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Case Study

Small Biz to Billion $ Multinational in Just Over A Decade

Suzlon Energy

Suzlon Energy Limited, an Indian company that specializes in the development, manufacturing, marketing, and operations of wind turbines, was incorporated in 1995. It entered wind energy in 1995, to diversify from textiles.

In less than 15 years, Suzlon has been transformed from a small company of twenty people to a major multinational business that has propelled India into wind superpower status and made its founders multibillionaires.

The company is currently ranked as the fifth leading wind turbine maker in the world. A giant in the Asian market, Suzlon maintains a presence in 15 countries across five continents and employs over 13,000 people.

Had the founders of Suzlon stayed in their existing business, they would have remained as one of the thousands of small textile mills in India. Thanks to their decision to explore the then-nascent wind energy industry, they have not only achieved fame for themselves, they have also made their country (India) proud.

Alternative Profits

Take Part in the Wind Energy Revolution

Wind energy, which is already playing a significant role in providing electricity in parts of the globe, presents both large and small opportunities to a range of businesses.

Revolution happening in wind energy industry

Wind energy is one of the most significant renewable energy sources for electricity generation worldwide. Wind energy presents one of the most attractive opportunities for entrepreneurs because of its competitive costs and proven technology. Market studies reveal that wind, together with solar and biofuels, will constitute one of the renewable energy technologies in which practically every significant country in the world will be investing over the next decade.

GWEC predicts that in 2013, five years from now, global wind generating capacity will stand at 332 GW, up from 120 GW at the end of 2008. During 2013, 56.3 GW of wind generating capacity will be added, more than double the annual market in 2008. The year-on-year growth rates during this period will average 22%, which is modest compared to an average increase of 28% over the last ten years.

Global Wind Energy Installations and Capacity - Market Forecast: 2009-2013

Source: Global Wind Energy Council Report, 2008

In addition, the 2009 industry forecast predicts that the world's wind energy capacity will nearly triple in the next five years, following a decade of spectacular growth. This development will be led by tremendous growth in China, and steady expansion in Europe and North America.

Regional Wind Energy Scenario

Region	Total installed capacity end 2008 (GW)	% Contribution
Africa & Middle East	0.67	0.55
Asia	24.37	20.17
Europe	65.95	54.59
Latin America & Caribbean	0.63	0.52
North America	27.54	22.80
Pacific Region	1.64	1.36
World	120.8

Snapshots of status and potential of wind energy

Growth Rate (%)

Renewable Energy Source	Capacity (GW)		Market Size (billion $)		Market Size
Renewable Energy Source	2008	Future Estimates	2008	Future Estimates	Market Size
Wind	120	390	32	102	18

According to market studies, investment in wind energy is growing at 51% a year. This exceptional investing growth rate is expected to continue - and increase even faster - for the foreseeable future.

New Investments in Wind Energy ($ billions)

2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2004-08 CAGR (%)
10.0	19.1	25.0	51.3	51.8	51

Government mandates and incentives for wind energy

Governments around the world have been providing incentives for wind energy generation. These include subsidies, tax breaks, grants and more. In addition, some countries, especially in Europe had implemented high feed-in-tariffs for electricity generated from wind energy, thus encouraging significant investments in this sector. Such governmental incentives and support for wind energy are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

How can individuals and entrepreneurs benefit from this dramatic opportunity?

Wind energy industry presents attractive opportunities to a wide range of people, including investors and entrepreneurs.

Opportunities by scale of investments required

Scale of Investment	Type of Opportunity
Low	Consulting for the wind energy industry Training people for the wind energy industry - training on installation, maintenance and repair Wind turbine and wind farm maintenance Setting up micro wind turbines on private farms and residences Wind turbines and components distribution Land owners and farmers can lease/rent their land for wind farms
Medium	Developing software that can be used in wind turbines - such as monitoring and instrumentation software Setting up medium scale wind turbine manufacturing plants Setting up manufacturing plants for components and accessories for the wind energy industry Setting up R&D facilities for new research into wind energy
High	Setting up large-scale wind turbine manufacturing plants Setting up large wind turbine power plants

The trend in the wind power industry is that of consolidation with companies integrating across the supply chain - from manufacturing of components to consultancy, site preparation, installation and maintenance. As site selection is a crucial factor for financial viability of such projects, there is high demand for such sites.

Small Scale Wind Energy Business Opportunities:

Consultants can benefit by serving the specialized information needs in the wind energy business. Similar opportunities are available for companies and individuals specializing in market studies and market research.
An individual can take a dealership in distributing home based wind turbines.
Wind energy is experiencing very large investments from prominent businesses and individuals around the world. Land owners and farmers who own large can profit by leasing/renting their land for setting up wind farms.

Medium Scale Wind Energy Business Opportunities:

Setting up R&D facilities for new type of wind turbine. For instance, currently high altitude wind energy is getting a lot of attention and R&D from entrepreneurs.
Setting up manufacturing plants for components and accessories for the wind energy industry. With over 8,000 parts required to make a wind turbine, requiring a large network of reliable suppliers, component supply is creating the most problematic bottleneck for turbine makers. In order to meet increasing demand, leading players are rushing to beef up their supplies by setting up new plants, signing long-term contracts with suppliers and even making acquisitions.
Developing software that can be used in wind turbines - such as monitoring and instrumentation software.

Large Scale Wind Energy Business Opportunities:

Setting up large-scale wind turbine manufacturing plants. The global turbine market will see increasing turbine size in mature markets that require larger rotors, balanced against steady demand in developing countries for smaller, older product models that are well received based on cost and proven performance, according to Emerging Energy Research.
Setting up large wind turbine power plants. It is expected that larger projects, particularly over 50 MW, will increase their share in the future. Projects 100 MW and larger will nearly double their contribution to global MW added through 2020 from 24% to over 40%.

Presenting the Wind Profits Report

While there is a large amount of data and inputs available online and offline about the wind energy industry, much of this data are in bits and pieces and they do not readily answer specific and practical questions that entrepreneurs who are just about to enter this industry have in mind. The objective of the Wind Energy Profits Report is to demystify the wind energy industry.

The report has been prepared after intensive research for over a year by a team of industry, scientific and market research experts. During the preparation, a large number of diverse data sources - both primary and secondary were used. These included interviews with experts and consultants, data from high-end consultants such as McKinsey, Accenture and CleanTech group, inputs from a number of seminars and conferences, white papers, industry and research journals, authentic data sources such as those from the US Department of Energy, and more were used.

The Wind Profits Report provides you strategic advice and numerous case studies on the prominent and emerging wind industry.

This report will be immensely useful for entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals who are keen on understanding the business case in wind industry and devising an effective strategy for their entry into this exciting business segment.

Insights and intelligence, not just information

Compiled by a diverse team of experts, with experience in scientific, industrial and management fields, the Wind Profits Report is the first report that provides in-depth analysis and insights on how entrepreneurs and existing businesses can gain an entry into and benefit from this industry. It uses thousands of pieces of data and information from a wide variety of expert sources and market studies, and distills these inputs and data into intelligence and a roadmap that you can use.

What will you know after reading this report?

How can you personally and professionally benefit from this revolution?

How have entrepreneurs been able to make a difference to the world while at the same time making profits?

How small scale businesses can profit this revolution?

How have small businesses become multi-billion dollar businesses within a decade by investing in wind energy?

How can you shift from working in your existing, standard industry into the industry of the future?

What immediate steps can you take so that you have made your first, productive moves in this direction?

Where should you look for advice and guidance for investing in wind energy stocks?

The Wind Profits Report provides precise insights and precise inputs for the following questions

How did the successful entrepreneurs succeed in this industry?

Does the wind energy industry have attractive small business opportunities?

What are the current and future trends in wind energy sources worldwide?

What are the segments in wind energy and sustainability industries that have the most attractive business potential?

What are the trends and new developments in wind energy technologies?

What are the investment trends and opportunities in wind energy and sustainability industries?

What segments of the wind energy industry are attractive for small scale investments?

What are the most significant problems or bottlenecks in wind energy business?

What steps should an entrepreneur take should she/he be interested in exploring further?

Unique topics on which you will find insights in the report

Information, insights and market research data are provided on a number of emerging trends in wind energy industry, along with the business opportunities that they represent.

Wind Energy

Airborne wind farm

Microgeneration wind turbines

Roof extractors

Roof-mounted wind turbines

Green Jobs

Construction managers

Due diligence consultants

Efficiency engineers

Electrical engineers

Engineering designers

Environmental consultants

Fabrication specialists

Finance managers & analysts

Geochemists

Green energy product specialist

Grid connectivity experts

Process engineers

Service engineers

Technicians

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List of Contents

Section 1: Status and Trends in Alternative Energy Sources

1. Introduction to Alternative Energy and Sustainability Industries 1.1 Introduction to Alternative Energy Sources	Figures Schematic Representation of Primary and Emerging Sources of Energy Tables Prominent Aspects of Renewable Energy
2. Wind Energy – Industry Status and Trends 2.1 Introduction to Wind Energy 2.2 Wind Energy Potential 2.3 Technology 2.4 Status and Trends in Wind Industry 2.5 Wind Energy Projects & Companies 2.6 Wind Energy Problems	Figures Map Showing Wind Speed Around the World Chart Representing Global Installed Capacity of Wind Power Chart Representing Global Annual Installed Capacity 1996- 2008 Chart Representing Annual Installed Capacity by Region 2003-2008 Global Wind Energy Installations and Capacity - Market Forecast: 2009-2013 Graph Showing Annual Wind Power Market Forecast by Region 2008-2013 Tables Summary of Locations of the Most Attractive Regions for Wind Energy Global Cumulative Installed Capacity of Wind Energy 2009-2013 Annual Installed Capacity of Wind Energy 2009-2013 Global Installed Wind Power Capacity(GW) - Regional Distribution Wind Energy Installed Capacity in Top Ten Countries (2008) Wind Clean Development Mechnaism Projects(2008) Largest Wind Power Projects Operating in the US
3. Value Chain and Prominent Companies in the Wind Energy Domain 3.1 Wind Energy Industry Value Chain 3.2 Wind Industry Suppliers	Figures Wind energy value chain Tables List of Wind Turbine Manufacturers Top 20 Wind Farm Project Owners in the US
Section 2: Case Studies and Business Opportunities in Wind Energy 4. Wind Energy - Case Studies and Business Opportunities 4.1 Wind Energy Case Studies 4.2 Wind Energy Business Opportunities 4.2.1 A Framework for Wind Energy Opportunities 4.2.2 Opportunities in Wind Energy 4.2.3 Opportunities from New Developments in the Wind Energy Industry 4.2.4 Some sample components and equipments used in the wind energy industry	Tables Wind Energy Opportunities by Scale of Investments Required Wind Energy Opportunities by Type of Industry Sample Case Studies How Vestas, an engineering company with 66 people has grown into a successful wind turbine manufacturing company today with 8,000 employees and the company has more than 21,000 employees located in 29 countries. How a company with 3 people (husband, wife and one other employee) manufacturing anemometry, an instrument measuring wind speed has grown into a successful company with 30 employees. How have small businesses become multi-billion dollar businesses within a decade by investing in wind energy? How a pilot and an aerospace engineer, who quit his job as CEO to build up an airship to generate energy from high-altitude wind turned into a successful entrepreneur.
5. Next Steps for an Entrepreneur Keen on Exploring the Wind Energy Industry 5.1 Tips & Suggestions 5.2 Mistakes to be Avoided 6. Careers in Wind Energy Industry 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Alternative and Renewable Energy Jobs FAQ 6.3 Sample Careers in Wind Energy Section 3: Wind Energy Industry – Costs and Investments 7. Costs and Investments 7.1 Capital & Operational Expenses for Wind Energy Sources 7.2 Wind Energy Costs - Notes and Trends 7.3 Wind Energy Investments 7.4 Investment Data Trends in Wind Energy 7.4.1 Venture Capital Financing 7.4.2 Investments in Wind Energy	Tables Capital & Operational Expenses for Various Renewable Energy Sources Energy Returned on Energy Invested for Wind Energy Sample Investment Data for Wind Power New Investments in Sustainable Energy Investment VC / PE Investment in Wind Energy Sector by Stage
8. Investing in Green Stocks? 8.1 Guide for Green Investing 8.1.1 Global Alternative Energy Indexes 8.1.2 Other Guides for Green Investing 8.2 Some Perspectives on Wind Energy Investing Section 4: References 9.Useful Web Resources for an Entrepreneur – News, Guides, Message Boards, Blogs 9.1 News Sites 9.2 Blogs 9.3 Forums 9.4 Portals & Guides	Tables Alternative Energy News Sites Wind Energy News Alternative & Renewable Energy Blogs Wind Energy Blogs Alternative Energy Forum Wind Energy Forum Alternative Energy Portals & Guides Wind Energy Portal
10. Associations for Wind Energy for the Top 10 Countries