The focus is now on increasing operating effi- ciency, resolving performance issues rapidly, having real-time control and visibility, and reduc- ing the maintenance time. Providing a compelling service solution is nearly as important as supplying best-in-class equipment, she says.
Quality after-sales services can easily add a few percentage points in efficiency gains, which result in a lower levelised cost of electricity. The Chinese manufacturers can undoubtedly deliver a cheaper wind turbine, which means lower capital expenditure; however, when an entire package is considered, they are still behind their Western counterparts.
“Even if a compelling service offering is developed in their domestic market, unfolding a large-scale after-service support in overseas markets will require a large initial investment. While Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are generously sponsored by the government, there are other priorities for them to address. It is unlikely they will be channelling significant funds into expanding their service offering in those markets, where they do not even sell much.
“Thus, established wind power generators markets in Europe and parts of the US will be hard to pene- trate for the Chinese. Certainly, a few odd orders can come through, but the Chinese presence is unlikely to reach the dominant scale of the solar energy industry,” she says.
Upcoming wind power markets, such as Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, may find lower equipment costs attractive, espe- cially when coupled with a generous offer of providing project financing, says Bakhareva.
However, proven safety, quality, reliability and after-sales service homemade wind generator may well tilt the scales in favour of Western wind turbine producers, even though the initial investment will have to be bigger, she concludes.
