Permanent magnets help marine cut costs

Soaring fuel prices and global overcapacity are forcing the marine industry to rethink conventional power configurations. Ship owners are struggling to turn a profit. The time has come for advanced technologies that can revolutionize the way ships generate and use energy.

The Switch’s permanent magnet technology has been proven in the harsh environments of the wind industry. Now, we’re making this technology available to marine to offer unmatched power density, energy efficiency, design flexibility and operational reliability.

The Switch - Mika Koli, Key Account Manager

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Permanent magnet generator becomes standard in wind turbines

The debate still continues about which drive train is the best for a wind turbine. In 2011, 42.3 GW of wind generators were delivered; PMG’s share was 6.5 GW, which gives it a 15% market share. This is already a significant accomplishment. So we can say that PMG is a standard option and no longer just a technology trial.

Although wind industry growth has slowed down to an annual average of 3.8%, MAKE consulting estimates for the next five years that PMGs will keep growing faster than the average market growth rate.

The Switch - 2nd International Conference E/E Systems for Wind Turbines

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Keeping the lights on

Hurricane Sandy was the most destructive tropical cyclone of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the second-costliest hurricane in US history, making landfall on October 29. The storm caused massive electrical grid damages in New Jersey, New York and many New England areas, causing power outages for businesses, industrial sites, medical centers, and countless homes.

It showed just how helpless we are when this kind of natural disaster happens in our own backyard. As a result, building management now aims to ensure that buildings do not lose electrical power during such a disaster because of a missing emergency power generation system.

The Switch - Risto Ahvo

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Value creation for all wind energy players

Between 2009 – 2011, we were spoiled by a “green race” that started as a sprint. There was an urgent need to bring Asian nations—especially China—into line with the rest of the world to use cleaner and more efficient energy sources.

Suddenly in 2012, it’s turned into something of a marathon, with companies and financial institutions involved in the market, which has been slowed by regulatory and political climates that have evolved in the face of new economic realities.

The Switch - Carlo Cecchi, Director, Business Development

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