The debate still continues about which drive train is the best for a wind turbine.
The Switch didn’t invent the permanent magnet generator (PMG), but we are making it commercially available. I could write a long list of benefits on why PMG, like higher annual energy production and lower maintenance requirements. But this time, I’m not going to talk about those.
Instead, let’s crunch some numbers that IMS’s Greg Jonson just recently published in a wind generator study.
In 2011, 42.3 GW of wind generators were delivered; PMG’s share was 6.5 GW, which gives it a 15% market share. This is already a significant accomplishment. So we can say that PMG is a standard option and no longer just a technology trial.
Although wind industry growth has slowed down to an annual average of 3.8%, MAKE consulting estimates for the next five years that PMGs will keep growing faster than the average market growth rate. IMS, too, estimates the average PMG growth to be around 9% annually. By 2017, this means that PMG turbines will have captured an impressive 23% global market share. Moreover, all recent published estimates show that the double fed induction generators (DFIG) turbine market share will drop.
Which team do you want be on – the winners or the losers?
Jussi Vanhanen, Director, Sales and Marketing
