Chinese
wind turbine manufacturers lack the technology to build generators above 1 megawatts. Local companies dominate the 200-700
megawatt market, occupying 80% of the market.
The trend in China is to build larger
wind farms with capacities of 100 to 150 megawatts and each turbine producing 800 megawatts to 1.2 gigawatts. Almost
90% of all the large capacity generators are exported from Europe. U.S. companies simply have not taken advantage
of the Chinese wind market- lacking market information, contact points, and concentrating too much on the domestic market.
U.S. companies with larger capacity wind turbines or with lower cost per kilowatt hour technologies can participate
in the current 8-15 wind tendering projects in 2007 and 2008.
Other opportunities exist in
off-grid generators. Many small towns and farms in China's countryside and poorer regions still do not have in-grid
electricity. The local governments are purchasing and subsidizing small, off-grid wind systems ranging from $3,000
to $5,000 systems in the 400 watt to 3,000 watt ranges.
The China Renewable Energy
Industries Association estimates that $600M USD will be spent on off-grid wind systems in the next 2 years.
U.S. companies offering better technologies or cost-efficient solutions can either create technology licensing
relationships with local manufacturers, designers, and servicing companies, or directly participate in the tendering process
with local distributors or partners.
