CompositesWorld
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TRENDS On the occasion of the laying of the frst foundation for the frst turbine in the frst-ever ofshore wind farm in the US, located three miles southeast of Block Island, RI, US (5 turbines, 30 MW, expected online in 2016), an article published by the US Energy Information Admin. (Washington, DC, US) by authors Rachel Marsh and Cara Marcy noted that this small beginning presages what could be profoundly signifcant opportunities to harvest wind energy of the US coast and ensure a long and steady demand for the composite materials and equip- ment necessary to build the massive blades that turn the turbine rotors. The authors note that The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, CO, US) estimates the US has 4,200 GW of developable ofshore wind, compared to its estimate of 11,000 GW of onshore potential. Wind resources are classifed on a scale of 0 to 7 (7 is best) based on power density, and more than 66% of ofshore wind in the US is in class 6 or 7. Marsh and Marcy note that wind turbine technology has grown steadily in Europe, and, to a lesser extent, in Asia. By 2014, Europe accounted for 90% of the estimated 8.8 GW of installed global ofshore wind turbine capacity (see p. 26). In the US, developers have proposed nearly 4.9 GW of ofshore wind capacity of the coasts of nine states, but challenges remain even for projects that have advanced through key regulatory/market milestones. For example, Cape Wind, a 486-MW proj- ect proposed in 2001, faced litigation that halted its progress. Marsh and Marcy put the diference in European and US attitudes toward ofshore wind down, in part, to the abundance of onshore wind opportunities in the US, many in relatively unpopulated areas, where challenges such as those that have delayed/cancelled projects in densely populated New England are less likely to crop up. US wind energy: Offshore promise remains unfulfilled, onshore strong ENERGY 1-888-PEEL-PLY (733-5759) | Fax 336-510-8003 | precisionfabrics.com Precision Fabrics is an ISO 9001 certified company It takes both imagination and engineering to achieve fl ight. Today, aircraft manufacturers trust Precision Fabrics Group to help them think beyond existing material and processing limits. Working together, we can help you develop products for your specifi c applications. For more information about PFG Peel Ply that meets aerospace specifi cations, call John Houston at 1-888-PEEL-PLY, or contact one of our distributors. Technology Marketing, Inc. 801-265-0111, UT Gregory Young Sales & Service, Inc. 903-878-7291, TX Cytec Process Materials 562-906-3300, CA 44-1274-550-500, UK 33-5-6137-7791, FR 39-039-6892987, IT Northern Composites 603-926-1910, NH Flugzeug Union SUD 49-896-072-5393, Germany The of POWER PEEL PLY OCTOBER 2015 40 CompositesWorld