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On the occasion of the 7th World Summit for Small Wind in Husum (Germany), WWEA has released the global small wind statistics. The Summary of the 2016 Small Wind World Report indicates that 2014 brought a recovery but it was still challenging year for the small wind industry.
World market for small wind turbines reaches 830 MW, a growth rate of 10,9 %, after 10,4 % in the previous year.
FITs in UK and Italy boost markets, under 15kW segment adversely affected.
As of the end of 2014, a cumulative total of at least 945’000 small wind turbines were installed all over the world. In terms of installed capacity, China accounts for 41% of the global capacity, the USA for 30% and UK for 15%.
Five countries (Canada, China, Germany the UK and the USA) account for over 50 % of the small wind manufacturers. Based on the world distribution of turbine manufacturers, the production of small wind remains concentrated in few world regions: in China, in North America and in several European countries. Developing countries continue to play a minor role in small wind manufacturing.
As predicted in 2015, the global small wind market stop decreasing during 2014 and it is expected that it will increase again from 2015, at least in terms of capacity installed, mainly because an increase in the size of the new turbines installed in China and Europe. A minimum growth rate of 11% is anticipated to continue until 2016. At least 115 MW of new capacity are expected in 2016.
Stefan Gsänger, WWEA Secretary General: “Small wind has already found its niche in the global electricity market and provides power to millions of people living in around one million households, many of which would not have access to power without their small wind turbines. To grow further, the small wind industry needs supportive frameworks: in the industrialized countries, incentives instead of barriers for self-consumption of electricity and simple permission procedures would help a lot. In the so called developing countries, large-scale investment programmes for wind hybrid systems should be established which also include strong components of domestic capacity building programmes.”
Morten V. Petersen, Chair of WWEA Small Wind: “The small wind industry around the world is ready to upscale its investments in manufacturing as well as mass production and in assuring the quality buyers of small wind turbines do expect. More favourable policies and harmonized technical standards would give us the additional support we need.”
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