Renewable Energy World
With more than 1 million people employed in wind, the sector will grow in key markets around the globe.
When discussing the outlook for the 2017 wind market, it’s very clear that the wind industry has arrived. Yes, problems remain in many markets across the globe but the fact that wind exists in many markets across the globe means that it will steadily march on in 2017. According to the latest statics from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), 28 countries around the world have more than 1 GW of installed wind capacity and more than 1,100,000 people are employed by the sector.
Most analysts predict the year will be a solid one with either modest growth or slight contraction. In 2015, 63 GW of wind capacity was installed worldwide and that number is expected to remain about the same in 2016 and 2017.
Analysts interviewed by Renewable Energy World favored Mexico and Turkey as two important markets to watch in 2017, with the U.S., China, Canada and parts of Latin America also looking to stay the course. Europe may experience a slightly down year.
“Globally, China is the primary wildcard,” said Eric Lantz an Energy Analyst with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Lantz said that the market in China will “probably determine whether there is an increase globally or a decrease and some of the chatter in China suggests that there may be lower levels of installed capacity on the horizon,” he added.
