Help is on the way for wind turbine customers seeking meaningful energy production estimates from manufacturers.
The Small Wind Certification Council is a third party business that verifies manufacturer power curves.
Executive director Larry Sherwood said 18 manufacturers have submitted applications to certify 22 turbines since the council began accepting them in February 2010.
He anticipates the first batch of easy-to-understand North American certifications will be issued in June.
“Our certification labels allow easier comparison shopping and will help small wind turbines gain mainstream acceptance.”
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In the meantime, prospective turbine buyers might want to consult the website of a similar certification program in Britain that has already issued certifications. It can be found at www.microgenerationcertification.org/mcs-consumer/productsearch.php?searchProductTypeID=1277.
Certification is a service that is sorely needed, according to a recent study prepared by the Saskatchewan Research Council.
It determined that a sampling of wind turbines sold throughout the province delivered half the energy predicted by models using manufacturers’ published power curves.
Sherwood said the industry has been a buyer beware market. Some unscrupulous companies have exaggerated their power curve data and others followed suit to remain competitive.
“Because there is no verification, essentially they can get away with that,” he said.
His certification service will provide consumers with the assurance they are getting what they paid for by conducting field testing and structural analysis of the turbines.
Darryl Jessie, president of Raum Energy in Saskatoon, said the council has established the North American industry standard for measuring power curves.
Raum will not submit an application for certification until testing is complete on its new 3.5 kilowatt turbine. Testing is being conducted by the Wind Energy Institute of Canada, which Sherwood said is a reputable agency.
The testing and certification process is expected to cost Raum more than $100,000.
For a list of the 22 wind turbines submitted by 18 manufacturers for certification by the Small Wind Certification Council, visit: www.smallwindcertification.org/certified_turbines.html
