- 10 April 2008-
Suzlon feels the need for speed
Suzlon needs little introduction. The wind turbine manufacturer embodies the rise of renewable energy, perhaps more than any other company in the world. Founded in India in 1995, the wind group now ranks fifth worldwide and had a 7.7% share of the global turbine manufacturing market in 2006. It is the market leader in India, where it has installed more than 2GW of wind capacity and owns over 30 wind farms. David Hopwood speaks to Group ceo Andre Horbach.
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- 30 January 2008-
Directive sets the EU pathway
The draft Directive governing the EU’s renewable energy target has finally arrived. Is it what the renewable industry had dared to hope for? Dirk Hendricks, director of the World Future Council’s EU Liaison office thinks it’s a start, but points to some elements that still need to be addressed.
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- 30 January 2008-
US renewables groups on the offensive
Asserting that hundreds of thousands of job losses are at stake, leaders of four major US renewable energy trade associations have called on Congress and President Bush to extend production and investment tax credits to sustain hard-fought gains in cleaner electric generation...
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- 10 January 2008-
Financing PV - the fundamentals II
How can the issue of construction affect finance planning for PV projects? And how could the next generation of PV technology impact on project costs?
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- 20 December 2007-
Financing PV - the fundamentals I
In the first of a 2-part column, renewable energy focus looks at the murky waters that need to be navigated when structuring and financing a PV project.
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- 10 December 2007-
Heating up the EU biomass market
Herwig Ragossnig, of the European Biomass Association, looks at where the EU currently stands with regard to biomass, and finds that a strategy to encourage renewable heating is vital if the EU is to achieve the magic renewable energy target of 20% by 2020.
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- 6 November 2007-
The Rio+15 initiative: looking towards Bali
Jill Barker of carbon trading organisation EcoSecurities reports back from the Rio+15 conference, which aimed to address the issues related to climate change mitigation in the run up to the upcoming UNFCCC Bali conference.
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- 9 August 2007 -
Patently innovative
Wind energy has now become a major scientific discipline with significant potential for research and education. And as legislation drives the uptake of wind, ways to improve efficiency and yield are top of many company's R&D action plans. Renewable Energy Focus looks at some recent commercial developments in wind turbine technology.
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- 26 July 2007 -
Waste to watts
A brightfield is an abandoned or contaminated property (brownfield) redeveloped to use solar technology. Lori Ribeiro looks at one such project in Brockton, MA, USA, which shows that it is viable to turn brownfields into environmental, aesthetic, economic and educational assets.
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- 9 July 2007 -
20% by 2020: The way forward
The EU says it will source 20% of its overall energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. But as the renewables industry breathes a collective sigh of relief, it also knows that the road to the statute book could be a long one for this piece of legislation. David Hopwood and Rolf de Vos look at what happens now that the clock is ticking.
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- 7 June 2007 -
Transmission required
The growth of windpower and other renewables in the US can be attributed to Congress extending renewable production tax credits until the end of 2008; pressure to reduce global greenhouse gases; and the price of foreign oil imports. But what about the transmission that needs to accompany this demand? Lyn Corum looks at US projects under development.
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- 24 May 2007 -
PV 2006: From hype to reality
2006 was a year of hype, industry consolidation, and manic PR for the PV industry. Paula Mints of Navigant Consulting peels back the headlines and looks to the future of what will hopefully be a buoyant period for many aspects of solar technology.
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- 10 May 2007 -
Biofuels focus
reFOCUS looks at some cutting edge BioFuel processing technologies; and the country case charts Brazil's progress to date as it strives to overcome its difficulties and develop a major biodiesel program ripe for export.
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Wind and other re: How Much Can the Grid Accommodate?

Wind is a potent source of energy - in north-western Europe and the UK as much as anywhere. Debate rages on however, about its reliability and intermittency and regarding the nature and level of back-up required to support increasing amounts of wind and other renewables being added to the current grid
infrastructure. George Marsh reviews the issues.

Solar Home Systems Offering Credit and Ensuring Recovery

Solar pre-payment systems can offer a way of providing modern electricity services among populations currently deprived of them.

Energy for all: Obstacles and Success Conditions for RE in Developing Countries

In many developing countries there is a much larger potential for renewables like wind and solar energy than in industrialised countries. But there are obstacles that prevent the adoption of such "new" renewables in developing countries. Ulrich Laumanns and Danyel Reiche try to identify the most important obstacles and point to success conditions that can lead to a wider dissemination of "new" renewables in developing countries.

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