Renewable Energy

Technological partnerships to promote emerging wind energy industry

By working with local universities and foreign suppliers, manufacturers efforts to produce more affordable turbines that are 15 to 20 percent more efficient in generating electricity.

The wind energy industry China is blowing up a storm.

Of only six manufacturers of wind turbines in 2004, the China Wind Power Association estimates the country is now home to more than 70 companies. This equates to at least 17 times the growth in just six years.

Output is also proliferate. Statistics from China Wind Power Equipment Network material shows 124 percent year-on-year growth in 2009 production to 10,129 wind turbines generating a total of 13,803.2 MW.

This, in turn, is to promote development in the supporting sectors such as knives, converters, inverters and pitch control systems.

Making a mark in the export sector, China wind Turbine manufacturers are now investing in technology, certification and after sales service upgrades. The majority of companies only catering to overseas markets during the last two or three years. In 2009, vendors shipped just four wind turbines internationally. These are Sinovel, Goldwind, Shanghai Electric and Changzhou New United. Sinovel 10 units exported to India. Goldwind three wind turbines in the U.S., and Shanghai Electric two shipped to Thailand. Changzhou New United produced one each for Thailand and the U.S..

Currently, most local made wind turbines can not handle speeds that are too slow or too fast. The Chinese Wind Energy Association, said a typical 1.5 MW wind generator at least 3 meters per second to start and 12.5 meters per second to generate electricity. But at 25 meters per second, the turbines stop working because the electricity generated would be too much for the transformers to handle.

Because of this limitation, providers focused on large-capacity wind turbines work with local universities in developing new technologies that can help improve stability and performance. Shandong Changxing Group is working with the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology high-speed synchronous generator to produce a brushless excitation system. Unlike the traditional recorded double-fed asynchronous Generators and permanent magnet direct drive systems, the newer technology can convert electricity, even in extreme winds. Shandong Changxing is said that the first in China to such advanced systems, of which 15 to 20 percent more electricity than wind turbines the adoption of other technologies to use.

New United Group Co. Ltd. does not only work with the Shenyang Industrial University 1.5mV to develop wind turbines, but also with the German Euros, British and French Alstom GH to the main components such as blades, controllers and converters to produce. The use of information shared from this technology partnership, the company initiates a new round of R & D to develop components in-house.

Some component suppliers, on the other hand, were created by the technology institutes themselves. Beijing Corona Science & Technology Co. Ltd was founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Electrical Engineering. With a focus on the Institute's high-tech R & D, Beijing Corona is capable converters, inverters and pitch control systems both for wind and solar energy products.

Wind turbines made ​​affordable

Advances in technology combined with relatively low labor costs in China, pushing down prices of wind turbines. Guangzhou Hongying Energy Co. Ltd, kW rated capacity wind turbine exports to North America, said small China-made units are 100 to 200 per cent cheaper than foreign variants, while the larger models are priced 20 percent lower.

From about 6 million yuan (885,000 U.S. dollars) per megawatt in the beginning of 2009, citations dropped to less than 5 million yuan (737,000 U.S. dollars) in H1 2010. Global prices fall, but not fast enough to meet China's low rates. From a high of 1.22 million euros ($ 1.6 million) per megawatt in 2009, prices are expected to fall to around 1.04 million euros ($ 1.4 million) in 2011.

The rapid decline in prices for China-made wind turbines is partly due to the way some small manufacturers offer really low prices, often at the expense of quality.

But larger, more research-oriented companies are less likely to bid to limit a transaction to complete. Among these is Shandong Changxing, who considers engaging in price competition in such an early stage is not a step in the right direction.

Other improvements

Besides investing in technology, companies such as New United into the professional testing equipment to ensure quality of the turbines. The company now leaves 3MW country trails and country 3.8MW grid connection testing platforms alongside an EMC laboratory.

Apart from this, New United performs various tests on turbine performance under various weather conditions, including low temperatures and high humidity salinity. The units are subject to a shipping simulation evaluation to assess how well sealed packaging film keeps you from the sea to travel. Burn-in tests as well.

Shandong also Changxing, the country's resistance to inspections to check for moisture and corrosion, and evaluate the suitability for sea and land use.

By improving of technology, manufacturers also aim to accelerate change in the acquisition of export certification, including the ability to affix the CE marking and are UL-listed. Since The industry is still in its infancy stage, certification is usually a part, and not for the entire turbine. Depending on the component and the type of turbine, the process more than three to five months.

The long lead time can sometimes cause problems in meeting delivery deadlines. Businesses would often times to negotiate with buyers. In fact, some manufacturers said they are unable to ship a portion of the orders from last year as export certification is still not finished.

Currently China-made wind turbines are exported to USA, EU and Southeast Asia.

After sales service is also improved. Apart from sending engineers for buyers during the on-site installation guide, which suppliers are bilingual technical blueprints with metric and imperial measurements and operating manuals and maintenance.

title = "Technology partnerships to promote emerging wind energy industry"> This article was originally published by Sources "> Global Sources, a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with India and China manufacturers suppliers provide essential information sourcing to volume buyers through our e-magazines, trade shows and industry research.

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Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with China manufacturers, providing essential sourcing information to volume buyers through our e-magazines, trade shows and industry research.

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