The market for small wind turbines, through the incentives of the various governments and the increased awareness of end-users, is expected to increase to U.S. $ 3 billion (22%) in 2020. (Report of the Global Data)
According to Global Data’s latest report, the global small-wind turbine cumulative installed capacity is also expected to witness a significant increase from 728Megawatts (MW) in 2012 to 4,644 MW by 2020.
China (266 MW), the US (216 MW) and UK (118 MW) contributed to more than 80% of the global small-wind power installed capacity in 2012.
Prasad Tanikella, Global Data’s Senior Analyst says that small-wind power has huge potential in China, due to the large rural population and the requirement for distributed power systems. Followed by the UK market which is expected to grow further due to financial incentives under the renewable obligation, the implementation of Feed-in Tariff policies, and streamlining of administrative procedures.
Tanikella concludes that the future for small wind looks promising. The market could face some obstacles with zoning and permitting challenges. Further hindrance could be caused by lack of net-metering programs and certification issues. Poor permitting practices and unnecessary restrictive regulations are the major market barriers discouraging investment. Streamlining the permitting process will be crucial towards ensuring that the growth of wind installation is not hampered by administrative issues.