Clemson University Restoration Institute to present and exhibit at wind industry workshop

Published: March 2, 2010

American Wind Energy Association image by: American Wind Energy Association

NORTH CHARLESTON — The Clemson University Restoration Institute — which will be home to the world’s largest wind-turbine drive train-testing facility — has partnered with the State of North Carolina and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to sponsor the American Wind Energy Association’s Wind Power Supply Chain Workshop March 16 and 17 at the Sheraton Hotel in Greensboro, N.C.

The workshop will feature a pre-conference seminar on March 16 with an address by the Restoration Institute’s director of renewable energy, Nick Rigas.

Rigas will present a technology overview that will include the types of wind turbines and how they are used; current turbine technology and the evolution of turbine sizes; key components of turbines; turbine operation, maintenance and service; and offshore wind-turbine technology; and technical challenges.

As senior scientist and director of the testing facility, Rigas has overall responsibility for design, construction and operation of what will be the only facility in the world capable of testing wind turbine drive trains in the five-megawatt to 15-megawatt range with 30 percent overload capacity.

On Nov. 23, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy selected the Restoration Institute and its partners to build the one-of-a-kind testing facility. The department awarded the institute a $45 million grant that will be matched with $53 million from public and private partners. It is the largest funding award ever received by Clemson University.

More than 300 people from around the Southeast, including wind-project developers and economic-development agencies, are expected to attend the workshop. It provides an opportunity to interact with representatives from a diverse range of industries and discuss the wind-energy industry’s needs, challenges and opportunities.

Workshop topics include:

• An overview of the wind-industry supply chain, including a market update of wind-energy industry growth in the United States.
• Anatomy of a wind turbine, including how the various components are fabricated and the requirements for companies as component suppliers.
• How to enter the wind industry, including tips, tools and resources.

Attendees also can gain insight from companies that already have entered the wind industry and learn the challenges they overcame.

To learn more about the event or to register, visit: www.awea.org/events/supplychain4.

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American Wind Energy Association
With more than 2,500 members and advocates, the American Wind Energy Association is the hub of the wind-energy industry. It is a national trade association that represents wind-power project developers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers and others involved in the wind industry. It also represents hundreds of wind-energy advocates from around the world.

Clemson University Restoration Institute
The mission of the Clemson University Restoration Institute is to advance knowledge in integrative approaches to the restoration and sustainability of historic, ecological and urban infrastructure resources, and drive economic growth. The institute’s vision is to build a sustainable future through education, collaborative restoration research and strategic partnerships.