This small increase was reflected in its power generation figures, as renewables produced 6.2TWh between 1 January and 30 September in 2017, and 6.3TWh this year. However, Innogy explained that "particularly low wind levels, especially in the second and third quarters of 2018 in the UK and Germany, led to reduced utilisation of existing plants".

General Germany UK

Medical and scientific evidence is increasing that not only some animals, but also humans are able to perceive infrasound below the hearing threshold. This is not surprising actually, because "infrasound is an energy," explains Prof. Vahl, "And every energy has physical effects, whether you hear it or not." 

Impact on People Noise Germany

Proposals to allow states to set their own setback rules and to abolish wind farms' privileges under German building laws have been presented to the federal council. North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg’s suggestions were discussed in the country's upper house, the Bundesrat, on 19 October and could be voted on in December, according to the German wind energy association (BWE).

Impact on People Germany

A police spokesman reported that the fire initially broke out in the nacelle at around 3 o'clock on Friday morning and spread to the entire turbine. One blade of the wind turbine fell off after a short time while large parts of a second blade followed. Although the third blade did not burn, it threatened to fall after the nacelle was largely destroyed. 

Safety Structural Failure Germany

Wind turbine manufacturer, Juwi, won permission to erect twelve wind turbines in Reesdorfer Heide near Beelitz. Wind power opponents and the city have tried to prevent the project for years. 

General Germany

Erecting a few wind turbines on privatized, once communist farmland doesn't entitle Germany to claw back potentially lucrative power earnings, a top appeal court has ruled. It's voided part of a 2005 land sales contract.

Legal Germany

Baur calculates: Since 2016, there have been 16 fires, 15 blade and nacelle accidents and 4 tower damages involving wind turbines in Germany. With tons of equipment and high rotor speeds, there is a "high risk potential for people and buildings in the area".

Safety Structural Failure Germany

This news segment from the German television program “Hessenschau” examines how all wind turbines in Hesse in Germany must be checked because of the noise they make. THe show aired on August 8, 2018. English subtitles are by Vind-Alarm-Danmark.eu and Friends-Against-Wind.org. 

Impact on People Noise Germany

If extrapolated to all of Britain’s wind farms it would mean 80,000 die each year from colliding with the blades. The number increased with blade length with some individual turbines responsible for the deaths of five bats each month.

Impact on Bats Europe Germany UK USA

The mystery of why more than 80,000 bats are killed by wind turbines in the UK each year may finally have been solved. Scientists found the winged creatures are naturally drawn to sources of red light – an attraction that can confuse them on migration routes.

Impact on Bats Europe Germany UK USA

The manufacturer’s orders for both services and projects increased in the first half of 2018. ...Despite the increase in orders, Blanco added the company expects 2018 and 2019 "to remain challenging" due to "fierce competition" and "pressure on prices".

General Germany

GERMANY: This year's fourth and final onshore wind tender will take place on 1 October, the federal network agency has announced.

Taxes & Subsidies Germany

Germany’s North Sea coast and islands have become the staging post for a huge boom in offshore wind farms. But while many communities are cashing in, others are struggling to survive.

Offshore Wind Germany

With wind and solar farms sprouting up in more areas -- and their power getting priority to feed into the grid in many places -- the amount of electricity being generated is outstripping demand during certain hours of the day. The result: power prices are slipping to zero or even below more often in more jurisdictions.

Energy Policy Europe Germany USA

The groups said the projected drop in 2018 - which would be down from a record 5,333 MW in 2017 - was due to a lack of assurance from policymakers that sufficient new capacity would be tendered at auction in coming years.

General Germany

WPD said it will seek to recoup CAD100 million (€65 million) from the Ontario authorities, but the new law may limit this claim. Worse news for the Germans is that the CETA agreement provides no protection: it is yet to be ratified by all 28 EU states.

General Germany Ontario

The environment ministry blamed three main factors for the slower progress: overestimates of how much CO2 would be saved under existing plans, faster-than-expected economic growth and a faster-growing population than forecast.

Energy Policy Germany

Government plans to end advantage for bids from citizen groups; Commercial developers complained unfunded bidders had an edge

Energy Policy Germany

Many wind turbines are now 20 or even 25 years old. This increases the risk of serious accidents, of which some failures have already been reported. TÜV therefore demands the introduction of a mandatory inspection program in Germany.

Safety Structural Failure Germany

It is not always possible to continue operating old systems. In some cases the turbines must be dismantled. About 28,000 wind turbines are spinning under the German sky - many of them operating since the late nineties. Currently, the wind industry faces major challenges: With the expiration of the eligibility for subsidies under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) after 20 years, the operators have to decide whether the older plants should be decommissioned, dismantled, repowered or continue to operate as before. Under current conditions, this will impact approximately four gigawatts of wind project output nationwide according to estimates by the Institute for Integrated Production Hannover (IPH). In the future, an additional 2.4 gigawatts of EEG funding will be eliminated on average per year.

General Germany