The cover story and the majority of this month’s PM Network magazine (the instrument of the Project Management Institute, PMI) is – as you can see, focused on renewable energy.

If you’re a member, make sure you log in and read the online version.  You’ll find quite a treasure trove of articles on the subject and you’ll see mention of a strong upsurge in the number of projects starting to take place worldwide in this practice area.  Striking examples of project management prowess overcoming obstacles are plentiful, especially in a very well-written article about the Danish Horns Rev 2 project.  In particular, read about the way that PM Henrik Lehmann overcame the problem of risk identification for a project taking place far offshore, in icy waters with 10-foot-high waves.  Lehmann knew that he didn’t know all of the risks himself and so brought together a team of 50 selected employees with the experience and competency in this area to help brainstorm and identify risk, which of course had the side benefit of gaining buy-in from a diverse set of contributing functional organizations.  This is a huge project and the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

At the moment.

Turns out, this will be dwarfed in only a few years by another wind farm which will be thrice the size.  Where is this new one to be, you ask?  Well, the name will give it away – it’s called the London Array.  And we suggest you go have a look at a brief video that will tell you all about it, right on PMI’s web page.

Go here to see that video.  And the London Array project site is worth a visit as well.

The inspiring overall message of the issue is the fact that we’re at a sharp upswing in the deployment of these types of projects, “the steepest upward climb to date”, according to Gaynor Hartnell, director of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, London, England.  This is the green wave in action and it sits right there – at the intersection of green and project management – an increasingly satisfying place to be.