What Is Renewable Energy?

Wind Turbine Theft an Emerging Threat to Renewable Energy Infrastructure drives copper theft, SCADA breaches, and component vandalism, undermining grid reliability, power electronics, asset monitoring, and substation security via weak telemetry and inadequate intrusion detection.

Why Is Wind Turbine Theft an Emerging Threat to Renewable Energy Infrastructure?

It compromises SCADA, power electronics, and grid protection, causing outages, safety risks, and costly downtime.

✅ Targets copper, rare-earths, converters; degrades power quality.

✅ Exposes SCADA/PLC networks; weak auth and unpatched firmware.

✅ Disrupts protection relays, yaw/pitch control, and grid code compliance.

As the global energy landscape shifts towards sustainability, wind power has emerged as a cornerstone of renewable energy. However, a growing concern is threatening the integrity of this clean energy source: the theft of wind turbine components. This issue not only undermines the efficiency of wind farms but also poses significant economic and operational challenges. As stakeholders evaluate risk, understanding the fundamentals of renewable energy provides perspective on how theft disrupts larger decarbonization goals.

The Scope of the Problem

Wind turbines are complex machines composed of various valuable components, including copper wiring, rare earth magnets, and electronic systems. These materials are attractive targets for thieves due to their high resale value. Incidents of theft have been reported globally, with turbines being dismantled and parts sold on the black market. In some cases, entire turbines have been stolen, leading to substantial financial losses for operators. Industry primers such as renewable energy facts outline why critical materials attract theft in secondary markets.

Economic Implications

The financial impact of turbine theft is multifaceted. Beyond the immediate loss of equipment, operators face increased insurance premiums, higher maintenance costs, and potential fines for non-compliance with safety regulations. The theft of components also leads to extended downtimes as replacements are sourced, further affecting energy production and revenue. These losses ripple into PPA obligations and grid forecasts, as disruptions reduce expected renewable power output during peak demand windows.

Security Measures and Challenges

To combat this growing threat, wind farm operators are implementing enhanced security measures. These include installing surveillance cameras, employing security personnel, and utilizing GPS tracking systems for turbine components. Despite these efforts, the vast and often remote locations of wind farms make them difficult to monitor effectively. This challenge is compounded by the rapid pace of technological advancement, which can outstrip the implementation of security protocols. Blended approaches that pair physical hardening with community engagement have proven effective across other renewable power sources in similarly remote locations.

Legal and Regulatory Responses

Governments and regulatory bodies are beginning to recognize the severity of turbine theft. In some regions, legislation has been introduced to regulate the sale of second-hand turbine components and to impose stricter penalties for theft. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, and the international nature of the wind energy supply chain complicates efforts to track and recover stolen goods. Clearer resale controls also protect consumer confidence in certified renewable electricity markets and warranty frameworks.

Broader Implications for Renewable Energy

The theft of wind turbine components highlights a broader issue within the renewable energy sector: the vulnerability of infrastructure to criminal activity. As the industry grows, so too does the potential for exploitation by organized crime. This underscores the need for comprehensive security strategies that encompass not only physical protection but also cyber defenses to safeguard against a range of threats. Coordinated intelligence sharing across operators of diverse renewable energy sources can expose cross-site patterns and organized groups.

Conclusion

While wind energy remains a cornerstone of the global push towards sustainability, the theft of turbine components presents a significant challenge that must be addressed. Through a combination of enhanced security measures, stricter regulations, and international cooperation, the renewable energy sector can mitigate this threat and continue to provide clean, reliable power for the future. Doing so strengthens public trust in clean renewable energy systems that communities increasingly rely upon.

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What is renewable energy? Electricity from solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal converted via generators and power electronics, integrated with grid infrastructure, energy storage, and smart controls to deliver sustainable, low-carbon power with reliability and efficiency.

What Is Renewable Energy?

Renewable energy is electricity from renewable sources using electronics, storage and controls for low-carbon power.

✅ Sources: solar PV, wind turbines, hydro, geothermal generation

✅ Integration: grid codes, inverter control, frequency and voltage support

✅ Enablers: power electronics, energy storage, microgrids, SCADA

What Is Renewable Energy? Renewable Energy is popularly considered as any source of sustainable energy that has as its source the renewable, natural environment. Most souces of renewable energy include wind energy, solar energy, water energy and biomass energy, as well as geothermal energy. In most cases, renewable energies are replenished by the natural environment. Non renewable energy resources, such as fossil fuels, cannot be replenished. After all, it took eons of time to create deposits of fossil fuels sources and these deposits are in very limited supply and cannot be replaced. For a deeper overview of definitions and key concepts, see this guide on what renewable energy is and why it matters today.

Wind energy, solar energy, water energy and biomass and geothermal energies comprise most of the plantet's renewable energy sources. Solar energy can be turned into electric power through the use of photovoltaic panels. This electric power can be consumed by many electrical appliances. To explore the main types and how they work, review these detailed summaries of renewable energy sources across different technologies.

What Is Renewable Energy? These are systems that are a key part of the portfolio of electricity solutions. For example, today, traditional biomass represents the most important source of power in the developing world, with a 36 per cent share of total electricity consumption. Used in a sustainable way, biomass and other RE sources do not generate additional greenhouse gas emissions. For context on how clean generation is integrated into modern grids, learn more about renewable electricity and its role in power systems.

RE solutions offer many advantages. Since they use indigenous energy sources like wind, the sun, and rivers of water, they contribute to supply security by reducing reliance on electricity imports. There are a variety of national situations in terms of needs and resources, but renewable ernergy resources are largely available in most developing and developed countries. Creating an enabling environment which contributes directly to local economic development. Renewable energy installations bring jobs, capital, and sources of revenue to local communities, often to rural areas where these benefits are needed most. If you are comparing options beyond conventional fuels, this overview of renewable alternative energy explains pathways for communities and planners.

In certain remote locations, where electricity and/or fossil fuel infrastructure does not reach, RE systems can be the only cost effective option. In addition, modern renewable energy systems generate far less air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than fossil energy systems thus reducing the threat of climate change and health risks. Depending on the installation, renewable ener gy projects may be smaller in scale and not as technically complex to operate and maintain as conventional energy projects. For all of these reasons, renewable energy is a valuable resource in addressing the world’s growing electricity needs. These benefits are central to the case for clean renewable energy as a public health and climate solution.

RE form a relatively small part of the commercial energy portfolio today, but the costs of developing, installing, and delivering renewable energy to consumers have been falling, due largely to improvements in system designs and manufacturing techniques. In many applications, particularly in those instances where gaining access to conventional energy systems is difficult or costly, the market share of RE has been growing steadily in recent years. As deployment scales, modern renewable energy systems are becoming more efficient and accessible for diverse users.

What Is Renewable Energy? Characterising the impact of cost reductions and market share increases is the “learning curve.” Simply speaking, RE manufacturers and developers gain valuable experience with each new installation. The level of industrial experience with conventional energy systems is many decades longer than that for renewable energy systems. With modern research, development, and technology transfer techniques at their disposal, the RE industries have achieved progress. But because of this relative immaturity of some ernergy sources, many industry analysts expect cost reductions and performance improvements to continue at a faster pace in the RE sector, thus gaining greater competitiveness and increasing the likelihood that RE uptake will expand in the future. This accelerating experience base is steadily improving renewable power performance, reliability, and competitiveness.

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Renewable energy credits certify MWh-scale green generation, enabling GHG accounting, Scope 2 reductions, RPS compliance, and PPA hedging via registries like WREGIS, GATS, and M-RETS for grid decarbonization and utility procurement strategies.

What Are Renewable Energy Credits?

Tradable 1 MWh certificates for renewable generation, used in Scope 2 accounting, RPS compliance, and decarbonization.

✅ Verifies MWh via meter data and ISO/RTO registry tracking

✅ Enables Scope 2 reductions for facilities and microgrids

✅ Supports RPS compliance and PPA procurement strategies

Renewable Energy Credits, otherwise known as Renewable Electricity Certificates, or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable, non-tangible energy commodities that represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable energy resource (renewable electricity). For context on how clean generation is delivered and tracked, see renewable electricity fundamentals and related attributes.

Renewable Energy Credits can be sold and traded or bartered, and the owner of the REC can claim to have purchased renewable energy. While traditional carbon emissions trading programs promote low-carbon technologies by increasing the cost of emitting carbon, RECs can incentivize carbon-neutral renewable energy by providing a production subsidy to electricity generated from renewable sources. It is important to understand that the energy associated with a REC is sold separately and is used by another party. The consumer of a REC receives only a certificate. These market incentives often complement policies such as renewable energy tax credits that influence project financing.

In states and provinces that have a REC programs, a green energy provider (such as a wind farm) is credited with one REC for every 1,000 kWh or 1 MWh of electricity it produces (for reference, an average residential customer consumes about 800 kWh in a month). A certifying agency gives each REC a unique identification number to make sure it doesn't get double-counted. The green energy is then fed into the electrical grid (by mandate), and the accompanying REC can then be sold on the open market. Understanding the range of renewable energy systems that can issue RECs helps stakeholders assess performance and eligibility.

Renewable energy power companies benefit from RECs because they serve as an incentive. Many non-renewable energy sources are subsidized, making it difficult for green energy companies to survive. By being able to sell the power and RECs, the company can afford to thrive in the market. Prices for RECs vary widely, just like other commodities, and they are available for sale in numerous locations. Price signals can also vary with the mix of local renewable energy sources and transmission constraints.

By purchasing Renewable Energy Credits, consumers can claim that they are supporting green energy. While a consumer would ideally also purchase renewable energy for his or her home, this is not always possible. RECs allow companies and individuals to support power in areas which do not offer it directly. Consumers should also, of course, practice conservation and work to get green power in their area, but RECs are a good place to start. For companies, they are an important part of doing business responsibly, while thinking about future generations. For households unable to procure green tariffs, RECs align with broader clean renewable energy practices and ongoing efficiency efforts.

Along with carbon offsets and other incentive programs, Renewable Energy Credits are part of a growing movement which acknowledges that even small changes make a big difference. By supporting green energy, consumers show that there is a demand for it, and companies can build more plants or accelerate production with the funds raised through the sale of RECs. Organizations which promote programs like this hope to eventually see everyone's ecological footprint, meaning the amount of resources and space needed to support a particular lifestyle, greatly reduced. Clear explanations of what is renewable energy empower buyers to request credible products and disclosures.

What's the difference between a REC and a Carbon Offset?

All RECs from qualifying new generators represent the environmental attributes of renewable power, principally the fact that producing that power causes less, or no, pollution. When you buy an amount of wind-generated Renewable Energy Credits equal to your electricity consumption, you are legally entitled to claim that you are wind powered, and that your electricity use does not contribute to global warming. In other words, all wind Renewable Energy Credits can convert your electricity to wind power. However, for a REC to be used to offset emissions from driving, flying or heating your home, it must be from a project that would not have been implemented without the opportunity to realize revenues for the carbon reductions (in other words, it must be "additional" to business-as-usual - see "what's the importance of additionality, below"), and not all renewable energy projects can say that. To evaluate such claims confidently, consult resources that present renewable energy facts and common verification methods.

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Clean renewable energy powers electrification with solar, wind, and hydro, leveraging power electronics, energy storage, smart grids, and grid integration to cut carbon, enhance reliability, and optimize load management for sustainable electrical engineering.

What Is Clean Renewable Energy?

Clean renewable energy uses low-carbon sources and advanced grid tech to deliver sustainable electric power.

✅ Power electronics enable efficient conversion and control

✅ Energy storage stabilizes variable solar and wind output

✅ Smart grids and microgrids improve reliability and resilience

Clean Renewable Energy
Widespread use of clean renewable energy technologies (RET) is vital in securing a sustainable global energy system. Advantages of RET include:

• In contrast to conventional energy sources, the potential supply from renewables is essentially infinite and largely free of external costs.
• While clean renewable energy technologies currently still have relatively high installation costs, operating costs are low.
• In many countries, some RET are already competitive with conventional energy sources, for example biomass or biogas applications in Thailand. For most RET, costs will fall significantly below those of conventional energy sources within the next two decades.
• Increased use of renewable energy technologies is an insurance against rising import prices of fossil fuels.
• Renewable energy technology equipment can be produced domestically. For example, China has become one of the leading manufacturers of low-temperature solar thermal applications.

For readers comparing different technologies, this overview of renewable power sources outlines their characteristics and typical applications, aiding informed evaluation.

Given the mention of biomass competitiveness, this primer on biomass renewable energy explains feedstocks, conversion pathways, and typical project scales.

The number of countries where clean renewable energy technologies have seen significant market growth is steadily increasing. However,in most countries of the world, dissemination of new renewable energy technologies is still very limited. A range of barriers – financial, economic, institutional, political and technical – impede implementation. Key barriers include energy markets that are either monopolistic and skewed by subsidies, lack of energy awareness of renewable energy technologies potential and benefits, and a lack of technical and institutional capacity and financing means. So far only a few countries have implemented clean air energy policies promoting renewable energy technologies. To align stakeholders and policies, a concise primer on renewable energy fundamentals clarifies benefits, limitations, and common misconceptions.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, most public and private renewable energy project development companies can generate and market "certified emission reductions" from energy projects that involve renewable energy technologies that reduce carbon emissions in under developed areas of the world. The Kyoto Protocol provides financial incentives for shifting countries to less emissions-intensive economies. But while the Kyoto Protocol is able to lower some of the key barriers to renewable energy project development, especially in regard to the financial and economic aspects, it is not designed to cancel the obstacles. Adjusting these many conditions will attract more renewable energy technologies. These mechanisms can stimulate investment in renewable power projects across emerging markets, improving bankability and accelerating deployment.

Addressing the barriers that discriminate against renewable energy technologies in countries usually requires a mixture of well-designed and mutually supportive policies. Probably the leading issue is the economic performance of renewable energy technologies compared to the traditional energy sources that currently dominate the world's energy demand.There are two main approaches to addressing this central problem for developing renewable energy policies and technologies:

Effective policy design should reflect the maturity and grid-integration needs of different renewable energy sources so that incentives target real system constraints.

1. Bringing down the cost of renewable energy technologies and their related energy services 2. Abolishing market distortions that discriminate against the technologies Both approaches are reinforced by transparent market rules that value renewable electricity for its reliability contributions, flexibility, and environmental attributes.

Measures to address specific economic barriers include priority setting at project level by host countries, development of a suitable legal frameworks. This is not to say that Industrialised countries and the private sector cannot provide assistance such as building capacity and provding financing. But leading industrialized nations should provide international assistance to attract investment in renewable energy technologies. Clear definitions of what is renewable energy support coherent eligibility criteria and measurement frameworks in financing programs.

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Biomass renewable energy converts organic feedstocks into electricity via gasification, biogas, and CHP systems, integrating with microgrids, power electronics, inverters, and grid-tied generators for reliable, low-carbon baseload and frequency support.

What Is Biomass Renewable Energy?

Energy from organic feedstocks converted to power via gasification, biogas, and CHP, integrated with grid electronics.

✅ High-efficiency CHP improves capacity factor and voltage stability.

✅ Power electronics, inverters, and protection enable grid-tie.

✅ Supports frequency control, reactive power, and microgrid resiliency.

Biomass Renewable Energy is an important source of energy for majority of the world’s population. The use of biomass renewable energy is expected to increase in the near future, with growth in population. In many under developed nations (most especially areas such as parts of Africa, conventional biomass renewable energy dominates national energy strategies, leading to negative impacts on human health and the environment. There are, however, opportunities for developing improved and modern biomass energy technologies, which offer substantial benefits in terms of enhanced quality of energy services and reduction in negative health and environmental impacts. For a concise overview of feedstocks, conversion technologies, and benefits, see this biomass energy overview to understand core concepts.

In addition, the sustainable harvesting of biomass renewable energy resources is essential for ensuring the continued availability of this important energy source particularly for the world’s poor.

Sustainable harvesting practices also align with broader categories of renewable energy sources that emphasize resource regeneration.

Biomass renewable energy plays a vital role in meeting local energy demand in many regions of the developing world. Biomass is a primary source of electrical energy for about two billion people in developing countries. Therefore, it's available to the world’s impoverished nations while providing a suitable energy for cooking and heating. Also, biomass energy-based industries are a chief source of economic development in terms of job creation in rural areas. Modern biomass renewable energy technologies are being widely used in many developing countries as well as in certain parts of the developed world. With proper energy management strategies, supported by appropriate environmental practices, modern biomass renewable energy projects can be a sustainable source of electric power production as well as providing liquid and gaseous fuels. Biomass is therefore not only a central alternative energy source but is probably an important future sustainable energy source. These outcomes contribute to the goals of clean renewable energy that balance access, affordability, and environmental performance.

Growing interest in biomass renewable energy is driven by the following facts among others:

• It can contribute to lessening poverty in developing countries;
• Biomass renewable energy meets power needs without expensive conversion equipment;
• It can deliver biomass renewable energy in all forms that countries need for electricity and heating (in all forms of liquid and gaseous fuels)
• It is carbon dioxide-neutral because as much biomass can be grown as burned
• Biomass renewable energy helps to restore unproductive and degraded lands.

For definitions, policy basics, and key technologies, this guide to renewable energy offers helpful background.

Available statistics indicate that the share of biomass renewable energy in the global energy consumption has remained roughly the same over the last 30 years. Biomass renewable energy accounted for an estimated 14% and 11% of the world’s final energy consumption in 2000 and 2001 respectively (IEA, 1998 and IEA, 2003). The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that at global level, the share of biomass in total final energy consumption is comparable to that of electricity (15%) and gas (16%). These figures parallel developments in renewable electricity that are influencing investment and grid planning.

Modern biomass renewable energy technologies have the potential to provide improved energy services based on available biomass resources and agricultural residues19. Widespread use of combined heat and power generation biomass renewable energy options in rural areas can address multiple social, economic and environmental issues that now constrain local development. The availability of low cost biomass power in rural areas could help provide cleaner, more efficient energy services to support local development, promote environmental protection, provide better domestic fuel sources and improve rural life. Bioenergy technologies based on sustainable biomass supply are considered "carbon neutral" and may lead to net carbon dioxide emission reduction if used to replace fossil fuels. For comparative emissions data and lifecycle insights, consult this overview on renewable energy facts to understand trade-offs.

In addition, modern biomass renewable energy technologies can contribute to better bio-waste management. For example, land-fill gas can assist urban waste management, while bagasse-based co-generation reduces the problem of safe disposal of bagasse at sugar plantations. Another advantage of modern biomass renewable energy is its job generation potential – a very important attraction for many developing countries faced with chronic levels of unemployment or under-employment. Existing studies indicate that, in comparison to other primary energy sources, the job generation potential of modern biomass is among the highest. For example, in Brazil, the annual production of 14 billion litres of ethanol from sugarcane is responsible for the creation of 462,000 direct and 1,386,000 indirect jobs in the country, corresponding to a rate of 263,000 annual jobs per MTOE generated. Collectively, these pathways situate biomass within broader renewable alternative energy strategies that enhance resilience and jobs.

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Renewable power generation harnesses solar PV, wind turbines, and hydroelectric resources, using inverters, MPPT, and energy storage for grid integration, power quality, reliability, and decarbonization across smart grids and distributed generation.

What Is Renewable Power Generation?

Electrical generation from wind, solar, and hydro via grid-tied systems, inverters, and storage to cut emissions.

✅ Includes solar PV, wind turbines, and hydroelectric plants

✅ Employs inverters, MPPT, and converters for power quality

✅ Integrates storage, microgrids, and smart grid control

Renewable power generation is one of the most important subjects in today's electricity production industy and in the future will dominate the agenda to remove power generation from the use of fossil fuels As priorities shift, a clearer understanding of renewable energy sources helps frame policy and investment decisions.

Of all the energy currently consumed in Canada, about 3,700 PJ (46%) is used to generate electricity. Canada has approximately 112 GW of installed electricity generation capacity, and produces approximately 561,805 GWh of electricity annually11 , resulting in a $27 B/yr business12 . Most electricity generation, transmission and distribution have traditionally been handled by vertically integrated provincial monopolies. This resulted in the construction of large-scale centralized power generation facilities and massive transmission systems owned by the same generator. The market is currently evolving under new deregulation guidelines. These shifts are framed by national discussions on renewable electricity policy and markets that influence provincial planning across Canada.

There are currently five main sources of power generation in Canada: natural gas, oil, coal, hydro (larger systems), and nuclear. The smallest component is from "other" sources (<2%), which includes renewable power generation. The National Energy Board estimates that "other" renewable power generation sources will reach 5.5 GW of installed capacity under the Business As Usual scenario, or 16.1 GW under the Techno-Vert scenario13, by the year 2025.Projection figures vary considerably throughout the industry and among government departments and jurisdictions,but are sufficient to provide a range from which to make some reasonable assessments. Contextualizing these categories against the spectrum of renewable power sources clarifies where incremental capacity is most likely to emerge.

Renewable Power Generation

Building on this theme, many jurisdictions measure progress by how much renewable power can reliably contribute during peak demand conditions.

Each sub-sector is examined for its potential to produce electricity and displace conventional fossil fuel electricity generation. Some of the fuels may have other - or even better - applications involving renewable power generation. Cross-sector comparisons with broader renewable alternative energy pathways can highlight complementary uses and integration strategies.

• Wind generated electricity
• Solar energy converted into electricity
• Stationary Fuel Cell technology that generates electric power
• Electric power generated from bio energy sources

• Wind Power: Wind power is becoming the leading non hydro-electric renewable energy source of North American electricity generation. The wind power industry, like the larger renewable power generation industry, has benefited from many years of public and private investment and technology improvements from countries around the world. As a result,some wind installations in Canada are now cost-competitive with (and even less expensive than) conventional electricity generation-even without the Wind Power Purchase Incentive (WPPI) program. Because there is lots of rural property in with suitable wind potential, it means there are many suitable locations which can support renewable power generation. The current focus of the wind power industry is to erect wind turbines and make them operational in time to meet future electricity demand.

• Solar PV Power: Solar energy is traditionally classified in three ways:Photovoltaics (solar electricity,or PV),Solar Thermal (heat) and Passive Solar (displacing the need for active heating or cooling). Most residential, commercial and industrial buildings require both electricity and heat (hot water,space heat,etc.). At this time,this report only focuses on Solar PV. If required,a full treatment of solar thermal (or the combined use of PV and solar thermal) may be conducted in a future analysis.
• Bio-electricity Power: Biofuels encompass all forms of renewable energy derived from bio-based matreials. Ttwo of the four types of renewable power generation from bioenergy sources are bio oil and bio gas. Bio oil can also be converted to electric power in means other than boiler combustion. Generally, bio-renewable power generation involves feedstock collection, fuel production and electricity generation.
• Stationary Fuel Cell Power (Hydrogen): Hydrogen as a possible renewable power generation source opens up a broad application area from alternative energy fuels in transportation to renewable power generation using special hydrogen fuel cells.While the application area for hydrogen is large,the specific focus of this report is on the use of hydrogen fuel cells for the delivery of renewable power generation to electricity grids.

Solid Biomass combustion is the most prominent form of biomass use in Canada. Biomass co-generation is already used widely in the pulp and paper industry for power, space and process heating. It is an established technology which needs improvement, but has not been a strong focus of biotechnology research and development. Advances in controls and co-firing are improving the competitiveness of biomass within the wider alternative energy power landscape for industrial sites.

The top five near-term investment opportunities for renewable power generation include:

Targeted pilots and standards can accelerate alternative energy development while de-risking capital for utilities and independent producers.

• Expanded Feedstock for Bio-electricity - To be successful, electrical generation (fuel conversion) equipment must be able to use a wider range of biomass feedstocks beyond the high quality sources that are currently used. Further, new logistics (collection, harvesting, refining) and conversion processes must be developed to supply a steady and reliable source of these additional raw materials for the emerging biofuel processes and bio-electricity facilities. Examples include technologies that go beyond corn-based ethanol8 and white-wood based pyrolysis.
• Wind Power Grid Integration Hardware - Connecting wind farms to the grid in a standardized,cost effective, and reliable way involves both new technology solutions and policy development. While grid connection is largely a policy issue, there are emerging technologies that can increase wind system power quality and reliability, which will help them gain acceptance among utilities.
• Liquid Biomass ( "Bio Oil") Plant Scale-Up - Demonstrations are required to validate the technical and economic viability of bio-processing plants as they scale from prototype to commercial sizes: ie: wood pyrolysis has progressed to the point of full production and needs to prove its value based on the many products that are derived.
• Large Wind Turbine Component - The wind power industry requires larger wind turbines to achieve energy economies of scale. However, to remain competitive in the renewable power generation business, certain ways must be explored to decrease the weight/power output ratio of wind turbines while at the same time increasing equipment life. It is being learned that new investments are required in the research and development of lighter, stronger and more cost-effective wind turbine components and tower designs.
• Solar PV Building Integration - Similar to wind, solar PV systems in Canada require greater access to the power grid.In the residential, commercial and industrial building markets there is the technical potential to fully integrate solar components within the structure and have it replace and reduce power demand from current sources. The cost of the solar power systems and their integration into renewable power development needs to be addressed. Many technological solutions and new energy policies may be required.

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