Enercon
Encyclopedia
Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich
, Germany
, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties. Enercon has production facilities in Germany (Aurich, Emden and Magdeburg
), Sweden
, Brazil
, India
, Canada
, Turkey
and Portugal
. In June 2010, Enercon announced that they would be setting up Irish headquarters in Tralee.
As of July 2011, Enercon had installed more than 17,000 wind turbines, with a power generating capacity exceeding 24 GW. The most-often installed model is the E-40, which pioneered the gearbox-less design in 1993. As of July 2011, Enercon has a market share of 7.2% world-wide (fifth-highest) and 59.2% in Germany.
Enercon currently supplies wind turbines to the British electricity company Ecotricity
, including one billed as the UK's most visible turbine, an E-70 at Green Park Business Park.
, used in combination with an annular
generator. This is in contrast to most other wind turbines, which use a potentially less reliable gearbox
in order to increase the rotation speed of the generator. Other differences in Enercon's wind turbines are their distinctive drop-shaped generator housings (designed by Lord Norman Foster
) and their towers, which are painted with green rings at the base to blend in with their surroundings.
In 2008, the first E-126
turbines (successor of the E-112) were installed at various sites throughout Germany and Belgium, including the Estinnes
wind farm (consisting of eleven E-126 turbines) in Belgium. Although the E-126 turbines was initially developed with a power rating of 6 MW, it has since been upgraded to 7.5 MW. The E-82 turbine was also upgraded and is available in 2, 2.3, and 3 MW versions.
In 2002, the first Enercon E-112 prototype was installed in Egeln
, Germany, with a power rating of 4.5 MW. From July 2002 to October 2004, it was the biggest wind turbine in the world, until it was surpassed by the REpower 5M. At the end of 2005 it was upgraded to achieve a 6 MW power rating.
Enercon does not currently offer or supply wind turbines to offshore projects, and has at times expressed skepticism about offshore wind parks. Enercon was rumored to have been ready to supply turbines to Germany's Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm and to a near-shore park near Wilhelmshaven
, but did not do so.
.
Recently, a cross patent agreement was made with its competitor General Electric
. Enercon claims their intellectual property was stolen by Kenetech (US Windpower, Inc.) and patented in the US before they could do so. Kenetech made similar claims against Enercon. According to a NSA
employee quoted in Die Zeit
, detailed information concerning Enercon was passed on to Kenetech via ECHELON
. According to this report, the aim of the espionage against Enercon was the forwarding of details of Wobben's wind wheel to a US firm. The consequence was that the US firm patented the wind wheel before Wobben, resulting in a breach of patent rights. This incident was included in a report on ECHELON by the EU Parliament.
Aurich
Aurich is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Aurich.-History:The history of Aurich dates back to the 13th century, when the settlement of Aurechove was mentioned in a Frisian document called the Brokmerbrief in 1276. In 1517, Count Edzard from the house of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties. Enercon has production facilities in Germany (Aurich, Emden and Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In June 2010, Enercon announced that they would be setting up Irish headquarters in Tralee.
As of July 2011, Enercon had installed more than 17,000 wind turbines, with a power generating capacity exceeding 24 GW. The most-often installed model is the E-40, which pioneered the gearbox-less design in 1993. As of July 2011, Enercon has a market share of 7.2% world-wide (fifth-highest) and 59.2% in Germany.
Enercon currently supplies wind turbines to the British electricity company Ecotricity
Ecotricity
Ecotricity is a green energy company based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England specialising in selling and generating wind power. It is built on the principle of heavily reinvesting its profit in building more of its own windfarms.-History:...
, including one billed as the UK's most visible turbine, an E-70 at Green Park Business Park.
Technologies
One of Enercon's key innovations is the use of a gearless, direct drive mechanismDirect drive mechanism
A Direct drive mechanism is one that takes the power coming from a motor without any reductions .-Advantages:* Increased efficiency: The power is not wasted in friction...
, used in combination with an annular
Annulus (mathematics)
In mathematics, an annulus is a ring-shaped geometric figure, or more generally, a term used to name a ring-shaped object. Or, it is the area between two concentric circles...
generator. This is in contrast to most other wind turbines, which use a potentially less reliable gearbox
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
in order to increase the rotation speed of the generator. Other differences in Enercon's wind turbines are their distinctive drop-shaped generator housings (designed by Lord Norman Foster
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
) and their towers, which are painted with green rings at the base to blend in with their surroundings.
In 2008, the first E-126
Enercon E-126
The Enercon E-126 is the largest wind turbine model build to date, manufactured by the German wind turbine producer Enercon. With a hub height of , rotor diameter of and a total height of , this large model can generate up to of power per turbine. The nameplate capacity was changed from to ...
turbines (successor of the E-112) were installed at various sites throughout Germany and Belgium, including the Estinnes
Estinnes
Estinnes is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Estinnes had a total population of 7,413. The total area is 72.73 km² which gives a population density of 102 inhabitants per km²....
wind farm (consisting of eleven E-126 turbines) in Belgium. Although the E-126 turbines was initially developed with a power rating of 6 MW, it has since been upgraded to 7.5 MW. The E-82 turbine was also upgraded and is available in 2, 2.3, and 3 MW versions.
In 2002, the first Enercon E-112 prototype was installed in Egeln
Egeln
Egeln is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Bode, approx. 15 km northwest of Staßfurt, and 25 km southwest of Magdeburg....
, Germany, with a power rating of 4.5 MW. From July 2002 to October 2004, it was the biggest wind turbine in the world, until it was surpassed by the REpower 5M. At the end of 2005 it was upgraded to achieve a 6 MW power rating.
Enercon does not currently offer or supply wind turbines to offshore projects, and has at times expressed skepticism about offshore wind parks. Enercon was rumored to have been ready to supply turbines to Germany's Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm and to a near-shore park near Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
, but did not do so.
Turbines
| Model Number | Rated Power Output | Rotor Diameter (meters) | Hub Height (meters) | Notes | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (E-15/16) | 55 kW | 15 | Developed 1984, no longer available | ||
| (E-17) | 80 kW | 17 | Developed and installed 1988, no longer available | ||
| (E-32) | 100 - 300 kW | 32 | Developed and installed 1988, no longer available | ||
| E-33 | 300 kW | 33.4 | 37 - 50 | ||
| (E-40) | 500 - 600 kW | 40 | First gearless drive, no longer available | ||
| E-44 | 900 kW | 44 | 45 - 55 | ||
| E-48 | 800 kW | 48 | 50 - 76 | ||
| E-53 | 800 kW | 52.9 | 60 - 73 | Prototype developed 2006 | |
| E-70 | 2.3 MW | 71 | 57 - 113 | ||
| E-82 | 2 MW | 82 | 78 - 138 | ||
| E-82 | 2.3 MW | 82 | 78 - 138 | ||
| E-82 | 3 MW | 82 | 78 - 138 | ||
| E-101 | 3 MW | 101 | 99 - 135 | ||
| (E-112) | 4.5 - 6 MW | 114 | Replaced by E-126, no longer available | ||
| E-126 Enercon E-126 The Enercon E-126 is the largest wind turbine model build to date, manufactured by the German wind turbine producer Enercon. With a hub height of , rotor diameter of and a total height of , this large model can generate up to of power per turbine. The nameplate capacity was changed from to ... |
7.5 MW | 127 | 135 | Prototype developed 2007 |
Patent Dispute
Enercon was prohibited from exporting their wind turbines to the US until 2010 due to alleged infringement of.
Recently, a cross patent agreement was made with its competitor General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. Enercon claims their intellectual property was stolen by Kenetech (US Windpower, Inc.) and patented in the US before they could do so. Kenetech made similar claims against Enercon. According to a NSA
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
employee quoted in Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
, detailed information concerning Enercon was passed on to Kenetech via ECHELON
ECHELON
ECHELON is a name used in global media and in popular culture to describe a signals intelligence collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UK–USA Security Agreement...
. According to this report, the aim of the espionage against Enercon was the forwarding of details of Wobben's wind wheel to a US firm. The consequence was that the US firm patented the wind wheel before Wobben, resulting in a breach of patent rights. This incident was included in a report on ECHELON by the EU Parliament.
Estinnes windfarm
See also
- List of wind turbine manufacturers
- Renewable energy industry
- Wind powerWind powerWind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
- Enercon E-126Enercon E-126The Enercon E-126 is the largest wind turbine model build to date, manufactured by the German wind turbine producer Enercon. With a hub height of , rotor diameter of and a total height of , this large model can generate up to of power per turbine. The nameplate capacity was changed from to ...