Wind, sun power area’s energy-sector outlook

The important place of the energy industry in Boulder Valley’s economy is as obvious as the giant wind turbines that loom over the south part of the county.

The turbines are at the National Wind Technology Center, a federally funded research facility, and their prominence is indicative of how the Boulder Valley is becoming a crucial research center for alternative energy.

Turbine manufacturers have located their headquarters or research centers in the area. Boulder is the home of the headquarters of juwi Wind LLC, a subsidiary of juwi Group, a German company that develops renewable energy technology. Turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems AG has a turbine research and development center in Louisville. The headquarters of Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., which develops, constructs and operates wind farms and solar projects, is in Broomfield.

Smaller wind-power companies also call the area home. Boulder Wind Power Inc. is a startup developing turbine technology that uses magnets and not gears to generate power. The company, now based in Louisville, was founded in 2009 to commercialize technology developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. Boulder Wind Power already has raised $43 million in venture capital.

In 2011, Southwest Windpower Inc. relocated its headquarters to Broomfield. The company develops small wind turbines that can generate electricity for remote homes and industrial sites.

The solar industry also has a strong local presence. juwi Solar Inc., a developer and operator of utility-scale solar projects and another part of the juwi Group, is headquartered in Boulder. Prominent solar installers Namaste Solar Electric Inc. is based in Boulder, and Bella Energy Inc. is based in Louisville.

While the renewable-energy industry continues to show promise, the economic downturn has taken a toll. Abound Solar Inc., a builder of photovoltaic panels, operated a large manufacturing plant just outside Longmont, but the company went bankrupt in 2012.

The recession also impacted ConocoPhillips Co., one of the giants of the oil and natural gas industry. The Houston-based company owns 432 acres in Louisville and planned to build a training and research center there. The development of the center has been put on hold as ConocoPhillips spun its refining, distribution and marketing operations into Phillips 66. The company has not announced when the project will be started.

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