Small Wind Turbine Testing
Testing of small wind turbines to international standards is one of the principal ways we can insure that small wind turbines can do what their promoters claim. For decades manufactures of small wind turbines could say whatever they wanted about their wind turbines and there was no way to hold them accountable. Today–after nearly three decades of effort–there are standardized tests for measuring the performance of small wind turbines and standardized ways of reporting this performance. No one should ever buy a small wind turbine that has not been tested to international standards and the results of those tests published for the world to see.
Comments on a Proposed Performance Standard for Small Wind Turbines
By
Paul Gipe
A Memorandum to Colleagues in the U.S. Small Turbine Industry on the Draft Performance Standard AWEA 1.2.2000
The Need for an International Small Wind Turbine Test Center
By
Paul Gipe
There is a pressing need for an international center to test and demonstrate small wind turbines. In contrast to the medium-sized wind turbine industry, which is nearing technical maturity, small wind turbines are still plagued by high costs and poor reliability.
Inventus 5 kW Power Curve
By
The Inventus 5 kW power curve was measured by Windtest Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog in Germany using 10-minute averages. Though the turbine is rated at 5 kW it produces 4.5 kW at 12 m/s using the 10-minute averages. The tests were performed in 1991.