Earlier this month, World Economic Forum released a report on new energy capacity highlighting the global shift towards more renewable energy sources. Their research shows that in 2020 more than 80% of new energy capacity was renewable marking a remarkable decade for green energy.
Since 2010 the world’s solar energy capacity has increased by 700% while wind energy has grown by about 300% pushing renewable energy to become the cheapest electricity source in a number of countries. Unfortunately, more than 80% of the world’s energy is still being generated from fossil fuels.
With the South African Energy Crisis still looming, experts expect the problem to get worse over the next 5 years and that it is crucial that we start looking at alternative methods of generating electricity.
Wind energy offers many advantages, which explains why it is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world. Firstly, wind power is a cost-effective energy source as the fuel needed to generate energy is free and reduces the inconsistent prices that fuel costs add to traditional sources of energy. Wind energy also creates jobs and is expected to create more demand for jobs in the sector in the coming years as the shift towards cleaner energy continues. According to the U.S. Department of energy, the wind sector employs more than 100 000 workers in the U.S. This number is expected to grow beyond 600 000 by 2050.
According to the latest reports, the South African wind market is expected to grow at a rate of more than 3% during the forecast period of 2020-2025. Population increases and the rising power demand, along with auctioned projects for wind energy during 2017-2019, are going to drive the market in the forecast period.
Kendrion INTORQ is a long-standing, experienced solution provider for brakes for electric motors, including for the application of rotor pitch adjustment in wind turbines. Kendrion INTORQ, locally represented by SA Power, have developed a Cold Climate Version (CCV) IP66 BFK470 spring applied brake for harsh operating conditions. This solution ideally meets the requirements of wind power in both onshore and offshore wind farms. For more info contact our Sales team