Why certification makes sense

The U.S. Department of Energy is expecting to hit 20% wind energy or 300 GW of generating capacity by 2030. Unlike traditional energy sources, the challenge of achieving this goal is not related to availability of raw materials, but rather increasing the manufacturing capacity of wind-energy generation equipment. One government study says achieving 20% wind energy will require the number of turbine installations to increase to almost 7,000 per year by 2017.

The rapid increase in the annual number of wind turbine installations will draw more manufacturers of turbines generators and components into the U.S. and Canadian markets. However, before a manufacturer can take advantage of this growing opportunity it must be familiar with the regulatory requirements pertaining to these markets.

As background, before a wind turbine can begin operating it must comply with national, state, or province and local electrical codes. Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), is responsible for making this determination. In the case of wind turbines, the authority is an electrical inspector.

Here’s the problem, says a white paper issued by equipment-certification firm Intertek: An authority or inspector can call upon national or local codes or standards as they relate to the wind turbine as the basis for denying approval to begin operating the unit. If an inspector challenges a wind turbine’s compliance to code, the manufacturer is required to make the necessary equipment or installation corrections to satisfy the local code requirements. This must be satisfied before the turbine can begin operating.

These corrections often require extensive equipment modifications, which can result in costly delays. Understanding the regulatory issues related to wind turbines will let manufacturers avoid many potential inspector objections and costly delays.

Intertek says it knows how to avoid time consuming and costly pitfalls, and improve the overall turbine product-safety-certification process, so that the information should be most useful to manufacturers of wind turbines and their components, and turbine customers and investors. This paper also discusses regulatory issues related to wind turbines and provides advance planning tactics to reduce the likelihood of an inspector’s objection. What’s more, the paper includes best practices to receive inspector approval in the event of a challenge. These methods are based on Intertek’s broad experience with power-generation equipment and evaluation of over 1,000 wind turbines in North America alone.

The 7-page paper (Wind turbine generators electrical safety compliance in the U.S. and Canada) is available from Intertek at www.intertek.com.

Intertek
intertek.com

Cable manufacturer earns UL WTTC approval

SAB North America’s TR 600 Cable Tray Cables and Flexible Motor Supply Cables have achieved key UL WTTC standard for use in the design of Wind Turbines. The TR 600 series cable earned approval in accordance with UL subject 2277.

SAB North America announced that its full line of tray cables and flexible motor supply cables are approved by Underwriters Laboratories as Wind Turbine Tray Cables with 1000 volt rating and operating temperature designed to meet the UL WTTC subject 2277 standard.

DOWNLOAD TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR THE TR 600 CABLE

SAB has a wide range of cables with insulation/jacket/shielding options that meet and exceed the WTTC standards.

For additional information contact SAB North America at 866-722-2974 or by e-mail at info@sabcable.com

Turbines get testing and certification

A company that conducts product safety testing and certification says it will begin offering testing and certification of wind turbines in accordance with a new UL safety standard. The new service of Underwriters Laboratories, offered in partnership with Germanischer Lloyd (GL), a leading wind energy equipment certification organization, will provide wind-turbine manufacturers around the world with safety compliance both U.S. and IEC requirements. This service, says UL, will let clients accelerate access to the global market.

UL’s evaluation and support is said to cover the entire wind turbine, including components and assemblies, and qualify products to carry the UL Classified mark. UL’s work with wind turbines will be based at its Northbrook facilities but the company also intends to offer field evaluation services globally, also supported by GL.

“UL has been working with manufacturers for some time to certify wind turbine components,” says Jeff Smidt, Global Manager of UL’s Global Energy Business. “This service will let manufacturers apply for system certification which covers electrical and fire safety for the entire turbine”. The organization adds that the wind turbine service will guide companies serving the global energy market through a process that minimizes time and resources they must dedicate to project administration and management.

UL say that while comprehensive, the portfolio of services is also flexible, letting manufacturers choose a level of evaluation they need based on turbine differences and their intended use and location. The organization has published two Outlines of Investigation for the wind industry and expects to release additional standard requirements. These will be the first to evaluate fire and electrical safety of wind turbines, and represents UL’s latest investment into its renewable energy business. The organization says it is pursuing business in other areas of renewable energy. The company recently established photovoltaic testing facilities in two key solar markets, San Jose, Calif. and Suzhou, China.