While fossil fuel prices continue to rise, wind energy prices continue to fall. Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s latest Wind Turbine Price Index (WTPI) reports that utility-scale wind power equipment prices hit a new low in the second half of 2011. Prices dropped about 4%.
According to Bloomberg contracts signed in the second half of 2011 for 2013 delivery fell to EUR 0.91m/MW ($1.21/MW), down 4% from six months earlier and well off their five-year high of EUR 1.21m/MW in 2009.
Price drops were largest for older wind turbines, dropping to ”EUR 0.85m ($1.13m) per megawatt on average, down 10% from six months earlier.”
Chinese manufacturers led the competition, even in developing wind power markets across the world, such as Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Australia.
Source: BNEF
We start this new month with good news out of Scotland: The nation is now 35% powered by renewable green energy. And the nation is well underway to its goal of getting 100% of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
The concentrated solar power market will continue to grow, even in the midst of solar PV’s rapid cost reductions. According to the latest reports, China is projected to have 1,000 MW of concentrated solar thermal power capacity by 2015 and 3 GW by 2020.
With a population of just under 4.5 million people, New Zealand is a small nation doing its part in reducing CO2 emissions and is quietly becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.
While green certificates are devaluated and tax reductions are abolished, investments in solar panels remain very profitable for consumers and small companies in Belgium. However, module prices in Belgium have decreased and the remaining value of green certificates is stable. This all causes solar energy to be cheaper than ever. Knowing this, market watcher Peter J. Segaar of Polder PV expects the market will continue to grow, although it’s uncertain the record set in 2011 will be beaten.
