Southeast wind-energy conference to feature Clemson’s Restoration Institute

Published: March 1, 2012

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NORTH CHARLESTON — As the U.S. offshore wind-energy industry gains momentum, the Clemson University Restoration Institute will be spotlighted at a coastal wind industry conference next week.

The Southeastern Coastal Wind Conference, March 8-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center, will feature Nick Rigas, director of renewable energy and director of the wind turbine drivetrain testing facility at the Restoration Institute, and Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, director of business development at the institute.

Rigas will discuss “the Southeast as a wind energy research and development powerhouse” on a panel that includes Sam Shelton, principle research engineer at the  Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute, and George Hagerman, director of research at the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium

Colbert-Busch will address manufacturers and supply chains as part of a panel that includes Dan Renshaw, director of development for Gamesa Energy USA, and Joe Cerchiaro of Nucor Steel.

Click here to view the full conference agenda.

Other speakers include Jim Lanard, president of the Offshore Wind Development Coalition; Peter Mandelstam, president of Arcadia Offshore Wind; and Liz Kress, principle engineer for renewable energy at Santee Cooper.

As the offshore wind-energy market evolves, the Southeast is strategically positioned to serve as an industrial hub for the industry. The region boasts existing world-class supply chain infrastructure and highly-skilled, low-cost labor markets.

A key component to the industry’s development is the world’s most advanced wind turbine drivetrain testing facility under construction at the Restoration Institute in North Charleston.

In November 2009, Clemson and its partners were awarded a $45 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which was combined with $53 million of matching funds, to build and operate the large-scale testing facility for next-generation wind turbine drivetrains.

When complete, the facility will be capable of full-scale highly accelerated testing of advanced drivetrain systems for wind turbines up to 15 megawatts. The facility is scheduled to open in two phases, beginning in the second half of this year.

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