[spadlet]

The BWEA and AWEA seem to have some good international links with each other. They both also seem pretty up to speed with research by the National Renewable Energy Agency (America).

I think that one of the things with the renewables industry is that having been underfunded and sporadic in the past, people with experience tend to have links with many different places e.g. anyone trying to do research on tidal turbines will come across Peter Frankel at Marine Current Turbines, in name or published work, if not person. MCT is also a spin off from IT Power, alot of people of heard of CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) in Wales, people have been taken on study tours to see work in other parts of Europe due to a lack of examples wherethey live etc.

Any international agency with any sense would recognise the value in all of these links and support and build upon them. Why spend money bringing together organisations that already work together to a degree?

Instead the money could be sepnt funding international research into resource availability, production and enforcement of international product standards, ways of sharing information on schemes that have been run and best practice etc. That way people can learn from other peoples' mistakes rather than re-inventing the wheel.