“The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the Wind.”

The ABB Automation & Power World customer conference had just ended on May 21 after months of extensive preparation and flawless execution in Houston, Texas. However, just two days later and a few hours up the road in Dallas, the global ABB Wind team was preparing to plant another stake in the ground at what has arguably become the largest energy trade show in the United States – the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Windpower 2010 conference and exhibition.

ABB again established itself as one of the leading providers of power and automation products and solutions for the windpower industry during the event, held May 23-26 in the Dallas Convention Center. ABB owned a 1,500 square foot booth in a strategic location on the large exhibit floor – over an area the size of six football fields.

ABB booth personnel, led by Dennis McKinley, leader of the Wind vertical industry segment initiative for North America, demonstrated to numerous customers how ABB is rapidly increasing its presence in the wind business by offering innovative and quality products, systems and services. ABB featured a wide range of products and solutions in the booth, with an emphasis on energy efficiency for generation, transmission and distribution of wind energy, and an increase in productivity for industrial, commercial and utility operators.

ABB provides products and services to the turbine manufacturers (OEM’s) as well as developers, owners and operators of Wind Farms. Key global ABB personnel were on hand to meet with the customers and discuss how we can help them reduce their risks while delivering on time and on budget with our deliverables.



Some of the products and solutions included:

Wind Turbine Components
Converters
Generators
Cast Coil Transformers
Low Voltage Motors
Low Voltage Systems
Tower Switchgear
Low Voltage Circuit Breakers
Low Voltage Control Products
Service and Maintenance
System Studies
Power Systems (eBoP)

Wind Power Plant Solutions
Capacitors
Medium Voltage Station Breakers
Overhead Loadbreak Switch
HV Circuit Breakers
HV Circuit Switches
Substation Automation
HVDC Light
MicroSCADA
Relays
Substation Automation
SVC Systems
Statcom
Medium Voltage Switchgear
Power Transformers
Power Transformers
Instrument Transformers

The feedback from customers and visitors was extremely positive. On the whole the event was a success, as several key customer contacts and multiple leads were generated.

“We were pleased with the level of interest that customers and the media showed during our time at the AWEA Windpower conference,” said Dennis. “The large gathering at what has become a preeminent renewable energy conference, in spite of the economic slowdown, demonstrates a growing interest in wind as an alternative energy source. The Windpower event provided us with valuable opportunities to introduce customers to some of our advanced technologies and to showcase ABB’s knowledge and commitment to windpower to a receptive industry.”

The annual event, put on by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), has become one of the fastest-growing and largest energy trade shows in America, growing from 4,000 attendees four years ago to more than 23,000 attendees, including 1,400 exhibiting companies, this year.

This year’s event featured a keynote address by former U.S. President George W. Bush. In one of President Bush’s first public appearances anywhere since leaving office, he talked openly and gave his personal assessment of his eight years in the White House, but also talked at length about how Texas took the lead in establishing windpower and renewable energy standards while he served as the Governor of Texas. The event also included special appearances by musician Elvis Costello and actor Jason Alexander (from “Seinfeld,” performing as motivational speaker Donnie Clay).

For additional questions about the AWEA event, the Wind industry or any market opportunities, please contact Dennis McKinley.

Next year’s AWEA Windpower conference and exhibition is set for Anaheim, California on May 22-25, 2011.