Unique European Network of Excellence
The European Academy of Wind Energy aims at integrating the activities of the highest level academic and research institutes in Europe working on Wind Energy under a joint programme of long-term character. Particular attention will be paid in spreading excellence through joint education and training activities.
The benefits of past RTD in the wind energy sector have been clearly demonstrated by the increasing sizes of turbines and the lower prices per installed production capacity of electricity. Production costs of wind turbines have been reduced by a factor of four from 1981 to 1998. Today, wind energy is close to cost competitive with other forms of electrical generation at locations with a good wind resource.
At present, Europe is leading in the wind energy field, both with respect to the industry, installations and research. This is a unique position in a rapidly growing international market characterised by major development in technology, size and application.
To maintain the position and fully exploit the growth perspectives requires both continued technology development and education and training of a highly qualified workforce in Europe.
Continued R&D in long-term aspects is essential to provide further reductions in cost and uncertainty, strengthen acceptability and reliability and increase the overall value of wind power in order to realise the anticipated level of deployment.
The nature of the long-term research needed is highly multidisciplinary in the technological sense and trans-disciplinary in the implementation sense (different wind-climates, offshore-flat terraincomplex terrain, large scale integration - isolated island grids etc). It is the kind of research particularly well suited to be performed by a network of excellence at the European level..
If further RTD is one necessary component for the future success of Wind Energy, qualified human resource at all levels (technical and non-technical) is a second. High level education and training is a key issue for developing the human resource needed to support the anticipated wind energy market boom. But high level education and training also bespeaks for a living research web.
The Partnership
The members of the European Academy of Wind Energy include at present 29 entities, representing 7 EU countries and more than 80% of the long-term research activity in the field of Wind Energy. During the years, the group members have established strong links through a systematic collaboration under the European Framework Programmes and through common participation in human networks, including European and International Standardization and Certification bodies. All core partners have an outstanding position in their national Wind Energy research activities
The network will advance knowledge in the area of wind energy, by pooling a critical mass of competence and skills. The initial core group is structured with national nodes, represented by major wind energy research institutes with associated partners from universities or other research institutes. The national networks are well established through consortia or firm agreements of cooperation.
The core group of the proposed network includes the following entities with an outstanding experience in Wind Energy research:
- Denmark: Risø National Laboratory, Aalborg University, DHI Water & Environment, Technical University of Denmark
- Germany: ISET, University of Kassel, University of Hannover, University of Magdeburg, University of Stuttgart, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
- Greece: National Technical University of Athens, CRES, University of Patras
- Netherlands: Delft University of Technology, ECN
- Norway: SINTEF, Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- Spain: CENER, Instituto de Investigación de Energías Renovables (IIER), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universidad Pública de Navarra
- United Kingdom: CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Imperial College London, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Durham, Loughborough University, University of Manchester, University of Strathclyde, University of Surrey
Integration activities
PhD-Exchange
In training better young European scientists, the Network of Excellence will contribute to bridge the gap it has with the Unites States and Japan in terms of density of researchers per inhabitant thus consenting businesses to hire personnel trained in high and new technologies.
Exchange of scientists
Short term exchange of scientist among the network's participants in order to promote integration of R&D, contribute to education of PhDs and preparation of dissemination activities.
Exploitation of existing research infrastructures
with a view of shared or complementary use, in particular for large, full scale, laboratories (WT test-stations, blade-testing rigs, wind tunnel facilities, atmospheric and sea-state field measurement systems etc.)
Long-Term research activity
The following thematic areas and topics are identified as first priority long-term RTD issues for EAWE's joint programme of activities:
| Long-term Wind Forecast |
• Wind resources, • Micro-siting in complex terrain, • Annual energy yield, • Design wind conditions (turbulence, shear, gusts, extreme winds) offshore, onshore and in complex terrain |
| Wind Turbine External Conditions |
• Characteristics of wind regime and waves • Atmospheric flow and turbulence • Interaction of boundary layer and large wind farms • Prediction of exceptional events |
| Wind Turbine Technology |
• Aerodynamics, aeroelasticity and aeroacoustics, • Electrical generators, power electronics and control • Loads, safety and reliability • Materials and composite structures, fracture mechanisms • Material characterization and Life Cycle Analysis • New wind turbine concepts |
| System Integration |
• Grid connection and power quality issues • Short-term power prediction • Wind farm and cluster management and control • Condition monitoring, Maintenance on Demand • New storage, transmission and power compensation systems |
| Integration into Energy Economy |
• Integration of wind power into power plant scheduling and electricity trading • Profile-based power output, Virtual power plants • Trans-national and –continental supply structures • Control of distributed energy systems |
Activities of spreading the excellence
Development
of international training courses to provide a suitable vehicle for the training of researchers, students, engineers and industrial executives (in particular for SMEs), and of other potential users of the knowledge produced within the network. Such clearly identified training activities should contribute to the professional development of the persons concerned and incorporate a mobility aspect. The member institutes will create and perform jointcourses of different levels and durations. Practical training will be included. These courses will be offered to European and extra European customers.
Dissemination of knowledge
• Web site: public access to R&D outputs
• Intranetwork communication and partner meetings
• International seminars
• Summer schools for graduate and PhD-students
Services in support of technological innovation in SMEs
• Training courses for industry technical staff
• Development of computer software for technology development
• Targeted R&D news service
Standardisation
Specific R&D for preparation of proposals, evaluation and participation in CENELEC and IEC technical committees and working groups in the R&D fields of the network.
Eligibility criteria for new EAWE members
Background
On October 17, 2003 the European Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE) was formed by 4 national networks of research institutes and universities active in the wind energy field, comprising CRES, National Technical University of Athens (Greece), and University of Patras (Greece); ECN and Delft University (The Netherlands); ISET and the University of Kassel (Germany); and Risø, Technical University of Denmark, University of Aalborg, and DHI Water and Environment (Denmark). In the minutes of the first board meeting the following basic principles for the management and inclusion of new members were formulated:
The basic principle shall be to keep the EAWE management structure as simple as possible.
• All member institutions are represented in the annual EAWE board meeting with equal vote. The annual board meeting decides on all fundamental issues of EAWE membership and management.
• For the formal representation of EAWE, a president is elected during the annual meeting for the period of one year, starting mid October. The president shall be supported by a secretary for the day-to-day management. The expenses for the secretary will be covered by the institute which provides the actual presidency.
• EAWE is basically open for the new numbers. To guarantee the highest possible level in both research and education, acceptance of new members should be limited to those organizations which will be able to keep or to improve the scientific level of EAWE. It is therefore proposed to accept new members only if they have been proposed by a current member of EAWE and if they are accepted by all existing members.
• The application should demonstrate an already existing national node structure.
Challenges
Since October 2003 several institutes from both new countries as well as the present member countries have approached EAWE, wishing to become members. While new members are anticipated and greatly welcomed, the applications and consequently an increase in members provide several challenges to EAWE such as
1 • Fair and well-defined criteria for becoming a member
2 • National representation in EAWE
3 • Maintaining and developing the scientific and educational level within EAWE
4 • Decision-making and administration
5 • Efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation
In order to address these challenges, a set of eligibility criteria for new members and principles for management and decision-making is proposed in the following.
Eligibility criteria for new members
New members shall be:
1 • belong to a nation, which is a member of the European Union,
2 • willing to co-operate on the basis of the conditions specified in the Brochure "European Academy of Wind Energy",
3 • able to provide a scientific and educational contribution to EAWE and the society at the level or higher than provided by the existing members,
4 • organised in a national network, comprising of a nodal institute and associated partners and governed by a formal agreement on cooperation on wind energy field on
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• research, both long-term research and applied research, • education of candidates and researchers (PhDs), • dissemination in terms of training of technical staff, consultancy and other technical services, |
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• represent a majority of the national activities of the above-mentioned areas, • comprise at least an annual R&D effort of 25 man-years, and • provide a university educational programme in the wind energy field on the master-level as well as a phd-programme, |
7 • be a non-profit research institute or a university, and be
8 • proposed by a current member of EAWE, assessed with respect to the eligibility criteria by an admission committee with two other members from other nations and approved by consensus at the annual EAWE board meeting.
In the situation where an applicant, one or more institutes or universities from a nation not represented in EAWE, cannot meet the criteria above, one of the existing national networks may invite the applicant to become an associated partner of the national network for an agreed period and hence a member of EAWE.
Management and decision-making
With potentially memberships of 25 national networks, each comprising several partners, the agreed principle of decisions being taken at an annual board meeting of all members with equal vote may not be feasible. It is proposed to
• elect a president and a vice-president for a one year period, to be possibly re-elected once,
• maintain an annual meeting of all members, a general assembly meeting, given the overall authority of EAWE business and the election of the president,
• assign each national network 4 votes for decisions at the general assembly, where decision shall need a majority of two-thirds, and
• establish an executive committee, comprising of one member for each national network, responsible for the daily management of EAWE and chaired by the president.
