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U.S. DOE Funds SWCC
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SWCC thanks the U.S. Department of Energy, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and other sponsors for financial assistance they have provided to SWCC to assist with the start-up of the small wind turbine certification program.
Click here for a list of all SWCC funders.
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Greetings!
Greetings!
With another wind turbine model receiving full SWCC certification and our first medium-sized application underway, certification continues to advance consumer protection against fraudulent claims and faulty equipment and help build the distributed wind industry's reputation.
Although a few listings have expired, SWCC's ranks continue to increase and additional certifications and testing milestones for both small and medium wind turbines are expected in the coming months.
SWCC continues to streamline and clarify its process and work with colleagues around the world to make sure that wind turbine standards are up-to-date. Information about an upcoming webinar on small wind standards and policy is included below.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments about SWCC activities.
Larry SherwoodExecutive Director |
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Endurance S-343 Fully Certified,
E-3120 and Dakota Under Contract
In July, SWCC issued its seventh full certification to the Endurance S-343. The 5.4 kW horizontal axis wind turbine from Endurance Wind Power Inc. had previously been granted Limited Power Performance certification which allows SWCC to certify and publish Power Performance results while full certification is underway. The S-343 was tested at the Windward Engineering facility in Spanish Fork, Utah.
To compare all certification ratings and access summary reports, see www.smallwindcertification.org/certified-turbines.
The Endurance E-3120 and Dakota Turbines' DT-30 are now under contract with SWCC to pursue certification. The E-3120 is the first medium-sized turbine to seek certification through the SWCC with test results from the Utah Windward facility. The DT-30 is slated to be tested at the new High Plains Small Wind Test Center in Colby, Kansas.
For the full list of SWCC Applicants, see www.smallwindcertification.org/applicant-turbines
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Kansas Test Site Up-and-Running
The High Plains Small Wind Test Center in Colby, Kansas, is now up-and-running and will begin testing its first small wind turbines this Fall. A partnership of Midwest Energy, Inc., Colby Community College, and Kansas State University, the High Plains Small Wind Test Center is one of four Regional Test Centers under subcontract from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).
In addition to the Dakota DT-30, the Pika Energy T701 will begin testing soon and will utilize the Kansas test site to pursue SWCC certification.
For more information, see wac.ece.ksu.edu.
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What Does Reciprocity Mean?
SWCC has signed reciprocity agreements with several certification bodes in the UK and Japan, which confirm that SWCC and the partner certification body have agreed to share certification information as we work to grant our own certifications. SWCC works with our Applicants to setup the field testing to enable the global approach of "test once, certify everywhere." For small wind turbines, SWCC grants time-limited "Conditional Temporary Certification" to turbines that are certified to the IEC 61400 series of Standards, the BWEA Standard or the JSWTA Standard.
However, being certified by ClassNK in Japan, or BRE Global, BBA, or TUV-NEL in the UK, does not automatically mean a wind turbine is SWCC-certified, and vice-versa as each body issues its own certifications.
Due to differences between SWCC certification to the AWEA Standard and the certification schemes in the UK and Japan, the purpose of the reciprocity agreements is to ensure that as much of the work as possible that has already been performed by one party is acceptable in order to facilitate certification by the other party.
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Upcoming WPA Webinar on Small Wind Standards & Policy
The Wind Powering America (WPA) program will host a live webinar at 3:00 pm EDT on September 18, 2013 on Small Wind Standards and Policy Updates. Join Heather Rhoads-Weaver and Matt Gagne from eFormative Options, Val Stori from the Clean Energy States Alliance, and Brent Summerville from the Small Wind Certification Council for an update on small wind standards and policy.
During the September presentation, Heather Rhoads-Weaver and Matt Gagne will provide an introduction to and brief demonstration of the Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool. Val Stori will provide an overview of the Interstate Turbine Advisory Council, and Brent Summerville will discuss the Small Wind Certification Council and the role of standards in the small wind industry.
The WPA team hosts live webinars on a variety of themes on the third Wednesday of every month. The webinar is free. Advance registration is not required. For audio and web access, see: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/filter_detail.asp?itemid=3976
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SWCC Policy Updates
In July, several changes were made to the SWCC Small Wind Turbine Certification Policy to improve and streamline the SWCC certification process. There is now a clear policy in place for a change in ownership of a certified small wind turbine.
We have also added new marks to the SWCC Trademark and Certification Mark Use Policy for our new Power Performance and Acoustic Performance Certification programs for medium wind turbines.
In addition, a small revision has been made to the SWCC Wind Turbine Performance Certification Policy for medium wind turbines. The new revision has a small change that clarifies that we currently offer Acoustic Performance Certification for Medium Wind Turbines to edition 2.1 and edition 3 of IEC 61400-11. This change was made after recognizing that the industry (manufacturers, testing organizations, certification bodies and incentive agencies) are in a transition period regarding the new edition 3 of the Acoustic standard.
The current SWCC Policies can be found here: www.smallwindcertification.org/for-applicants/swcc-policies
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SWCC Board Member Offers International Field Perspective
 Robert Foster has served on the SWCC Board of Directors since 2009, bringing a practical, field-oriented, and international perspective to SWCC efforts. He has worked for more than 25 years for the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University (NMSU) on solar and wind energy development in over three dozen countries. He currently serves as a Senior Program Manager for the NMSU Institute for Energy and the Environment, where he supports the Winrock International Clean Energy Group with projects in Africa and the Republic of Georgia. From 2009-2012 he worked as the Chief Engineer for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Afghanistan Clean Energy Program. His experience with small wind systems includes resource assessment, systems testing, project implementation, and feasibility studies. He co-authored wind hybrid technology characterization and small wind market studies for NREL and the United Nations Development Program in Mexico on distributed wind. Robert has assisted the Governments of Afghanistan, Honduras, Chile, and Guatemala with wind monitoring and training, and has coordinated technical work in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In New Mexico, he has worked with NASA-WSTF, Fort Bliss, and NMSU Clovis Ag Science Station with wind resource monitoring and feasibility assessments. Robert served as the Faculty Leader for the National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation Program working with the Tecnológico de Monterrey on wind energy development along the U.S.-Mexico Border. He is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from the Dominican Republic, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, and holds a MBA from NMSU.
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