenges.

Thus, this edition of the Strategic Research Agendashould be seen only as the ‘present view’ on whatneeds to be done.

EU Seeks Greater Contribution from the PrivateSectorWhether or not EU and national funds are chan-neled through a JTI, or through the existing mecha-

nisms, the ratio of private to public funding for collaborative R&D is of the essence.

In a recent statement50 Commissioner for Energy,Andris Piebalgs, called for a greater contribution toR&D from the private sector:

"As long as we keep thinking that the 3% allo-cated to research comes through taxpayersmoney, we will fail. We should have considerablecontributions from industry."

According to the European Commission fundedREDS project51, in 2001 approximately half of allrenewables related R&D at national and EU levelswas carried out by the private sector. This is in linewith the general pattern of FP6, wherein the ratio ofprivate to public funding has been 1:1.52

Private industry intends to continue to provide con-sistent financial support to research and develop-ment activities. However, taking a wider view thanmerely the renewable energy sector or even theenergy sector as a whole, it was envisaged at theBarcelona Summit that the ratio of private to publicfunding for R&D in all sectors should increase to2:1, in order to meet the objectives of the LisbonStrategy, and to bring EU practice closer in line withthat of competitors such as Japan and the USA.

While this pattern may be applied across theresearch sector as a whole, it could prove disastrousfor small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)such as the majority of wind energy companies.

German MEP Rolf Linkohr estimated, in 2004, thatin order to reach the 3% Barcelona objectives by2010, private research would have to increase by9% annually. SMEs by their nature have limitedresources to tie up in long term research activities,as a fast return on their investments is essential tomaintain revenue. This accounts in part for the factthat private enterprise in the wind industry tends tofocus on short term research – to pluck the ‘low-hanging fruit’.

In its preparations for FP7 the EuropeanCommission has stated its intention that SME par-

50 Euractiv, June 200551 Research & Development Spending - A survey of R&D spending for renewable energies in EU countries. Fraunhofer Institute, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Brocconi

University, 2005. See http://www.eu.fraunhofer.de/reds/ for full information 52 Ibid

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ticipation in the programme should be encouraged.However, pressure to increase the industry contribution up to two thirds is unlikely to boostwind industry SMEs’ participation. If such compa-nies are to be encouraged to take part in the funding of longer term R&D, the chosen ratio ofpublic to private funding must take their resourcesand the relative size of the sectors into account ina flexible manner.

Industry R&D Intensity Is Already Greater thanCalled for at BarcelonaThis flexibility is doubly important when one considersthe present R&D intensity – the amount spent on R&Dover revenue - of the wind industry.

The 2:1 private to public ratio proposed for FP7 isintended to invigorate those sectors where limitednew knowledge is being developed. To catch up withinternational competition, the EU private sector isbeing encouraged to increase its R&D spending toaround 2% of its revenue, while the other 1% is to beprovided from public funds.

EWEA data reveals that the R&D intensity53 of privateindustry in the wind energy sector is already well inexcess of 2%, at approximately 3.2% - and in somecases considerably higher.

Thus, on a case by case basis, to provide €1 forevery €2 provided by the industry (instead of a 50:50split) would not encourage progress towards theLisbon Objective, but rather starve of vital support toone of the very industries that can help achieve it.

The question remains: from where exactly should pub-lic funds be sourced? According to the REDS project,a quarter of public spending on R&D has come fromthe EU budget, but several sources are feasible. Theproposed European Technology Platform for WindEnergy would assess the alternatives, including col-laboration among Member States, the EuropeanInvestment Bank and the Structural Funds.

The Private Sector Must Submit High QualityProjectsWhen questioned recently as to why the FP7proposed budget for energy has only increased to €2.9

billion while, for example, the budget for Informationand Communication technologies has shot up to 12.6billion, Commissioner Piebalgs, said:

“You can allocate a lot of money to one particularpolicy area but you must also take consumptioncapacity into account. [According to] my services Ibelieve that, considering consumption capacity, a60% increase is sufficient to accommodate all theprojects that will come up.”

Consumption capacity refers to whether or not a sufficient number of projects have been submitted tojustify the budget. The fact that little funding has todate been obtained for wind energy research underFP6 may then be in part due to insufficient receipt ofhigh quality proposals, which is to say that you canlead a horse to water, but you can not make it drink.

The research sector must make it a priority to maintainthe generation of high quality project proposals, coveringsuch tasks as laid out in this Strategic ResearchAgenda. Failure to do so will risk undermining chancesof increased research support for wind energy,

4.2.4 Member State FinancingThe Political Declaration of the Renewables 2004Conference in Bonn last year states:

“Ministers and Government Representativesemphasise the need for additional targetedresearch and development […] Emphasis shouldbe on affordability and cost reduction […] recog-nising that different renewable technologiesoffer different opportunities and face differentconstraints.“

It is particularly important that Member Statesdemonstrate real commitment to wind energy R&D. Incontrast to US federal spending for example, the EU’stotal R&D spend (in all sectors) is only a fraction ofwhat Member States spend, as noted recently byR&D Commissioner Janez Potocnik :

“In the United States, 95% of public research is inone way or another under federal control, whereasin the European Union the present CommunityFramework Programme represents scarcely 5% oftotal public expenditure […]”

53 R&D intensity in this case is defined as EU turbine manufacturers total R&D spending, over their gross revenue.

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It is difficult, however, to assess member state fund-ing for renewables or wind energy R&D spending in realterms. The data discussed below have been sourcedfrom the International Energy Agency’s Energy R&DStatistics Database54 and the European Commissionfunded REDS Project.55 While invaluable, they can onlyprovide a general picture of trends in spending, asincomplete data for one reason or another, differ-ences in definitions, and the fact that the data maynot take into account the entire and diverse range offunding sources, mean that the below should not betaken to reflect the complete picture. The WindEnergy R&D Network has also revealed up to date butmore qualitative data on R&D funding in the EU-15.

Research, development and demonstration budgetsrelated to energy as a whole increased after the oilshocks of the 1970s, yet IEA figures show that from1974 to 2001, energy technology research account-ed for only 8.2% of total OECD member state govern-ment funding for R&D.

Figure 4.3 demonstrates the steady downward trendin energy R&D spending since 1985. In 2003, publicR&D spending by EU-15 governments amounted to alittle under $1 billion. By comparison, in the UnitedStates, the figure stood at $2.7 billion.

Figure 4.3

EU-15 State Spend - All Energy R&D

(See Figure 4.4). In other words, RES R&D fundingover the last decade or so is around two thirds whatit was in the early 1980s.

Figure 4.4

EU-15 State R&D Spend - All RES

54 http://www.iea.org/Textbase/stats/rd.asp 55 European Research Spending for Renewable Energy Sources http://www.eu.fraunhofer.de/reds/

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Funding for wind energy R&D in EU Member Stateshas followed a similar overall pattern to RES funding,peaking in the 1980’s and reducing, albeit erratically, up to 2003 (see Figure 4.5). Varyingfrom year to year by as much as 30%, the data pro-vide a strong argument for steady, reliable R&Dfunding from the European Level – to ‘iron out’ someof the variability in national funding, and to providea sure resource for long term strategic planning ofR&D tasks. The 2003 level of financing was appro-ximately one third of its peak in the mid 1980s.

Figure 4.5

EU-15 State Wind Energy R&D Spend

By 1987, RES R&D budgets had declined to around60% of their peak levels, after which the overalltrend was relatively stable into the new millennium

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National emphasis on renewable energy technolo-gies varies according to national resources andgeneral preference. For example, in Germany, a little less than 11% of the total budget forRenewables R&D is spent on wind related activities.Belgium on the other hand, according to the dataavailable, spent a little under 1% on Wind energyR&D in 2001. At the other extreme, in the sameyear, Ireland spent 66% of its RES R&D budget onwind energy.

According to REDS Project data:“one third of the EU-15 Government researchspending and half the personnel working onresearch for renewables are from Germany.”

Figure 4.6 demonstrates the extent of Germany’sspending on wind energy R&D, relative to othermember states, although in the three years of datashown, this has reduced by almost half. Germanyleads the world in wind energy installed capacity.The data here suggest that this may be – at least inpart - due to forward thinking and understanding ofthe value of investment in long term research.

Figure 4.6

Selected EU Government R&D Spend on Wind R&D

Source: REDS database at http://www.eu.fraunhofer.de/reds/

Conventional Energy ResearchLevels of Member State funding to renewable energysources overall, and to wind energy, are only a fraction of the funding accorded to conventionalenergies. Over the period from 1994 – 2002,nuclear energy research financing was approxi-mately three and a half times greater than that dedicated to renewable energy56. Figure 4.7 demonstrates the overwhelming disparity in thelevel of funding accorded to renewable and conventional technologies in IEA countries.

Figure 4.7

Total Energy R&D Shares in IEA Countries from 1974 to2002 (US$)57

The N

etherl

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Over the last three decades, 92% of all IEA countryR&D funding, some $268 billion, has gone to thenon–renewable energy sector, chiefly fossil andnuclear technologies, while a mere 8% has beenspent on all renewable energy technologies com-bined ($23 billion). Wind Energy has received just1% of all funding, some 2.9 billion over twenty nineyears.

Just three countries, Germany, Japan and the USA,accounted for 70.4% of this spending. If the EU isto maintain its membership in wind energy technologies, its Member States must follow theexample of the market leader.

56 IEA R&D Statistics Database57 Source: Renewable Energy, Market and Policy Trends in IEA Countries, OECD / IEA, 2004

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This Strategic Research Agenda has been devel-oped with the active participation of a broad anddeep cross-section of the wind energy sector, andwith the support of the European Commission. Ithighlights the key R&D priorities that must beundertaken if the European electricity system is tobenefit fully from wind energy. The Priorities listedbelow are divided into three categories: showstop-pers, barriers and bottlenecks.

5.1 Priorities for Research andDevelopment

While the below tasks represent the accumulatedknowledge of the R&D tasks to date, they can notbe considered as a definitive list of tasks that, oncecompleted, will ensure the complete satisfaction ofall needs. Research by its very nature, discoversnew challenges, even as it provides new knowledgeto overcome the old.

This agenda for research should be seen therefore asonly the first edition of an ongoing identificationprocess, which would be updated through the pro-posed European Technology Platform for Wind Energy.

5.1.1 ShowstoppersThese are the key priorities, which is to say thatthey are considered to be issues of such impor-tance that failure to address them could haltprogress altogether. Thus they need special andurgent attention.

1. In terms of resource estimation: maximumavailability of wind resource data, in the pub-lic domain where possible, to ensure that fi-nanciers, insurers and project developers candevelop high quality projects efficiently, avoi-ding project failure through inaccurate data.

2. With regards to wind turbines: the availabilityof robust, low-maintenance offshore turbines,as well as research into the development ofincreased reliability and availability of off-shore turbines.

3. For wind farms: the research and develop-ment of wind farm level storage systems.

4. In terms of grid integration: planning anddesign processes for a trans-European grid,with sufficient connection points to servefuture large-scale wind power plants. Thistask should be undertaken by the wider ener-gy sector.

5. With regards to environment and public sup-port: a European communication strategy forthe demonstration of Research results on theeffects of large-scale wind power plants onecological systems, targeted at the generalpublic and policy makers. To include specificrecommendations for wind park design andplanning practices.

5.1.2 BarriersBarriers are defined as being principal physical li-mitations in current technology, which may be over-come through the opening up of new horizonsthrough generic / basic research over the mediumto long term.

1. Wind Resource: Resource mapping of areaswith a high probability of high wind resourcepotential, but as yet unexplored, including theBaltic, North and Black Seas.

2. Wind Turbines: i) Integrated design tools forvery large wind turbines operating in extremeclimates, such as offshore, cold / hot cli-mates and complex terrain; ii) State of the artlaboratories for accelerated testing of largecomponents under realistic external (climato-logical) conditions.

3. Wind Farms: i) Understanding the flow in andaround large wind farms; ii) Control systemsto optimise power output and load factor atwind farm level; iii) Development of riskassessment methodologies.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

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4. Grid Integration: Control strategies and require-ments for wind farms to make them fully gridcompatible and able to support and maintain astable grid.

5. Environment and Public Support: i) Effects onecology adjacent to wind energy developments;ii) Development of automatic equipment to mo-nitor in particular bird collisions, and sea mam-mals' reaction to underwater sound emissions.

6. Standards and Certfication: development of thefollowing international standards: i) Energy yieldcalculation; ii) Grid connection protocols andprocedures; iii) Risk assessment methodology;iv) Design Criteria for components and materi-als; v) Standardisation of O&M mechanisms

5.1.3 BottlenecksNot to be confused with the above, bottlenecks are problems which can be relatively quickly over-come through additional short or medium termR&D, i.e. through the application of targeted fund-ing and / other resources.

1. Wind Resource: Development of cost effec-tive measuring units, including communica-tions and processing, and which are easilytransportable, for the assessment of windresource characteristics, such as LIDAR,SODAR and satellite observation.

2. Wind Turbines: Development of componentlevel design tools and multi-parameter controlstrategies.

3. Grid Integration: Development of electric andelectronic components and technologies forgrid connection.

4. Environment and Public Support:International exchange and communication ofresults of R&D into ecological impacts.

5. Standards and Certification: Acceleratedfinalisation of ongoing standards developmentactivities (certification processes and testprocedures, design criteria for offshore windturbines, project certification).

5.2 Enabling R&DThe European wind industry, together with nationalministries and other stakeholders in the develop-ment of wind energy, has proposed to the EuropeanCommission that a technology platform for windenergy be established. The overall objective of theplatform, in R&D terms, is to increase cooperationand research into European wind energy, thus main-taining and further develop Europe’s position asthe world’s undisputed leader in wind energy.

At present there are many actors working in thesector with limited interaction and consensus onR&D priorities. Actions like the EuropeanCommission funded project Wind Energy ThematicNetwork, and organisations such as EWEA, and theEuropean Academy of Wind Energy can only achievepartial coordination. The technology platform on theother hand would seek to bring together all stake-holders, to minimise duplication of effort. In sum-mary, the platform aims to be:

• A clear, single voice for European marketdevelopment and collaborative researchneeds, able to establish clear priorities to bestpreserve and enhance European leadership inthe wind energy sector.

• Able to steer long term R&D while harvestingthe ‘low hanging fruit’ – short term activities toincrease market volumes and generate costreductions through economies of scale.

• A transparent forum, open to all stakeholders,flexible enough to respond to evolving needs.

• A facilitator to turn new knowledge into inno-vative output as quickly as possible.

• A driver for maximising, steady, transparentfunding for wind energy research, develop-ment and demonstration from EU andnational levels.

• A facilitator for interactive policy makingamong European, Member State and local(provincial) levels.

• The single point of contact for all R&D issuesrelated to the wind energy sector, and crosscutting R&D issues involving interaction withthe wider energy sector, including, among oth-ers, other electricity generation technologies,TSOs, and their technology platforms.

P R I O R I T I S I N G W I N D E N E R G Y R E S E A R C H S T R A T E G I C R E S E A R C H A G E N D A O F T H E W I N D E N E R G Y S E C T O R

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5.2.1 FundingEU level funding for overall energy R&D through theframework programmes is just a sixth of what it was two decades ago. Member State financing,according to IEA figures, is approximately one thirdof its peak in 1986. And yet public R&D funding,even as it has reduced, has been undoubtedlyessential in the development of wind energy.Private enterprise will continue to match publicfunds, and to maximise its output, within the limitsof its capabilities.

The wind energy sector adds its voice to that ofthe European Commission, its Advisory Group onEnergy, and the European Parliament, in callingfor the increase of funding for renewable energy;not only to make up for its neglect in recentyears, and not only to bring it up to a level with

its conventional competitors, but to provide funding commensurate with the benefits it offersEurope.

A strong wind energy sector does not only meanreduced CO2, as well as other environmental bene-fits. Sustainable economic growth, reduced energyimport dependence, high quality jobs, technologydevelopment, global competitiveness, andEuropean industrial and research leadership – windis in the rare position of being able to satisfy allthese requirements.

Commitment through the European technology plat-form for wind energy in the form of active collabo-ration as well as funding, at national and EU levels,from private and public organisations, can ensurethat these benefits be fully realised.

5 . C O N C L U S I O N S A N D R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S

Prepared by EWEA, July 2005

Contact: Hugo [email protected]. +32 (0)2 546 1943/40

Acknowledgements

The European Wind Energy Association would like to thank the fol-

lowing organisations for their involvement as project partners in the

Wind Energy Thematic Network:

Bundesverband Windenergie, Germany, http://www.wind-energie.de, including Jochen Twele and Manfred Dürr.

Elsam, Denmark, http://www.elsam.dk, including Peggy Friis and Jette I. Kjaer (Elsam Engineering).

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, The Netherlands,http://www.ecn.nl, particularly Jos Beurskens for his work on identification ofR&D priorities in Chapter Three of this report.

Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, http://www.ib-sh.de, includ-ing Klaus Rave and Angelo Wille.

Pauwels Trafo Belgium, Belgium, http://www.pauwels.com, including Jan Declercq.

Renewable Energy Systems, United Kingdom, http://www.res-ltd.com, including Julia Rhodes and William Hopkins.

Risø National Laboratory, Denmark, http://www.risoe.dk, including PeterHjuler Jensen.

Vestas Wind Systems, Denmark, http://www.vestas.com, including AidanCronin and John T. Olesen.

EWEA would also like to thank the European Commission's Directorate General for Research for the valuable support and input it has given to this Project No. ENK6-CT-2001-20401.

EWEA would also like to thank the 200 or so members of the R&D Network for their inputs and collaboration over the course of the project.

Photographs: Jos Beurskens, DEWI, ECN, ISET, NLR, REpower, Wolf Winters.

Please note: this report is based on inputs from a variety of authors and information sources. EWEA does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the data included.

This report does not reflect the formal position of the European Commission.

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Prioritising Wind Energy ResearchPrioritising Wind Energy ResearchStrategic Research Agenda of the Wind Energy Sector Strategic Research Agenda of the Wind Energy Sector

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T: +32 2 546 1940 • F: +32 2 546 [email protected] • www.ewea.org

About EWEAEWEA is the voice of the wind industry - actively promotingthe utilisation of wind power in Europe and worldwide.

EWEA members from over 40 countries include 230 companies,

organisations, and research institutions. EWEA members include

manufacturers covering 98% of the world wind power market,

component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and

renewables associations, developers, electricity providers, finance

and insurance companies and consultants. This combined strength

makes EWEA the world’s largest renewable energy association.

The EWEA Secretariat is located in Brussels at the Renewable

Energy House. The Secretariat co-ordinates international policy,

communications, research, and analysis. It co-ordinates various

European projects, hosts events and supports the needs of its

members.

EWEA is a founding member of the European Renewable Energy

Council (EREC), which groups the 6 key renewables industries

and research associations under one roof.

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Supported by theEuropean Commission

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