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Renewable Energy News

MONDAY 30 JANUARY, 2012 |

Gamesa And NREL Collaborate On Next Generation Wind Turbines

by Energy Matters

The next generation of wind turbines could help ensure more reliable supply of clean energy according to an announcement of the collaboration between the US Department of Energy and one of the world’s largest designers and retailers of wind power technology.

Gamesa Technology Corp. will partner with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to engage in research of a variety of wind power components and systems that will guide the development of the next generation of wind turbines designed specifically for the U.S. marketplace.

According to the NREL, public-private partnerships are an essential strategy in the battle against climate change and part of the plan to help America in "tapping the vast potential of this renewable energy resource and ultimately bring the nation closer to 20 percent wind energy by 2030."

The aim will be to develop new wind turbines that demonstrate better efficiencies and develop models for greater deployment of offshore wind power infrastructure.

"These types of collaborations demonstrate a commitment to crucial technology development and the public-private partnerships necessary to ensure the continued momentum of the wind power industry," says Dana Christensen, NREL's Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology.

Gamesa have worked with NREL before, installing a G97 Class IIIA 2.0 MW test wind turbine at NREL's National Wind Technology Centre near Boulder, Colorado - the most extensive wind research lab in the country.

The G97 2.0MW Turbine is considered a top-of-the-line model for low-wind on-shore conditions and NREL researchers will use this platform to as a laboratory; studying the behaviour of systems and how new designs, products or equipment can affect performance.

NREL scientists plan to begin testing soon. The terms of the Gamesa agreement runs through 2013, with options for two additional years of collaboration.

Although a relative newcomer to the global wind power sector, Gamesa has rapidly become a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of wind turbines, with more than 23,000 MW installed in 30 countries and 8,000 employees worldwide.