WEICan Recognized as a "Preferred Testing Organization" by the Small Wind Certification Council

1/28/2013

The Wind Energy Institute of Canada (Institute) was recognized as a “preferred testing organization” by the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) in their September 2012 Newsletter, excerpt below. The SWCC is an independent accredited certification body, which certifies small wind turbines that meet or exceed the requirements of the AWEA Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard. Designed to promote consumer confidence and mainstream acceptance of small wind technology, SWCC certification standardizes North American reporting turbine energy and sound performance.

“Turnkey Solution for Testing - The SWCC is streamlining the process of certification to reduce the overall cost and timeframe of our services. With a turnkey solution for applicants, all the services necessary for small wind turbine certifications will be available from SWCC. We have started this effort by working on the field-testing portion of the process. Field testing performed by an accredited testing organization continues to represent a streamlined and cost effective pathway toward certification, however many of the active test sites are operated by non-accredited organizations which require an on-site evaluation by SWCC staff.

We are announcing three testing organizations where we have performed successful test site evaluations that we are now describing as 'preferred testing organizations'. These three organizations are the AEI Regional Wind Test Center in Canyon, Texas; Windward Engineering in Spanish Fork, Utah; and the Wind Energy Institute of Canada on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Applicants will enjoy a reduced certification cost and a streamlined process when using one of these 'preferred testing organizations'.”

The Wind Energy Institute of Canada, located at North Cape, Prince Edward Island is a not for profit, independent research and testing institute. Its mission is to advance the development of wind energy across Canada through research and demonstration, testing leading to certification, training and public education, and collaboration. The Institute’s location and its access to a multi-seasoned wind resource make it an excellent choice for testing wind systems of any size.

Small wind turbines are defined as having a swept area of less than 200m2. They utilize wind energy to produce clean, emissions-free electric power for individual homes, farms, and small businesses. In some cases, excess energy can be sold back to the grid. The Institute has been doing power performance and durability testing since 1981.

Another major project the Institute is working on now is their Wind RandD Park. In 2010, the Wind Energy Institute was awarded a five year, $12 million federal grant from the “Clean Energy Fund” to demonstrate the economic and technical feasibility of wind energy storage in Canada.

The demonstration will feature 5 wind turbines - generating capacity of 10 MW, a utility sized electricity storage system and the examination of grid integration technologies to increase the economic viability of intermittent electricity generation (wind, solar, tidal, etc.).

For More Information Contact
Karen Kinch
Manager of Administration
Wind Energy Institute of Canada
Office 1-902-882-4126