May 6 2010
Intertek, a provider of inspection, testing and certification services, has opened an open air test center for small-sized wind turbines.
This test facility located in Otisco, NY, along with the close by Cortland, NY, laboratory of Intertek, is controlled by an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory and has the capability of offering electrical component and small wind turbine system certifications. Third-party certifications such as ETL Mark for Europe, the U.S. and Canada indicate the conformity to international and national safety standards.
Government incentive programs meant for renewable and clean energy are crucial to the growth of the international wind energy market. Intertek conducts tests on wind turbines and offers information to program managers for determining the eligibility of products for incentive programs. Intertek by serving as a third-party testing firm enhances the sales opportunities for producers by offering compliance verification with international and national wind turbine performance, safety and efficiency requirements.
Intertek will conduct tests and issue certifications to small-sized wind turbines for performance and durability as per the novel AWEA 9.1 Small Wind Turbine Safety and Performance standard and the recently introduced Canadian standards including CAN/CSA C61400-2, thereby providing complete wind turbine certification and testing solutions to Canadian and U.S. manufacturers. Manufacturers intending to utilize certification bodies including the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) can also be tested by Intertek.
The test facility is likely to support testing of numerous small wind turbines simultaneously, from turbines having capacity of a few hundred watts to turbines having capacity of around 50–60 kW. Intertek by utilizing remote access monitoring will produce information to evaluate a wide range of environmental conditions in compliance with the Canadian, AWEA and global wind turbine standards.
Source: http://www.intertek.com/