After a 20% falloff in 2013, the global wind power industry made a strong comeback in 2014, with a record 51.2 gigawatts (GW) installed, representing a 42% increase over the previous year, according to the BTM Consult arm of Navigant Research in its latest World Wind Energy Market Update 2015.
China alone installed a record 23.2 GW of new wind power last year. All told, the global five-year average growth rate was 7.8%, and cumulative installed capacity rose to 373 GW by the end of last year
However, Navigant projects a curtailment in the growth of annual new installations through 2019. Over that forecast period, installations are expected to increase by only 0.3% per year, and that includes an 8.9% growth in 2015. A total of 245,547 megawatts of wind power will be added over the forecast period, increasing cumulative capacity by 13.2% per year.
China will continue to lead the world in installation activity for the foreseeable future. But Navigant doesn’t expect that country to add more than 17 GWs in any given year.
Navigant foresees a “substantial” drop in installations in Germany due to changes in incentive structures after 5.1 GW of wind power were installed last year, which was higher than anticipated.
Chart from Navigant Research's wind power outlook
The U.S. wind power market has been recovering, thanks to the 2013 extension of the Production Tax Credit/Investment Tax Credit, as well as new safe-harbor guidance from the Internal Revenue Service about tax-credit eligibility. Navigant projects 14.8 GW will be installed in the U.S. in the years 2015 and 2016 combined.
In its 227-page report, Navigant notes that the average size of wind turbines increased only slightly in 2014, to 1,958 kilowatts (kW). The global market for direct-drive turbines grew 30% to 13,740 megawatts (MW), and represented 27% of all installations. In contrast, offshore wind grid connection and weather-related delays halved new offshore installations to 852 MWs in 2014.
Navigant notes that OEM sources are focusing more on product diversification, and are designed machines for maximum energy production in low wind speed areas, for operations in high altitudes or in cold climates, or for areas with blade-tip height restrictions. The evolution of larger rotor machines is leading to new blade designs, manufacturing processes, sourcing strategies, and supplier partnerships.
Interestingly, Navigant is seeing the hegemony of bigger players loosening a bit. Last year, the top 15 operator-owners controlled 29.3% of the market, or two percentage points lower than in 2013. “This exemplifies a trend of commercial acceptance in the utility marketplace. Demand for wind plants continues to move beyond the traditional owners that are historically comfortable with wind to new owners that are now convinced of the value wind plants bring to their portfolios,” Navigant reports.
Related Stories
| Oct 14, 2013
Computer simulation aids design of Vermont ski area net-zero lodge and fitness center
The Craftsbury (Vermont) Outdoor Center has broken ground on a new activity lodge and fitness center. An energy modeling computer simulation was used to optimize solar orientation, insulation values, and the form of the building.
| Oct 10, 2013
Carnegie Mellon study looks at impact of dashboards on energy consumption
A recent study by Carnegie Mellon took a look at the impact of providing feedback in an energy dashboard form to workers and studying how it impacted overall energy consumption.
| Oct 7, 2013
Geothermal system, energy-efficient elevator are key elements in first net-zero public high school in Rhode Island
The school will employ a geothermal system to heat and cool a portion of the building. Other energy-saving measures will include LED lighting, room occupancy sensors, and an energy-efficient elevator.
| Oct 4, 2013
Sydney to get world's tallest 'living' façade
The One Central Park Tower development consists of two, 380-foot-tall towers covered in a series of living walls and vertical gardens that will extend the full height of the buildings.
| Sep 30, 2013
Smart building systems key to new Wisconsin general aviation terminal’s net zero target
The Outagamie County Regional Airport’s new 8,000 sf general aviation terminal was designed to achieve net zero.
| Sep 26, 2013
Sheep's wool insulation, bio-brick among Cradle to Cradle product innovation finalists
Ten finalists are competing for $250,000 in prizes from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right.
| Sep 24, 2013
8 grand green roofs (and walls)
A dramatic interior green wall at Drexel University and a massive, 4.4-acre vegetated roof at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City are among the projects honored in the 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence.
| Sep 23, 2013
After retrofit and PV array project, N.Y. beverage distributor gets to net-zero
Queens, N.Y.-based beverage distributor Big Geyser’s energy efficiency retrofit project and rooftop solar array installation have positioned the company’s facility to achieve net-zero power.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 16, 2013
Passive solar, enhanced envelope crucial to Univ. of Illinois net-zero project
Passive solar strategies and an enhanced envelope are keys to achieving net-zero on the new 230,000 sf Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering building at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
