Dallas - March 3, 2009 - Tremendous opportunities exist for composites in the wind energy market due to strong demand from wind blade and turbine fabricators across the globe. As a result, the wind energy market for composites is estimated to reach $ 4.3 billion in 2013 according to a new market study by Lucintel.

Lucintel, a leading global market research and management consulting firm with over 1000 clients worldwide, has analyzed the global wind energy market and just published a comprehensive research report entitled "Material Needs for the Global Wind Energy Market: 2008-2013".

Technology and material needs are changing in the wind energy market as manufacturers are competing to design bigger turbines for greater efficiencies. According to a Lucintel survey with blade manufacturers, there is a need for high performance fibers and resin systems for the making of blades. Our analysis discovered one lb of weight saving translates to about $3.50 cost savings to wind farm operators in terms of cost of electricity generation.

Our analysis shows the key criteria which will determine the development of new materials in the future are:

• Higher fatigue life of blade materials
• Higher tensile and compressive strength properties, especially for fibers and core materials
• Improved process ability of resins in terms of lower curing temperatures, longer gel times and lower viscosity
• Good balance of price to performance

The future material needs are quantified in this new research report. In addition, current baseline properties of various material systems are given. Wind applications are the fastest growing portfolio for several suppliers and therefore strategic planning for growth in this sector will be increasingly important.

This research report contains trends and forecasts in terms of technology, materials and MW installation, market sizing, unmet needs assessment, impact of material performance on cost of energy generation, strategic analysis and many other elements, all of which can help you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace.

For a detailed table of contents and pricing information on this timely and insightful report, please contact helpdesk at 972-636-5056 or via email at helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel provides cutting edge decision support services that help you make critical decisions with greater speed, insight and cost-efficiency. To find out more, visit www.lucintel.com.