The latest edition of the WindEnergy trend:index indicates a modest improvement in sentiment across the global wind energy sector after a marked decline last spring. The overall picture, however, is uneven, with clear regional differences. Asia and the rest of the world are showing upward momentum, while Germany continues to lose ground. North America remains the weakest region, despite a slight improvement.
Asia records the strongest positive trend and, for the first time in several years, sentiment is approaching former peak levels. The results point to continued strong market activity in the region. Europe overall remains in positive territory but has weakened compared with previous surveys. Germany stands out for its continued decline and now sits well below the European average. Ongoing challenges related to permitting, site availability, grid connections and regulation are reflected in these assessments.
Outside Europe and North America, sentiment is clearly improving and resembles levels seen in earlier surveys. North America diverges from the global trend, with all surveyed categories remaining negative. Factors cited include changes in the political environment in the USA, delayed incentives and project cancellations affecting both short-term and long-term expectations. North America is the only region consistently below the neutral mark.
Onshore wind sentiment has improved slightly at the global level, although it remains below the highs of previous years. Germany again ranks last. In offshore wind, sentiment has strengthened somewhat in Asia, North America and the rest of the world. Europe continues to decline, with Germany showing the sharpest drop, influenced by regulatory complexity, grid bottlenecks, uncertainty around expansion targets and unsuccessful tenders.
Short-term expectations for the onshore market have improved modestly worldwide, but Germany remains at the bottom. Over a two-year horizon, Asia continues to advance, Europe remains moderately positive but weakening, Germany shows the strongest structural downturn, and North America recovers slightly while staying negative. Offshore expectations follow a similar pattern.
Expectations for turbine size growth towards 2030 are moderating. Average onshore turbine ratings are now forecast at 8.3 MW by 2030, slightly lower than in previous surveys. Offshore expectations have also eased to an average of 19.2 MW. This reflects a shift towards economically and technically proven solutions.
Respondents again represent a broad cross-section of the value chain, including project development, operation and maintenance, and manufacturing. Europe and Germany account for the largest share, followed by Asia and North America. The WindEnergy trend:index is jointly compiled by WindEnergy Hamburg and wind:research.
