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UW to increase wind energy research efforts
University partners with world’s largest producer of turbines
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The University of Wisconsin announced Wednesday the formation of a partnership with the world’s largest producer of wind power technology in an effort to increase research opportunities for students in the College of Engineering.
Vestas, a wind turbine manufacturer based out of Denmark, will seek to establish its presence in Madison while supplying funding for research by UW students and faculty working toward new technologies.
“It’s an opportunity for faculty to help each other in a sense that we’re an institution that has research capabilities in a variety of areas that are important to Vestas in terms of expanding their technology and business opportunities,” said engineering professor Thomas Jahns, who helped forge the partnership.
Jahns said graduate students and faculty will be working on projects to produce the next generation of wind turbines, along with other research involving the electrical equipment involved.
Jahns said the relationship most importantly will lead to an interdisciplinary connection between different schools on campus.
“It’s certainly more than just the electrical,” Jahns said. “The goal ultimately is to try to strengthen interdisciplinary research that involves other departments within the College of Engineering but also other parts of campus.”
He said the relationship will also enable the development of new curriculum within the College of Engineering, specifically in the areas of renewable energy and wind technology.
The partnership has been backed at both the city and state level and has the personal support of Gov. Jim Doyle.
“Geographically, Wisconsin has the advantage of being strategically located to supply the upper Midwest with wind turbine components,” Doyle said in a statement. “And the University of Wisconsin is one of the country’s greatest academic institutions, with the best and brightest students and researchers.”
While Jahns and Doyle have both expressed a need for Wisconsin to be closely involved in renewable energies such as wind, Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow Treasurer Paris Glazer said students should be cautious about accepting wind power as the future.
“Like the Grateful Dead said, every silver lining has a touch of gray,” Glazer said. “Always be questioning, so to speak. There are hidden costs and hidden agendas. Sometimes these so-to-speak green energies aren’t as green as they seem.”
According to Glazer, CFACT, a student group that supports the solving of consumer and environmental problems through free enterprise, supports alternatives to wind — such as nuclear — that are more economically viable.
He cited problems such as shortages in the number of wind turbines available as the culprits in increasing hidden costs associated with wind energy.
However, Jahns said wind energy will be essential if the United States plans to end its dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, and Wisconsin should take the opportunity to be directly involved.
“From that standpoint, wind is one of the most important sources of renewable energy that is out there,” Jahns said. “Ultimately, technology does make a big difference in terms of determining what can be done and how big of a role wind can ultimately play.”
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Wind turbines kill thousands of bats and birds. They also must be backed up with a stable fossil fuel energy source for those times when the wind isn’t blowing for a long stretch. Not too many locations are ideal for wind turbines. Turbines located off the cost are a hazard for boats and an eye sore. Our power grid does not have the capacity to store large quantities of electric energy, so the electricity must be produced when it is needed. With wind power the peak supply time does not match the peak demand time.
Wind turbine-maker Vestas Wind Systems is to cut 1,900 jobs - mainly in the UK and Denmark - despite reporting a 70% rise in quarterly profits.
It will be closing its UK turbine plant on the Isle of Wight, cutting 450 jobs.
The Danish firm blamed the headcount reduction, which represents 9% of its workforce, on market oversupply.
It came as Vestas reported a net profit of 56m euros ($73m; £50m) for the first three months of 2009, up from 33m euros for the same period last year.
The company also said it planned to raise funds through a share issue.
Vestas said that supply of wind turbines exceeded demand in Northern Europe, despite the drive of governments including Germany and the UK to increase the amount of electricity generated by green energy alternatives.
‘Strong numbers’
Quarterly sales at the company, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines, rose 59% to 1.11bn euros.
It also said it was sticking to its full-year sales targets.
Analysts broadly welcomed the results.
“It’s a strong set of numbers and good operational performances - better than the street had expected,” said Rupesh Madlani, analyst at Barclays Capital.
“Raising capital in this environment makes good strategic sense, so we’re pretty positive.”
Vestas has yet to indicate how much it hopes to raise from the share issue.