Avanti Wind Systems USA has announced the issuance of an AECO Certificate for its Shark Work Cage/Elevator for use in wind turbine towers by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). An AECO certification in North America represents completion of a complete review by a third party certification body whose authority stems from ISO Guide 65. UL is one of three recognized third party test labs for AECO (Accredited Elevator/Escalator Certifying Organization). It has tested the Shark Work Cage and sub components and reviewed the assessment for the product and the installation.
 

“After a thorough review, Underwriters Laboratories has issued the certificate validating the model and certifying the design complies with the Global Essential Safety Requirements of A17.7/B44.7,” says Kent Pedersen, general manager of U.S. operations.

The certification allows the jurisdictions where A17.7 is adopted an easier route for permitting of Work Cages in wind turbine towers. They do not have to develop their own state-specific code requirements.

Avanti Wind Systems will still have to go through the state (United States) or province (Canada) permitting process for each wind power project where an Avanti Shark Work Cage/Elevator is to be installed in a wind turbine. But with the AECO Certificate it is easier and faster to get the permit from the State/Province authorities. “The next step is to get the new ASME A17.1/CSA B44, requirement 5.11 implemented so that each state can adopt them as soon as possible when new wind turbine projects are constructed in their jurisdiction,” Pedersen says.

Avanti Wind System is a leading world market producer of service lifts and other personal safety systems to wind turbine towers. It was founded in Denmark in 1885 and was originally a ladder factory. The company still produces ladders but is now focusing on developing and producing safety equipment for the service technicians working in wind turbine towers. Avanti has developed a complete range of safety products for moving up and down in wind turbine towers. Products such as service lifts, ladders with built-in fall safety rails, and climbing assistance have been approved in accordance with official standards in the European Union, Australia, and the United States. Avanti Wind Systems has installed more than 16,000 service lifts in wind turbine towers throughout the world. That is more than half of all those installed. Avanti Wind Systems’ headquarters is in Denmark and it has offices, training centers, and factories in the United States, China, United Kingdom, Spain, China, Germany, India, and Australia. Later this year Avanti will open an office in Brazil. To learn more contact Pedersen at (262) 641-9101, kp@avanti-online.com, or www.avanti-online.com.

In response to the growing market for wind energy in Canada and its strong position in all 10 provinces, Vestas has appointed Doug Macdonald as senior vice president and country manager for Canada. “Designating a lead for our Canadian activities will add focus and resources to a market that is growing and holds much promise,” says Martha Wyrsch, president of Vestas’ sales and service operations in the U.S. and Canada. “This is a critical role to ensure our current customers are well-served and highly satisfied, and that future opportunities in Canada are maximized.”

A graduate of McMaster University and a Hamilton native, Macdonald brings a diverse background in sales, service construction, maintenance, government relations, and finance to the newly created position. He will be based out of Vestas’ Canadian headquarters in Toronto’s financial district. Since joining Vestas in 2005 he has combined his strategic vision with tactical planning to generate exceptional results in bottom line growth. Vestas supplied its first wind turbine to Canada in 1997 and has since installed more than 1,100 in all 10 Canadian provinces combined. “I am excited about the Canadian market and what it has to offer,” Macdonald says. “With Vestas wind turbines operating in every province, we have a tremendous base upon which to build.”

Vestas is the world leader in providing high-tech wind power systems. Since 1979 it has an industry-leading installed base of more than 46,000 wind turbines in 69 countries. Vestas sold its first wind turbine in North America in 1981 and has since supplied nearly 13,000 turbines to the United States and Canada. The company’s North American headquarters is located in Portland, Oregon, and global headquarters are in Aarhus, Denmark. Learn more at www.vestas.com.

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is the largest and one of the most powerful wind energy networks in the world. It is the voice of the wind industry in Europe and is ideally situated in the heart of the EU quarter in Brussels in close proximity to European decision makers. EWEA has over 700 members from almost 60 countries, including manufacturers with a leading share of the world wind energy market, plus 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 and most powerful wind energy network.

The association’s main activities center on coordinating international policy and formulating policy positions for the wind industry on key issues, communications, research, and analysis both independent and in cooperation with industry and research institutions, and providing support to members. EWEA organizes high profile industry events including the EWEA annual event, the biennial offshore conference, and numerous workshops in the EU and beyond. EWEA’s Annual Event will take place April 16-19 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and offers a conference and exhibition under one roof.

The exhibition will serve as the centre point for the whole event. The EWEA 2012 Annual Event is set to be bigger and better than ever before, with more than 10,000 professionals from around the world expected to attend. With over 450 exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations, the event provides an ideal platform to meet Europe’s leading wind energy professionals and do business face-to-face.

On the first day of the event, EWEA will launch a major new study on the impact of the wind industry on Europe’s economy, growth, and employment. The study will tackle tough questions such as: how much difference does wind energy make to the economy? Does it have a real impact on Europe’s GDP? How many jobs does it create? This much-anticipated study will show how wind energy can be a recession-busting industry, and which other sectors benefit most from the wind energy industry.

“Wind power is a pivotal element in the necessary transition to a green growth economy. EWEA 2012 will focus on the innovation and green solutions that we need in order to promote green and sustainable growth and reach our target of a low-carbon Europe by 2050,” says Martin Lidegaard, minister for climate, energy and building, Denmark.

EWEA 2012 aims to drive innovation in the industry forward, but it is also aiming at innovating the conference and exhibition itself to better meet attendee needs and provide scintillating content. Sessions have been designed with an emphasis on learning, discussion and interaction—as such, many will now include panel debates and extended question time. Led by well-respected industry experts, the conference features a broad range of hot topics like project development and finance, resource assessment, technology innovation, policies, politics, markets, and more for both onshore and offshore wind power.

In addition to the main event, EWEA also organizes focused events on issues of strategic importance. Workshops are open to all EWEA 2012 conference delegates, exhibition visitors, and exhibitors. And on the eve of the event, EWEA will host a one-day pre-event seminar for those new to the industry. The “Wind Energy – The Facts” publication is widely considered to be the most reliable reference published to date. The seminar is tailored to anyone new to wind as well as people working in a particular sub-sector or function who want to understand their industry as a whole. Armed with this global view of wind energy, participants will get even more out of the main conference and exhibition.

“Denmark is the cradle of modern wind power and a leading wind nation. Wind power supplies the highest share of energy of any country, and Denmark is home to the highest density of companies excelling globally in wind energy. We really look forward to hosting EWEA 2012 in Copenhagen. There are so many things we would like to show you,” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA).

In the days leading up to EWEA 2012, DWIA is set to launch a new initiative called “Mindblowing Denmark” that offers visits and networking opportunities for professionals to experience the whole wind energy supply chain in Denmark, as well as to gain insight into Danish policy and planning up to 2020. To find out more visit www.ewea.org/annual2012.

Pursuing its strategy to lead the innovation of glass fibre solutions for the wind energy sector, 3B-the fibreglass company is launching HiPer-tex™ W2020 high performance roving to satisfy OEM needs for longer and lighter rotor blades to meet the challenging offshore and bigger onshore multi-megawatt wind turbines. Building upon the recently developed sizing technology applied to Advantex® SE2020, the new HiPer-tex W2020 is also specifically engineered for epoxy polymer systems used in resin infusion or prepreg processes.

3B’s technological expertise and manufacturing know-how delivers a high modulus glass with outstanding mechanical properties providing significantly greater strength and strain-to-failure than traditional E-glass. The new HiPer-tex W2020 roving offers the following exceptional properties in a typical unidirectional laminate (average glass volume fraction 60 percent): 54-56 GPa  E-modulus; 55-60 MPa transverse tensile strength ; and 10 times longer lifetime in fatigue resistance versus traditional E-glass.

“HiPer-tex W2020 provides the answer to the evolving market requirements for stiffer and better performing materials. Its optimized glass composition, combined with proprietary sizing technology for epoxy systems, allow turbine manufacturers to increase blade lengths while keeping blade weight under control. These longer blades generate higher turbine efficiency leading to a lower cost per kWh,” says Luc Peters, 3B wind energy technical product manager.

When comparing blades manufactured with traditional E-glass, HiPer-tex W2020 achieves up to 10 percent weight saving for the same blade design and length. Alternatively, the blade length can be extended by up to 6 percent while maintaining the same weight but offering up to 12 percent more energy output.

3B-the fibreglass company is a leading developer and supplier of fibreglass products and technologies for the reinforcement of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. This dynamic and entrepreneurial company has two state of the art fibreglass manufacturing facilities in Battice, Belgium and Birkeland, Norway as well as a dedicated R&D Centre located in the heart of Europe. More information is available at www.3b-fibreglass.com.

As part of President Obama’s all out, all of the above approach to developing every domestic energy resource, Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced the start of an ambitious initiative to capture the potential of wind energy off American coasts. As part of a planned six-year $180 million initiative, an initial $20 million will be available this year as the first step in supporting up to four innovative offshore wind energy installations across the United States. These offshore wind projects will accelerate the deployment of breakthrough wind power technologies that will help diversify our nation’s energy portfolio, promote economic development, and launch a new industry here in America.

“Developing all of our nation’s vast energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s blueprint for an American economy that uses all of America’s energy resources,” says Secretary Chu. “The new offshore wind energy initiative will help to catalyze the development of offshore wind in America, supporting U.S. innovators as they seek to design and demonstrate next generation wind energy technologies. These investments are critical to ensuring that America remains competitive in this growing global industry that can drive new manufacturing, construction, installation, and operation jobs across the country.”

Offshore wind is an enormous potential resource for the United States, with strong, consistent winds located in the Atlantic, Pacific, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. America’s vast offshore wind resources, estimated at more than 4,000 gigawatts, will help the United States meet its critical energy, environmental, and economic challenges, and provide energy to coastal cities where much of the nation’s population and electricity demand lies.

To support these new demonstration projects, the Energy Department will make available up to $180 million over six years, subject to congressional appropriations, including an initial commitment of $20 million in fiscal year 2012. The department will focus this latest research and demonstration initiative on highly innovative technologies that will achieve large cost reductions over existing offshore wind technologies. The demonstrations will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes.

In addition to the new funding, the department is continuing to work with partners across the federal government to implement a comprehensive offshore wind energy strategy, conduct resource assessments, and streamline siting and permitting. By investing in this emerging industry, this support will help lower the cost and speed the deployment of American-made offshore wind energy technologies designed for U.S. coastal conditions and provide valuable opportunities to test these innovations in real offshore environments.

Applicants to the competitive solicitation are expected to form world-class consortia of energy project developers, equipment suppliers, research institutions, and marine installation specialists. Energy Department funds may be used to cover up to 80 percent of a project’s design costs and 50 percent of the hardware and installation costs.

For more information and application requirements for this funding opportunity, please visit eere-exchange.energy.gov. 

MAG’s modular HMC 1250/1600 Series is engineered for high-precision, high-productivity machining of large aerospace, power generation, pump, valve, and off-road equipment parts. It now includes eight spindle options to suit special-purpose or general machining requirements. The new 6000 and 8000 rpm/46-kW (61.6-hp) tilt-spindles—with +90/-120 degree A-axis travel—joins an all-around 10,000 rpm/ 46-kW (62-hp) spindle, high-speed 24,000 rpm spindle, high-torque 2600 Nm/80-kW (1918 ft lb) spindle and two live spindles (110 or 130 mm diameter). The high-torque spindle is especially suited for hard-metal cutting, while the live spindles extend W-axis reach by up to 800 mm (31.5 in), enabling deep cavity milling to high precision with shorter, more rigid tools. Standard on the live spindle, MAG’s exclusive Z-axis thermal compensation software dynamically offsets spindle growth to maintain tight tolerances.

Designed for extreme application flexibility, the HMC 1250/1600 offers maximum 3000 mm (118 in) work-zone swing, and 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) pallet load capacity. Major machine components, including the X-bed, Z-bed and column, are cast ductile iron, with pallets up to 1600 x 2000 mm, headstock and rotary table housings of gray cast iron. Modular design provides a range of machine travels, 60- to 300-tool magazines and two control choices.

Powerful and agile, the new five-axis HMC offers 56 to 100 kW (75 to 133 hp) spindle power, 35 kN (7870 lb) Z-axis thrust, and super-rigid, full-contouring hydrostatic rotary table. The 360,000-position contouring table provides a rigid work platform, while a rugged worm gear drive with clamp securely holds axis position. Rotary table positioning accuracy is 10 arc seconds, repeatable to 5 arc seconds. Positioning accuracy of the tilt-spindle is 4 arc seconds, repeatable to 2 arc seconds.

Meeting industry needs for tighter part tolerances and greater machining accuracies, the HMC Series comes standard with linear scale feedback in X, Y, and Z axes, providing 8 micron (0.0003 in) positioning accuracy and 5 micron (0.0002 in) repeatability. Heavy-duty hardened and ground roller guide ways enable a rapid traverse rate of up to 40 m/min (1575 ipm) with high acc/dec rates, double the load capacity and nearly 10 times the wear life of ball-type ways. The full work zone enclosure is pre-engineered to provide a clean machining environment and includes a doorway for operator access with walkway/platform inside. Learn more by visiting MAG at WESTEC booth #1612 March 27-29 at the Las Angeles Convention Center or going online to www.mag-ias.com.

BNSF Railway has released two new online tools that offer an easier, more effective way for existing and potential customers to compare carload shipping options. The new tools—Carload Shipping Advisor and Serving Carrier Reciprocal Switch Inquiry—allow customers to compare shipping options by price, equipment, and route for multiple origins and destinations.

“All of the features in the Carload Shipping Advisor tool are based on direct customer feedback and designed to meet customer needs,” says John Lanigan, BNSF executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “We are confident that providing this upfront visibility to all routing options will save our carload customers time and allow them to more easily plan their shipments.”

“Whether planning or pricing their shipment moves, our customers told us that determining if a destination is rail-served is their first step,” according to Jo-ann Olsovsky, vice president technology services and CIO. “The new Carload Shipping Advisor and Reciprocal Switch Inquiry allow customers to quickly take that first step by easily verifying whether a shipping origination or destination has rail or transload service.”

The new Carload Shipping Advisor tool offers search filters by equipment type or route, and guides to equipment information, including pictures and schematics, to help customers understand the loading requirements and better plan their moves. It also includes features such as the ability to view recent searches, see estimated fuel surcharge, use a type-ahead input form, print/export/email search results, contact a sales representative, and view links to pricing documents.

When planning a shipment, the Reciprocal Switch Inquiry tool now allows customers to validate origins or destinations when not pricing the move. Using a railroad industry-wide file through Railinc, the new tool will now contain all rail-served customer locations in North America. This provides customers with comprehensive visibility to their options. Both of these tools can be accessed under “Customer Tools” on the bnsf.com Customer page at www.bnsf.com/customers. A demo of the tools capabilities can be viewed at www.bnsf.com/customers/demos/carloadshipping-scrsinquiry.html.

BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,000 route miles of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced and efficient railroads in the industry. Learn more at www.bnsf.com.

Building on its initial success in the renewable energy market, Austal has confirmed a contract for a fourth wind farm support vessel for Turbine Transfers Limited. The order is the first for a new Austal design that will enable safer and more efficient offshore wind turbine service. Welcoming the follow-up order from the UK-based company, Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy says the shipbuilder had continued to refine and enhance its Wind Express vessel range following its launch in mid 2010 as part of a strategy to pursue new commercial vessel markets. “There is clearly an increasing desire in the industry for vessels with enhanced capability, particularly in terms of performance in rough conditions. This is a challenge that we have already successfully addressed in the ferry and naval markets with our unique trimaran technology. We have now applied that expertise to develop and prove a new hullform that provides a step change in capability for the offshore industry.”

The new design combines the seakeeping and fuel efficiency benefits of Austal’s trimaran hull configuration with a small waterplane area at rest, to deliver low vessel motions both in transit and when alongside turbines. This enables wind farm personnel to be successfully transferred in considerably higher sea states than is practical with catamarans of similar size. “For offshore wind farm industry operators seeking to maximise productivity and safety in rough seas, this new hullform provides the highest possible levels of seakeeping, passenger comfort and fuel efficiency,” Bellamy says.

Managing Director of Turbine Transfers, Captain Mark Meade, said his company was using Austal technology to support the next phase of wind farm development which would see a much larger number of turbines installed farther offshore and in other areas with rougher sea conditions. “To do that we need to be able to transfer further, and in larger waves, while still providing the technicians we carry with comfortable transits and safe turbine step-offs. The extensive analysis and tank testing that Austal has done makes me very confident that this new boat will enable us to do that, and provide us with a competitive advantage.”

Bellamy says the new design would improve the viability of offshore wind farms by overcoming the seakeeping limitations of the support vessels currently used in the industry. “To date most wind farms have been relatively close to the coast, and serviceable with fairly basic boats. Now as they move further offshore there is a need for a second generation of vessels that can address the significant challenges this brings. Being able to transport wind turbine technicians comfortably in the rougher sea conditions over longer distances is the key requirement, and we have produced the solution to that need.” Learn more at www.austal.com.

Sapa Extrusions North America announces the launch of a new marketing campaign to showcase the advanced technical expertise, unprecedented resources, and customer-focused solutions that have made Sapa the world’s largest aluminum extruder. Coining the term AluminologySM, which is the culmination of these attributes and knowledge, Sapa’s new campaign focuses on defining the innovative best practices that have become synonymous with the industry leader.

Along with a new ad campaign, Sapa is soon going live with a promotional Web site that illustrates the broad spectrum of services and capabilities behind Aluminology. The site will expand on Sapa’s many capabilities, including design, extrusions, fabrication, finishing, and logistics to highlight the company’s technological solutions and customer focus.

“Aluminology exemplifies the very essence of the technology behind our products and of our culture,” says Patrick Lawlor, president of Sapa Profiles North America. “We take pride in pushing ourselves and others in the industry to find answers to today’s toughest design challenges with the production and use of aluminum. With this new campaign, our goal is to solidify Sapa’s role as a leader and innovator in the global aluminum industry.”

Sapa’s innovative design solutions are improving products for applications that include distribution, automotive, building and construction, commercial and mass transportation (recreational vehicles), defense, electrical, industrial and consumer durables, and renewable energy. As part of the Aluminology campaign, Sapa will announce several new developments in the coming months that demonstrate its technological superiority and advanced capabilities. New applications for key markets and enhanced product performance will be featured.

Sapa Extrusions North America consists of 16 aluminum extrusion plants throughout the U.S. and Canada, boasting the continent’s largest plant at its Cressona facility in Pennsylvania. At the forefront of Sapa’s cutting-edge product development is its North American Technical Center, housed at the plant in Portland, Oregon. The Technical Center conducts the Sapa Profile Academy, an advanced three-day certification training course that demonstrates opportunities with aluminum to raise skill levels and encourage competition among companies and designers. More information is available at www.sapagroup.com.

Wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in meeting Ontario’s demand for electricity, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator’s annual release of supply, demand, and price data. Total wind energy production rang in at 3.9 terawatt hours TWh—up substantially from 2.8 TWh in 2010. November 2011 marked the highest monthly wind output ever seen in Ontario, with production in that month alone exceeding 0.56 TWh. In annual terms, wind generation represented 2.6 per cent of total output across all fuel types of 149.9 TWh.

A record level of new wind energy projects were commissioned in both Canada and Ontario in 2011. In 2011 new wind energy projects were built and commissioned in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. More than 5,000 MW of wind energy projects are already contracted to be built over the next five years.

“Wind energy is proving itself a key partner as Ontario builds a stronger, cleaner, and affordable electricity system. Increased growth of wind energy in Ontario means cleaner air, new jobs and local investments for the communities that host wind energy projects,” says Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA). “Maintaining Ontario’s leadership position will require continued commitments to aggressive targets for wind energy development and a stable policy framework.”

In 2011, the wind energy industry in Canada represented more than $3 billion in new investments that have created 17,000 person years of employment. Canada is now ranked ninth globally in terms of total installed wind energy capacity.

CanWEA is the voice of Canada’s wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its more than 440 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada’s leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. To join other global leaders in the wind energy industry, CanWEA believes Canada can and must reach its target of producing 20 per cent or more of the country’s electricity from wind by 2025. The document Wind Vision 2025–Powering Canada’s Future is available at www.canwea.ca.

Focusing on innovation—the major driver of the wind energy industry—tracks will cover six topics from policies and markets to financing grids and science. Bringing together the brightest minds in the industry to exchange the latest knowledge, forge meaningful business relationships and create connections with influential people around the world. The EWEA 2012 Annual Event will build on the huge success of the 2011 edition, which attracted a record-breaking 9,000+ participants, coming from a total of 84 countries. Don’t miss the opportunity to:

• Discover the latest industry best practices;
• Learn about the latest innovations in over 40 conference sessions;
• Create new business opportunities with global contacts in a flourishing market;
• Network with international leaders shaping tomorrow’s energy market;

With over 40 informative sessions, a host of expert industry speakers, lively debates, and new interactive format allowing you to have your say and influence the agenda, the conference will provide you with the latest information and ideas.

With 12,000m2 of total exhibition space and over 450 exhibiting companies expected, this exhibition is set to be bigger and busier than ever before. Organized by the industry for the industry it is a unique gathering of the industry’s top companies, representing the entire supply chain. EWEA 2012 Annual Event is gearing up to be a stimulating arena for dynamic networking and achieving great business performance. see the program online and register at www.ewea.org/annual2012/.

Gurit has launched a new range of G-PET structural foam. The new G-PET products are targeting mainly the global wind turbine blade manufacturing and marine markets. The new range offers a unique combination of properties, including class-leading shear elongation, finer cell size, excellent chemical resistance, and good adhesion, as well as high process temperature resistance. The new G-PET range is available in four new densities—80, 90, 110 and 135 kg/m3—with other densities possible upon request.

G-PET recyclable structural foam is a highly adaptable, thermoplastic foam offering a good balance of mechanical properties, temperature resistance, density and cost. The materials can be used for a wide range of applications and production processes. The new G-PET range comes with varying finishing styles including the following formats and combinations thereof: plain, pin hole, contour scrim, double cut, and vacuum infusion core. Knife cuts are available to minimize resin uptake during infusion. The product is available in standard sheets and tailored kits.

“We are pleased to offer our customers a portfolio of densities for G-PET with best-in-class toughness, a key property for the marine market,” says Sam Ang, Gurit’s program manager for core materials. “The balance of good properties, temperature stability, and cost addresses the needs of the wind energy market and allows customers in other markets to apply G-PET in a wide array of applications”.

In response to the demand for multiple core designs Gurit has extended its structural core product range. This material category now includes PVC, Balsa, and SAN as well as PET core types, all with a distinct range of properties, attributes, and all available in sheet form or as tailored pieces in kit format.

The companies of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, are specialized on the development and manufacture of high-end composite materials featuring bespoke physical and chemical characteristics. The comprehensive product range comprises fibre reinforced prepregs, structural foam, gel coats, adhesives, resins, and consumables, as well as certain finished parts, composite process equipment, and tooling. Gurit supplies growth markets in wind energy, tooling, transportation, and marine. The international group has production sites and offices in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Canada, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the Untied States, India, China, and Ecuador. Call +44 (0) 1983 828 320 or go online to www.gurit.com.

David Brown’s participation in the 4th Annual Wind Energy Operations and Maintenance Summit April 25-27, 2012, will address the global wind turbine gear industry and examine key themes such as how main transmission failure in wind turbines compares with similar planetary drives in non-wind applications. Also on the agenda is the current state of the wind energy supply chain, the use of slewing, worm and parallel shaft arrangements versus yaw and pitch drives as well as increasing visibility of gearbox performance data for wind turbine operators.

The David Brown team will address specifically how leveraging global experience, such as that from mission critical industries, to go beyond current equipment specifications is driving the wind turbine gear industry. The discussion will focus on David Brown’s operations model as a case study.

Tom Marek, David Brown’s North American Business Unit Leader Wind Energy explains: “Our goal in participating in Wind Energy Update’s 4th Annual Wind Energy Operations & Maintenance Summit is simple, we want talk frankly about gearing issues in the wind industry and specifically about how our global engineering, service and production network is designed to address the needs of wind turbine owners the same way we support our defence, conventional power, hydro, oil and gas, rail and mining customers. It is important that we address the industry’s key gearing issues in order to move forward to lower through life costs, and ultimately the cost of energy for the industry’s operators.”

This news follows the recent announcement of David Brown’s acquisition of leading Canadian industrial gear manufacturer Unigear Industries Inc, as part of its North American growth strategy, as well as its recent signing of a multi-million pound contract with Samsung Heavy Industries to design, develop and manufacture an innovative 7MW offshore wind gearbox.

David Brown, along with eight of North America’s leading Operators will be in Dallas to discuss how best to utilize the latest industry experience, proven technology and O&M strategies to maximize generation and reduce costs in wind farms. Further topics include:
 
• O&M markets and trends for 2012 and beyond
• End of warranty options (EOW)
• Retrofit technology & Repowering
• Advanced Monitoring Technologies
• Life extension of critical components
• Major Part Failure, Upgrading & Repair
• Grid Integration & Curtailment

Companies confirmed include E.ON Climate & Renewables, AES Wind Generation, Iberdrola Renewables, Duke Energy, EDP Renewables, Infigen Energy, Edison Mission, TransAlta, Wind Capital Group, enXco, GE, Acciona, NERC, Praxis, Hytorc, Foundation Engineering, Complete Wind and many more. For more information visit www.windenergyupdate.com/operations-maintenance-usa.

Crane Service, Inc., was in charge of offloading a 136,000-lb shunt reactor at the Tucson Electric Power wind park located near Deming, New Mexico. In this project they used a Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 (250 ton) class crane to hoist a shunt reactor off a transport trailer. After offloading the shunt reactor they immediately placed it on a five-axle transport dolly. The transport dolly was pulled by mover Mighty Mel, which hauled the shunt reactor 350 feet down a dirt road. At this point it had to maneuver the reactor into the transmission site where it would ultimately set. Once Mighty Mel was past the gate the Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 hoisted the shunt reactor into place. Due to the soil conditions, the Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 was required to hoist the shunt reactor three times to make it to the pad.

“This project truly showed off our abilities as a heavy hoisting and hauling company,” says Chris Martin, marketing coordinator at Crane Service. “Not only were we able to offload the shunt reactor, we are able to move it into place with our prime mover and transport dolly.”

Crane Service, Inc., specializes in rigging, heavy hoisting, and heavy hauling. It has been serving the greater southwest for more than 50 years. With four locations—Albuquerque, Bloomfield, Chaparral, and Sweetwater, Texas—it is able to serve the greater southwest’s heavy hoisting needs. The company’s fleet is able to serve a wide spectrum of clientele, from 8.5 to 550 tons. It is continually raising the bar for what a crane rental company can be. Contact Martin at (505) 710-5844 or cmartin@craneserviceInc.com. To view a video of the operation go online to www.craneserviceinc.com or visit the Wind Systems Facebook page.

Crane Service, Inc., was in charge of offloading a 136,000-lb shunt reactor at the Tucson Electric Power wind park located near Deming, New Mexico. In this project they used a Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 (250 ton) class crane to hoist a shunt reactor off a transport trailer. After offloading the shunt reactor they immediately placed it on a five-axle transport dolly. The transport dolly was pulled by mover Mighty Mel, which hauled the shunt reactor 350 feet down a dirt road. At this point it had to maneuver the reactor into the transmission site where it would ultimately set. Once Mighty Mel was past the gate the Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 hoisted the shunt reactor into place. Due to the soil conditions, the Tadano-Faun ATF220G-5 was required to hoist the shunt reactor three times to make it to the pad.

“This project truly showed off our abilities as a heavy hoisting and hauling company,” says Chris Martin, marketing coordinator at Crane Service. “Not only were we able to offload the shunt reactor, we are able to move it into place with our prime mover and transport dolly.”

Crane Service, Inc., specializes in rigging, heavy hoisting, and heavy hauling. It has been serving the greater southwest for more than 50 years. With four locations—Albuquerque, Bloomfield, Chaparral, and Sweetwater, Texas—it is able to serve the greater southwest’s heavy hoisting needs. The company’s fleet is able to serve a wide spectrum of clientele, from 8.5 to 550 tons. It is continually raising the bar for what a crane rental company can be. Contact Martin at (505) 710-5844 or cmartin@craneserviceInc.com. To view a video of the operation go online to www.craneserviceinc.com or visit the Wind Systems Facebook page.

When Forbes Magazine asked readers and energy industry experts the questions, “Who is reinventing the world? Who should you hire today? Who will you be working for in 20 years? Who, in short, under the age of 30, matters?” The answer for the energy industry was clear and included four of wind energy’s brightest stars. The Forbes “30 Under 30” list for the energy industry published this week includes:

• David Berry, cofounder and vice president of strategy and finance at Clean Line Energy Partners, Houston, Texas;
• Jeff Bishop, senior manager of government and regulatory affairs, EDP Renewables, Houston, Texas;
• Elizabeth Salerno, chief economist and director of data and analysis at the American Wind Energy Association, Washington, D.C.;
• Sean Tufts, development manager, RES Americas, Broomfield, Colorado.

“I am so proud that Forbes’ readers and energy experts recognize the awesome accomplishments and contributions of Liz, Jeff, David and Sean,” according to American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) CEO Denise Bode. “Wind energy is a great American success story, providing great jobs and opportunities to young people all across the country.”

A recent study found that with stable tax policy the wind industry can grow to almost 100,000 American jobs in the next four years, including growing the wind manufacturing sector by one third to 46,000 American manufacturing jobs. This will keep the wind sector on track toward supporting the 500,000 jobs by 2030 projected in a report by the U.S. Department of Energy during the George W. Bush administration.

The report completed by Navigant also found that if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind to expire, jobs in the wind industry will be cut in half, meaning a loss of 37,000 American jobs and a one third cut to American wind manufacturing jobs, while private investment in the industry would drop by nearly two thirds.

Wind energy’s key federal tax incentive, the PTC, is set to expire at the end of 2012. Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the PTC for wind energy (H.R. 3307, the “American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act”). This legislation has garnered the support of 36 cosponsors including 11 Republicans.

Forbes reporters received thousands of nominations before culling the list to the 360 professionals listed in the “30 Under 30” Energy list and 11 other sector specific lists. The complete “30 Under 30” list will also be included in the January 16th issue of Forbes Magazine. Learn more about
AWEA is the national trade association of America’s wind industry, with more than 2,400 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world’s largest wind power trade show, the WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, which takes place next in Atlanta, June 2-6, 2012. Learn more at www.awea.org and www.windpowerexpo.org.

3B-the fibreglass company announces the introduction of a renewed range of reinforcements each designed for specific resin systems and engineered to provide optimum performances for the manufacture of wind turbine blades. The first product in the series to be revealed is Advantex® SE2020, a new single-end roving specifically engineered for epoxy polymer systems utilized in resin infusion or prepreg processes.

Luc Peters, 3B Wind Energy technical product manager, says that “At 3B we focus on understanding the needs of wind energy OEMs by working hand in hand with the designers, the weavers and ultimately the manufacturers of turbine blades. Collaborating with the entire value chain enables us to bring to market new benchmark rovings which further pushes the limits of glass fibre composite blade designs to address new challenges facing the wind industry.”

At present multi-compatible reinforcements are commonly used with different resin systems such as epoxy (EP), unsaturated polyester (UP), vinyl ester (VE), etc. However, by developing innovative and proprietary sizing technology focused on a specific resin family (epoxy), 3B is changing the rules of the game. By optimizing the coupling of the reinforcement uniquely for epoxy resin systems 3B thereby achieves best-in-class composite properties. With such a value proposition, 3B’s renewed product offering becomes an industry benchmark for structural resins.

“Aligned with our strategy to be the wind energy solution provider, 3B has been continuously analyzing the market to better understand the challenges confronting the entire value chain. Our company has put tremendous R&D efforts in developing and combining new reinforcements with precise sizing technology to respond to the needs of the industry,” says Onur Tokgoz, 3B Wind Energy global business leader.

Compared to conventional materials in the market place, 3B’s new Advantex SE2020 roving for epoxy resin systems offers better wet out therefore providing a more consistent laminate quality, a significantly improved resin matrix adhesion which delivers higher shear strength, and substantially greater interfibre strength. This, together with the resulting enhanced fatigue performance, makes the new SE2020 roving the solution that designers need to greatly improve existing blades and, more importantly, to create the next generation of epoxy wind turbine blades.

“At 3B, we strongly believe wind energy will play a key role in the need for efficient power generation that is clean, reliable and cost effective, especially in light of the recent announcements concerning the reduction and eventual elimination of our dependence on nuclear power,” Tokgoz adds. “To meet future needs and help reduce the cost per kWh, larger multi-megawatt wind turbines will become the norm, but these will require improved blade designs with enhanced materials to ensure their efficiency and productivity.”

3B-the fibreglass company is a leading developer and supplier of fibreglass products and technologies for the reinforcement of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. Learn more at

www.3b-fibreglass.com.

Motion system designers looking for a smooth operating, quiet right angle gear drive will find Zero-Max Crown gear drives the ideal choice. They feature heat treated AGMA Class 10 spiral bevel gears and non-magnetic stainless steel shafts providing long term, maintenance free operation.

Zero-Max Crown gear drives feature long-life, precision hardened, and ground ball bearings handling speeds up to 2000 rpm in most operating environments. The internal gears are permanently mounted to the shafts with locking pins. This provides a very resilient and durable connection for use in heavy load applications while requiring no maintenance.

Zero-Max ensures their drives are predictably smooth operating, and similar model sizes have identical performance characteristics when designed into multiple drive setups. To accomplish this, Zero-Max drives are hand shimmed and hand assembled for perfect bearing and gear alignment. The drives are pre-lubricated during assembly, then completely enclosed in a heavy-duty anodized aluminum housing. This design ensures that internal gears stay permanently aligned, lubricated and free of contamination from outside debris.

Zero-Max Crown drives are ideal for a wide range of machine applications and are available in many sizes and models. They are ideal for a wide range of horsepower, torque and shaft speed requirements. Standard two and three way models are available with 1:1 and 2:1 speed ratios in shaft diameter combinations of 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 inch.

“System designers increasingly prefer gear drives that operate quietly without maintenance requirements,” says Robert Mainz, sales manager. “Crown drives fulfill those requirements. They have become a preferred choice for automated systems because of their robust design and quiet operation.” To learn more call (800) 533-1731 or (763) 546-4300. E-mail zero-max@zero-max.com or go online to www.zero-max.com.

In order to manage wind generation in its real-time and day-ahead markets, the system operator for the New England area of the U.S., ISO New England Inc., has awarded GL Garrad Hassan a two-year contract to provide wind power forecasting services to all wind in the ISO’s footprint, including generation within the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. GL Garrad Hassan is in the beginning stages of this project for the ISO, with plans to begin first forecast delivery in 2012. Accurate forecasting is the key to the management of any generation source that inherently depends on the variability of the weather, requiring advanced short-term prediction of generation to make it approach the manageability of conventional electricity sources.

GL Garrad Hassan has carried out pre-construction energy assessments on many operational and soon to be operational wind projects across the New England region. According to Dr. Craig Collier, regional practice manager for North America’s GH Forecaster service, “New England offers not only a diversity of topographic features to externally force the wind, but it is among the most complicated regions of the U.S. in terms of its meteorology. While New England is exposed to powerful winter storm systems advancing out of Southern Canada, the Central U.S., and the Atlantic (so-called “Nor’Easters”), it is also prone to hurricanes and severe weather, as evidenced by this year’s devastating tornado outbreak affecting Western Massachusetts.”

Indeed, the active summer was followed on its heels by an already active winter. This year’s winter is already off to an early start, with a record-breaking snow storm in late October. Dr. Collier adds, “These events make forecasting challenging even for the most seasoned meteorologists.”

For several years, GL Garrad Hassan has been providing short-term forecasting for a number of wind installations off the coast of Europe. The techniques developed for offshore prediction may lend themselves well for ISO New England. New England has a tremendous offshore wind resource, unlike that of any other region of the U.S. According to Ben Bell, CEO of GL Garrad Hassan North America, “We see tremendous potential for offshore development along the New England coast, a strategic area of involvement for GL Garrad Hassan.” Given its unparalleled experience with offshore assessment and forecasting, GL Garrad Hassan is ready for the challenge of any new developments along the Atlantic Coast.

GL Garrad Hassan has provided short-term prediction solutions for project owners, operators, utilities, and system operators for nearly 10 years. The GL Garrad Hassan solution, GH Forecaster, is built upon cutting-edge wind resource and wind power simulation, state of the art high-resolution numerical weather prediction, and advanced and highly-adaptive machine learning models, to provide the most accurate short-term forecasts in the industry. Backed by a globally dispersed team of atmospheric scientists, physicists, and engineers, the GH Forecaster system provides custom short-term prediction services for over 30 GW of installed capacity in 14 countries, from Southeast Asia to Europe, to the Americas, and to Australia. Learn more at www.gl-group.com.

Sandvik Coromant has announced the establishment of a new department focused on education. With this change comes a newly appointed director of education in the U.S., John Jacobsen. He previously held the position of director of business intelligence for three years at Sandvik Coromant U.S. in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. In his new role he will be responsible for overseeing all internal and external training and education activities in the United States.

“We are committed to helping customers develop the skills required in the area of metal cutting technology,” says Jacobsen. “In this new role I hope to encourage a higher level of knowledge by offering ways to improve machining processes and profitability. We are also committed to helping all of our employees continue their education by offering a comprehensive selection of metal cutting technology and business courses in both a classroom and e-learning environment.”

Jacobsen earned an MBA degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He is also a certified facilitator for Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits for Managers and Paradigm Learning’s Zodiak business acumen course. He is a board member with the Industrial Supply Association (ISA) and the United States Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), and he has been a part of the Sandvik Coromant team for 15 years in a variety of management positions.

Sandvik Coromant is a world-leading supplier of cutting tools and tooling systems for the metalworking industry and is represented in 130 countries. It has 25 state of the art Productivity Centers located around the world to provide customers and staff with continuous training in tooling solutions and methods to increase productivity. Sandvik Coromant is part of the tooling business area of the Sandvik Group. Learn more at www.sandvik.coromant.com/us.