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This Wind Energy Technology Development 2018 presents an assessment of the state of the art, development trends, targets and needs, technological barriers, as well as techno-economic projections until 2050. Particular attention is paid to how EC funded projects contributed to technology advancements. It includes an overview of Member States' activities based on information from the relevant SET Plan Temporary Working Groups as well as the objectives and main outcomes of the most relevant international programmes., JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewables

The European coal sector currently employs nearly half million people in direct and indirect activities. By 2030, it is estimated that around 160 000 direct jobs may be lost. Regional development based on a carefully planned restructuring process, to which renewable energy plays central role, will create new employment opportunities., JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Union

This document has been produced to provide the definition and rationale for the Baseline Offshore Wind farm established within IEA Wind Task 26 – Cost of Wind Energy. The Baseline has been developed in order to provide a common starting point for country comparisons and sensitivity analysis on key offshore wind cost and value drivers. The baseline project reflects an approximate average of the characteristics of projects installed between 2012 and 2014, with the project life assumed to be 20 years. The baseline wind farm is located 40km from construction and O&M ports and from export cable landfall. The wind farm consists of 100 4MW wind turbines mounted on monopile foundations in average water depth 25 metres, connected by 33kV inter-array cables. The arrays are connected to a single offshore substation (33kV/220kV) mounted on a jacket foundation, with the substation connected via a single 220kV export cable to an onshore substation, 10km from landfall. The wind farm employs a port-based O&M strategy using crew-transfer vessels. The baseline wind farm applies a 70/30 debt/equity ratio with resulting pre-tax WACC of 8.00% (7.10% post-tax). A generic tax rate of 25% has been applied, intended to be representative of the range of tax rates in Task 26 member countries. The site properties and technology choices have been used to estimate CapEx, OpEx and net energy production. These assumptions, together with the project life and financing inputs have been used to generate a baseline LCOE., JRC.C.7-Knowledge for the Energy Union

This report presents key technology, market and economic aspects of wind energy in Europe and beyond. During 2014 the wind energy sector saw a new record in actual installations in a context of healthy manufacturer balance sheet and downward trend in prices. The global market reached 52.8 GW of installed capacity in 2014 of which 2.7 GW offshore, whereas in Europe 11.8 GW were installed. Global cumulative installed capacity reached 370 GW at the end of 2014 and in Europe 130 GW. The installed capacity at the end of 2014 in the EU produces 265 TWh of electricity in an average year. From a technology point of view in 2014 larger turbines were sold and in particular those with larger rotors relative to their electricity generator, designed for sites with lower wind resources. In 2014 both turbine and project prices onshore dropped. Energy costs (levelised cost of energy, LCoE) for projects with final investment decision in 2016/7 are estimated between EUR 90 and 150 per MWh, with main influences being water depth and whether offshore substation and connection to the onshore grid costs are included or not. Onshore, recent research suggest European LCoE in 2012 between EUR 45 (Denmark) and EUR 97 (Germany, low wind area) per MWh, with a clear trend to lower prices. Recent turbine prices are estimated to vary from EUR 770 to 880 per kW., JRC.F.6-Energy Technology Policy Outlook

This document is the first deliverable of to the study on the social and economic value of wind energy. The aim of this paper is to provide an updated overview of the regulatory framework for wind energy in European Union Member States. The study is focused in both onshore and offshore wind energy describing the main features of the regulatory framework currently in force in each Member State. Three main aspects are covered in this report: support schemes, grid issues and potential barriers for wind energy deployment., JRC.F.6-Energy Technology Policy Outlook

The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) is the technology pillar of the EU's energy and climate policy. This report contains assessments of energy technology reference indicators (ETRI) and it is aimed at providing independent and up-to-date cost and performance characteristics of the present and future European energy technology portfolio. It complements the Technology Map of SETIS by making. The ETRIreport provides: • techno-economic data projections for the modelling community and policy makers, e.g. capital and operating costs, thermal efficiencies and technical lifetimes; • greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumptions; The ETRI report covers the time frame 2010 to 2050. This first version of the report focuses on electricity generation technologies, but it also includes data for the electrical transmission grids, energy storage systems, and heat pumps., JRC.F.6-Energy Technology Policy Outlook

A system-based approach to assessing the value of wind is based on the definition of the subsystems that lie inside the system boundary, then the categories in each subsystem, and finally the elements that compose those categories. The subsystems that were identified as affecting the value of wind are: • technology, including research, development and demonstration (RD&D), technology spillover and materials; • the energy sector, including the electricity market and electricity system categories, the security and economic aspects of security of supply and the wider non-electricity energy market; • the wind energy market, including industrial activities and the cost of wind energy and its support, for example, in the form of subsidies, grants, taxes, fees and levies, and by the financial sector; • the broader economy, including electricity generation technology investment, government actions and industrial competitiveness; • social, covering employment, the impact on land or the sea, social acceptance, non-economic costs of administration, anti-wind campaigns, health and safety issues; • environmental categories, including life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, water use and land and water surface. The result is a guide that could be used by analysts and practitioners of policy-support theory and practice to define which subsystems, categories and/or elements they decide to include in a prospective analysis of the value (and the impact) of wind for society., JRC.F.6-Energy Technology Policy Outlook

This report presents key technology, market and economic aspects of wind energy in Europe and beyond. During 2012 the wind energy sector saw a new record in actual installations and also a negative record year for the economics of its manufacturing sector. 2013, by contrast, saw a reduction in turbine installations but a better perspective for the economics of the sector. The global market reached 45 GW of installed capacity in 2012 of which 1.4 GW offshore, whereas in Europe 11.9 GW installed beat the 2009 record of 10.2 GW, with the offshore market also marking a new record with 1.275 GW. Global cumulative installed capacity reached 285 GW at the end of 2012 and, according to preliminary reports, it reached 318 GW by the end of 2013. The installed capacity at the end of 2012 in the EU produces 203 TWh of electricity on an average year. From a technology point of view in 2013 the outstanding results of the TWENTIES project for wind integration deserves credit. They showed e.g. that up to 15% more electricity can be transported in existing lines with minimum operational and technological improvements, and up to 25% more in newly-designed lines using new but within-reach technologies. In 2012 both turbine and project prices onshore dropped, and 2013 showed the first indications that a 40% reduction in offshore cost is within reach by 2020. The analysis of data from IEAWind (2013) suggests that the average “Western” (i.e. without Chinese or Indian project data) wind project capital investment was 1510 €/kW in 2012, a reduction of 4% over the 1 580 €/kW of 2011, and the average turbine cost was 940 €/kW in 2012, a 6% reduction over the 998 €/kW of 2011. Calculations based on different sources suggest a significant reduction for 2013 to perhaps €1 410/kW., JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation

Penetration and deployment of some key renewable energy sources in Europe is analysed on the basis of the latest available data and statistics., JRC.F.7-Renewable Energy

This report presents the results of the assessment for PHS in Europe under certain topologies and scenarios. The results show that the theoretical potential in Europe is significant. We studied two different topologies. Under topology 1 the theoretical potential energy stored reaches 54 TWh for a maximum of 20 km between existing reservoirs; of this potential approximately 11 TWh correspond to the EU and 37 TWh to candidate countries. Under topology 2 the European theoretical potential reaches 123 TWh when the distance between the existing reservoir and the prospective site is up to 20 km. Unlike topology 1, in topology 2 the majority of this potential (50%) lays within the EU. The realisable potential accounts for reduced potential sites too close to a centre of population, protected natural areas or transport infrastructure. For topology 1 and scenario 20 km the realisable potential is halved to 29 TWh, whereas topology 2 is slightly less affected and still reaches 80 TWh of which 33 TWh in the EU., JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation

The wind energy sector uses a mature yet continuously improving technology. The reliability of wind turbines and the efficiency of energy capture are both high, yet continue to improve with new designs, new components and new materials. Even non-technological aspects such as project management, better forecasts of wind energy production and better risks assessment are contributing to increasing the competitiveness of wind power and reducing its overall cost. This is sometimes achieved even if some cost areas can occasionally increase, e.g. capital costs due to the better quality of components. To further increase reliability, scientists and designers require better knowledge of loads, load effects and electrical effects in the mechanical and electrical parts of the turbine. They also require materials and basic components (e.g. electronic components of the electricity subsystems) that can stand higher temperatures and perform better at normal operating temperatures. In some areas reliability is improved through more redundancy of equipment, in particular in control and power electronics. The technological aspects of wind energy include: • Wind turbine components: blades, forgings (e.g. main shafts), castings (e.g. hubs, bearing housings and bed plates), pitch, control and yaw systems, generator, gearbox, bearings and shafts, and power electronics. • Design for manufacture, transport and installation; turbine assembly. • Offshore foundations design and manufacture; and foundations, cable and turbine installation. • Substations: switchgear, transformers, cables, circuit breakers, etc. The world wind market and the European offshore sectors are continuously growing although European onshore wind growth is less significant. Overall, the global annual market remains stable at around 40 GW of installed capacity, but this figure hides huge variations between individual markets. Cumulative installed capacity reached 240 GW at the end of 2011 and is expected to reach 285 GW at the end of the current year (2012). The 2011 manufacturers market continued to be dominated by Vestas and, as in 2010, it included four Chinese firms among the top-ten. However, the changes in the Chinese market are very significant as the 2010 market leader Sinovel (and 2nd worldwide) is now 7th worldwide. European firms, General Electric (US) and Suzlon (India) have a truly international reach whereas Chinese firms are still confined to the Chinese market. Capital expenditure (CapEx) or cost for wind installations vary greatly worldwide: unit costs in some countries can be triple those in other countries. Overall, 2011 CapEx for onshore wind averaged 1 580 €/kW, if Chinese and Indian installations are excluded (due to different cost methodologies), and the offshore figure reached 3 500 €/kW although from a low installed capacity basis. Operational costs (OpEx) are also very different onshore (21 €/MWh) and offshore (32 €/MWh, figures depend on assumptions such as capacity factors). There is a clear trend to lower prices in both CapEx and OpEx, possibly steeper in onshore than offshore OpEx and with very significant potential in offshore CapEx. This report presents a snapshot of the current situation of the wind sector from a technology and market perspective, and a detailed analysis of the economics of wind. It is the first of a series of annual reports which will not only include annual developments but also specific, one-off research into technology aspects of the wind sector., JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation

Energy storage is an important option to enable a higher share of variable renewable electricity such as wind and solar, in the energy system. Pumped hydropower storage (PHS) is currently the only storage technology able to provide the large storage needed for accommodating renewable electricity under the 2020 EU energy targets. Moreover, the transformation of an existing water reservoir into a PHS facility has a much smaller environmental and social impact compared with most new hydropower plant in Europe. The JRC collaborated with University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland to develop a GIS-based methodology and model to assess the potential for transforming single reservoirs into PHS systems. Then the JRC organised a multi-disciplinary expert workshop to validate the methodology and model, provide a set of recommendations for the improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of the methodology, address the issue of data availability in the Member States, and share and disseminate the methodology among relevant stakeholders, such as policy makers, industry, research, etc. This report presents the results of the workshop which concluded that the assessment of the potential for PHS is different when its purpose is site assessment or policy planning and decision-making; and that the use of geographical information systems models is effective, efficient and convenient for both purposes whereas what differs is the intensity of the use of the tools, the detail of the data needed and the assumptions behind the model and methodology. The restriction to PHS development imposed by the different types of nature protection areas (NPA) is different in different countries. Also, laws and perceptions change with time and as PHS projects take a long time to realise the scientific assessment of European or national potential cannot take current NPAs and laws into account with the same weight as the site assessment for a proposed PHS project. Country and European assessment is heavily dependent on the assumptions taken. For example, sensibility analysis showed that enlarging the maximum distance between two reservoirs from 5 to 20 km increased the theoretical potential for Croatia from 60 GWh to nearly 600 GWh., JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation

The development and diffusion of offshore wind energy technology is important for European energy policy. However, the large potential does not automatically lead to a large share in future energy systems; neither does an emergent stage of technological development automatically lead to success for companies and the related economic growth and growth in employment. Recent insights in innovation studies suggest that the success chances of technological innovations are, to a large extent, determined by how the surrounding system (the innovation system) is built up and how it functions. Many innovation systems are characterized by flaws that hamper the development and diffusion of innovations. These flaws are often labelled as system problems or system challenges. Intelligent innovation policy therefore evaluates how innovation systems are functioning, tries to create insight into the systems’ challenges and develops policies accordingly. This report assesses the European offshore wind innovation system based on insights from four countries: Denmark, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. We use the Technological Innovation System (TIS) approach to analyse the state and functioning of the system at the end of 2011. Based on the analysis we identify four types of systemic challenges: (i) actor-related such as deficiency of engineers; (ii) institutional, e.g. non-aligned national regulatory frameworks; (iii) interaction-related like poor transferability of scientific knowledge to specific contexts of application and; (iv) infrastructural such as poor grid infrastructure. We suggest the challenges require a systemic, coordinated policy effort at a European level if the system is expected to contribute to the goals of climate change reduction and stimulation of green growth., JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation

No abstract, JRC.F.6-Energy systems evaluation