• Home
• European Energy
  • Our Profile
  • Vision and Mission
  • Core Competences
  • Our History
  • Governance
  • CEO Interview
  • Group Structure
  • Financial Reporting
  • Presentations
  • Press
• Activities
  • Project Development
  • International Operations
  • Joint Ventures and Divestment
• Investment
  • Renewable Energy Investment
  • Partner with us
    • Institutional Investors
    • Private Investors
    • Land Owners
    • Developers
• Renewable Energy
  • Our Sectors
• Careers
  • Our Culture
  • Working with us
  • Recruitment Process
  • Open Positions
• Contact

Our Sectors

Characteristics of wind energy and its production

Wind energy refers to the production of energy from the power of the wind. The kinetic energy of the wind is converted into energy by a generator termed by the blades of the wind turbine, electrical. Usually, in order to produce great quantities of wind energy, many wind turbines are collocated in the same place, thus creating a wind farm.

Steps to a production site

In order to produce power from wind it is necessary to find the right place that guarantees a constant presence of high winds throughout most of the year. In order to  predict a reliable estimate of the power production in a certain area, studies have to be made in regards to the site morphology, the site layout, the continuity in time and the direction of the winds.

Studies are also made in order to find those sites that least would be affected by the presence of the wind turbines, both under an aesthetic and an environmental point of view.

For reliable power estimates the wind at the chosen site must be measured for at least one year, preferably two. Throughout the whole phase, all the needed permits and authorizations will have to be signed from the competent authorities before the site can be constructed. Once the power plant has received all the permits, it will be possible to install the wind turbines. Once installed, they occupy just 2% - 3% of the area of the wind farm, thus leaving the remaining area free to be used for cattle farming and agriculture.

Characteristics of solar energy and its production

Photovoltaic systems transform directly and instantaneously solar power into electricity without the use of any fuel. It utilizes the "photoelectric effect" which can be defined as the ability of certain semiconductors to produce electricity when exposed to solar irradiation.

The sun irradiates an enormous quantity of light onto the earth and a part of this can be utilized by a photovoltaic system to produce electricity. The energy produced by a photovoltaic system depends on the irradiation of the site, which is measured as the quantity of solar energy that is irradiated on a certain surface in units of kWh/m²/day. The irradiation is dependent on the atmospheric conditions (clouds, mist, etc.) and also on the location of the site.

A photovoltaic system essentially consists of series of solar panels installed together connected to inverters, which convert direct current power (e.g. battery) to alternating current power (e.g. wall socket electricity socket).

While small home systems are directly connected to the public distribution grid, power plants connect to a transformer in order to transmit the energy over long distances. 

Steps to a production site

In order to obtain the best production of energy in a certain site, it is essential to study the solar irradiation on the site during the mapping of the project. Further, studies regarding connection to the electrical grid and environmental assessment will be carried out at the beginning of the planning phase in order to study whether the power plant could potentially be installed on the site of interest or not.

At this point, the project designers can develop the optimal project layout.

Throughout the whole phase, all the needed permits and authorizations will have to be signed from the competent authorities before the site can be constructed.

Once the power plant has received all the permits, it will be possible to install the solar panels, which will be disposed in an adequate layout in order to best exploit the sun leading to irradiation for many years.