Vestas will move its North American sales and service headquarters into the historic Meier & Frank Depot Building in Portland’s Pearl District. Gerding Edlen Development, Inc., will transform the sturdy structure, vacant since Companies wishing to submit materials for inclusion in this section should contact Russ Willcutt at russ@windsystemsmag.com.

Releases accompanied by color images will be given first consideration. 2001, into one of Portland’s newest and most distinctive buildings. Construction is expected to begin in October 2010. Vestas plans to occupy the space in early 2012. The building will be designed with the intent to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. There are only 15 buildings in Portland designated as LEED Platinum, the highest rating given by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gerding Edlen, headquartered in Portland, is one of the nation’s largest developers of LEED-certified properties having developed more than 40 LEED projects since the inception of the U.S. Green Building Council. Built in 1928, the Meier & Frank Depot Building will undergo a complete historic renovation. When redeveloped the building will be 172,000 square feet that will include a 22,000 squarefoot addition on the fifth floor complete with an ecoroof terrace and gardens. Additionally, the building will have what is believed to be the largest roofmounted solar energy array in Portland’s central business district. The total project cost for the developer is estimated at $66 million. “We are making a long-term commitment to Portland,” says Martha Wyrsch, president of Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc. “As a company devoted to wind power, it makes sense for us to be part of a community that so strongly supports clean energy.” “I am so pleased that Vestas is making a long-term commitment to grow their business here in Portland,” says Mayor Sam Adams. “This announcement shows the success of working strategically to grow quality jobs by building on our competitive advantage as a leader in clean technology and sustainable industries.

Moreover, our joint efforts mean that local architects, construction workers and engineers will get to work now converting a Portland landmark into one of the most energyefficient buildings in the United States.” Vestas’ Portland employees work in such fields as engineering, sales, project management, training, technology, accounting, human resources, legal services, and marketing, among others. Vestas, which employs about 2,400 people in the United States and Canada, also has 30 fulltime employees in central and eastern Oregon who maintain and service wind turbines. “This is a great day for Vestas, for the City of Portland, and for the state,” Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski says. “This building represents the very best in public and private partnerships. Our collective investments in this project will pay off now and in the future in the form of more green jobs in Portland. It also will establish a stronger renewable energy foundation for Oregon as a whole.”

Vestas, the world leader in producing high-tech wind power systems, has supplied more than 40,500 turbines globally since 1979. Vestas sold its first wind turbine in North America in 1981 and since has supplied more than 11,000 turbines to the United States and Canada. Learn more at www.vestas.com.

Finavera Renewables, Inc., has signed a participation agreement with the McLeod Lake Indian Band for the Tumbler Ridge, Wildmare, Meikle, and Bullmoose Wind Energy Projects. The agreement was completed at a signing ceremony at the McLeod Lake Indian Band Annual General Assembly. The agreement sets out the guidelines for engagement between Finavera and the McLeod Lake Indian Band and represents a commitment by the parties to enter into discussions to develop further agreements.

“We support Finavera Renewables and others in the wind energy business as they represent the future for electric power generation. When done in a responsible way wind energy, unlike hydro dams, gives us power without destroying the land around us,” says Chief Derek Orr. “We are looking forward to being actively involved with Finavera Renewables.”

“I would like to thank Chief Derek Orr and the McLeod Lake Indian Band for their hospitality during their community’s Annual General Assembly,” says Finavera Renewables CEO Jason Bak. “The signing of this participation agreement illustrates our commitment to building a long term, mutually beneficial relationship with the McLeod Lake Indian Band.”

Under the terms of the agreement Finavera and the McLeod Lake Indian Band will address several key areas: training and employment opportunities, assessment of potential project impacts, and economic development opportunities. The agreement also sets out key principles that will guide future discussions between Finavera and the McLeod Lake Indian Band: respecting each other’s distinct identities, interests, and priorities while exploring common interests and opportunities, engagement, and consultation that are meaningful and results oriented, and a commitment to honest and open sharing of information and ideas and to joint problem solving.

McLeod Lake Indian Band has a membership of some 475 people and is part of the Tse’khene tribal group. The band owns several companies that are actively engaged in road and site construction, logging, and pipeline construction. The administrative center of the band is at McLeod Lake with a sub-office in Chetwynd, BC. For more information on Finavera Renewables contact Myke Clark, SVP Business Development, at (604) 288-9051 or mclark@finavera.com. Go online to www.finavera.com.

3M is partnering with Rope Partner to conduct an in-field study on the effects of leading edge wind turbine blade damage. The purpose of the yearlong study is to quantify the reduction in overall wind turbine output due to leading edge erosion. This data-driven study will be the first published work to put verifiable numbers behind this widespread issue for wind turbine blades.

As wind turbine blades rotate, reaching speeds of 180 miles per hour at the blade tips, they are constantly exposed to the elements and harsh outdoor conditions. Any airborne object such as sand, rain, and hail can lead to damage on the leading edge of the blade. This erosion negatively affects aerodynamics by causing turbulence that may reduce the overall turbine output.

“3M has been addressing the needs of the wind industry for more than 10 years. Our deep expertise and history with polyurethane tape technology has proven effective in tough environments. Similar polyurethane tape technology from 3M is also used in the aerospace industry to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades and aircraft radomes against erosion,” says Pam Kellenberger, global business manager for the 3M Wind Energy business. “Our best-in-class wind blade protection tapes can mitigate the output losses from leading edge erosion, and we are pleased to be on the forefront of quantifying and addressing such a widespread challenge for wind turbines.”

“Over the last decade at sites all across the globe we’ve seen firsthand the damage caused by leading edge erosion when conducting our inspections for wind turbine maintenance and repairs,” according to Chris Bley, director of business development at Rope Partner. “We’ve seen sites where significant erosion occurs in a little as two years after installation. Our customers are concerned about the effects this erosion will have on the performance of their turbines, and we are committed to finding answers for them through this important study.”

A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms, often in combination, to a wide array of customer needs. Visit www.3m.com. Rope Partner is the premier provider of turbine maintenance, repair, and inspection services requiring specialized access approaches. Since 2001 in the U.S. and 1998 in Europe its rapid-response WindCorps™ technicians have partnered with clients to deliver cost effective, environmentally appropriate solutions, resulting in increased turbine availability and operational longevity. Go online to www.ropepartner.com.

Located on top of towers that can extend 80 to 110 meters into the air, wind turbines are subjected to powerful operating forces. And because wind turbines are difficult to access for maintenance and repair, reliable monitoring and control components such as pressure and temperature sensors are vital for trouble-free operation.

Because they’re a critical link between control system fluids and components, choosing accurate, long-lasting pressure transmitters and temperature sensors is a must. Based on decades of experience with wind farms globally, Danfoss’ range of pressure transmitters and temperature sensors are ideal for demanding wind turbine applications. Monitoring and controlling hydraulic pressure and temperature in wind turbine equipment and subsystems is a complex process; at startup pressure rises and it’s released at shutdown, and for lubrication and rotation functions maintaining a minimum pressure level is crucial. To ensure smooth and safe operation the temperatures of the hydraulic unit, generator, drive shaft, gearbox, oil braking, and cooling systems have to be accurately monitored and controlled. That’s where Danfoss comes in.

Pressure and temperature signals are used by controllers to adjust valves, pumps, and other equipment to maintain stable operation and, increasingly, to control safety functions. Designed to handle over-pressure and pressure spikes, liquid cavitations, dirt contamination, intense operating cycles, and extreme temperatures, Danfoss pressure transmitters and temperature sensors have been keeping wind turbines rotating, and safe, for decades.

Two industry favorites are the MBS 3000 pressure transmitter and the MBT 5310 temperature sensor. Fitted with a pulse snubber, the MBS 3000 can withstand water hammer, liquid cavitation, and pressure peaks. Designed to handle the heavy vibrations in wind turbines, the MBT 5310 features a spring-loaded sensor to ensure close and reliable contact, and it can withstand temperatures up to 200°C. For more information please visit www.danfoss.us/ia.

Lincoln Electric has partnered with Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) to open its new Intermountain Training Center in Kaysville, Utah. The 5,000 square-foot, world-class welding demonstration and training facility will serve a dual role. For Lincoln the center provides a venue for the manufacturer to conduct customer seminars and training for new products, cost reduction, productivity/process improvements, automation, and engineering design, as well as for continuing education for existing customers and distributors. For DATC this public/private partnership supports and enhances the college’s existing welding program and provides graduates with the welding skills for today’s job market requirements. Officially known as the Lincoln Electric Intermountain Training Center at Davis Applied Technology College, the center was completely revamped and outfitted with the latest Lincoln Electric welding equipment and technology.

“Partnering with DATC improves our operational efficiency, as well as enabling us to more effectively provide Lincoln Electric’s advanced welding technology knowledge through distributor training and customer seminars in a facility unmatched in the Intermountain area,” says Richard Peterson, district manager. “DATC is an industry-driven organization, which has several successful industry partnerships. Its close relationships with welding-related industries in the area will help improve opportunities for Lincoln.”

DATC welding instructor Nick Price is excited about this new partnership after taking over the instructor responsibility at the beginning of the year. “I don’t think we could have a stronger partner for the college,” he says. “Lincoln Electric is going to do really big things for us. Besides keeping up with the latest equipment, they will always make sure we have the newest, state of the art equipment available to students, who will benefit greatly from this partnership.

Michael Bouwhuis, DATC campus president, anticipates this partnership will provide a strong level of quality and value to the historically strong welding program. “The marriage created by this partnership links state-of-the-art equipment to newly renovated facilities, forming one of the finest welding facilities in Utah,” he says. “This will also enhance the quality of technicians in the manufacturing sector of the economy to new levels of performance.”

The Lincoln Electric Company is the world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, weld fume control equipment, and plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment. The company holds a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. For more information go to www.lincolnelectric.com. Davis Applied Technology Center (DATC) is one of eight campuses of Utah College Applied Technology and is located just north of Salt Lake City. DATC provides training in an open-entry, open-exit environment that annually prepares more than 7,400 high school and adult students with career and technical skills. Learn more at www.datc.edu.

Statoil’s innovative new offshore floating Hywind wind turbine, now successfully moored in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast, is demonstrating how Trelleborg Offshore’s syntactic foam buoyancy technology is contributing to the future of offshore power generation. “It is subsea technology that has already been extensively proven,” says Gary Howland, renewables sales manager for Trelleborg Offshore. “Trelleborg Distributed Buoyancy Modules (DBMs) developed for deepwater support of umbilicals and risers in the oil and gas industry are ideal for this application, helping reduce project risk by using proven technology.

“People see the tower and turbine but forget that the expertise in designing the subsea portion is also critical,” he says, “as ultimately it keeps the whole turbine afloat. The dynamic floating structure weighs 5,300 tons and is 165 metres tall; with a total of 65 metres above sea surface. The 13km of power offtake and communications cabling attached to the structure further adds to its weight. It’s like the proverbial iceberg; the mass floating below the surface ensures stability. Unless the weight is supported by properly designed buoyancy the whole structure would be much less able to resist the extremes of the offshore environment and the cable could suffer premature damage.”

For Hywind, Trelleborg Offshore designed and supplied 45 off polymer-coated syntactic foam DBMs which supply buoyancy support for a 3 ton, 100 meter section of cable as it exits the turbine spar and descends to the sea bed at -220 meters. The buoyancy modules include an internal clamp for secure fastening and precise positioning on the cable. The cable is supported mid-water in what is known as a ‘Lazy Wave’ configuration, featuring gentle long radius curves that minimise stress on the cable while accommodating natural movement created by wind and waves.

“For optimum buoyancy under different sea conditions, the precise position of the buoyancy modules on the cable is pre-calculated,” Howland explains. “The positions must be maintained, despite stresses during launch and in operation. The clamp is crucial; the design, material selection and manufacturing technique are critical in ensuring the finished clamp maintains the buoyancy module position, during cable contraction and expansion, over the 20 year lifetime of the project.”

Using advanced polymer material technology, Trelleborg Offshore provides high integrity solutions for the harshest and most demanding offshore environments. As part of the Trelleborg Engineered Systems Business Area of Trelleborg Group, it specializes in the development and production of polymer and syntactic foam based seismic, marine, buoyancy, cable protection, and thermal insulation products, as well as rubber-based passive and active fire protection solutions for the offshore industry. Go online to www.trelleborg.com/offshore.

You can’t always bring the big job to the tool crib, so Snap-on Industrial is bringing the tool crib to the job. Portable mechanics’ service sets put large and small hand tools—including screw drivers, wrenches, and pliers, along with multimeters and other specialty equipment—at easy reach for professionals looking for maximum protection of their tools and equipment combined with great accessibility. A hard-sided Pelican™ 0450 case houses a choice of two comprehensive tool offerings. Everything starts with the mobile tool case that features rugged trolley wheels and handle for easy and secure mobility.  Each configuration comes with seven custom foam-equipped removable drawers, and an integrated top tray includes custom foam tool storage as well. Two automatic pressure equalization values keep water molecules out and ensure easy opening, whether you’re at 1,000 feet below the ocean’s surface or at 50,000 feet in the air. Cases are also water, temperature, drop, and impact resistant. Each unit meets DOD (Air Force) operation guidelines and complements existing safety programs. Tool coding etched into each tool with corresponding number laser printed into the tool’s individual storage space simplifies inventory control and maximizes overall accountability.

Snap-on Industrial is a division of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global innovator, manufacturer, and marketer of tools, diagnostics, equipment, software, and service solutions for professional users. Products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as customers in industry, government, agriculture, aviation and natural resources. For more information call (877) 740-1900 or visit www.snapon.com/industrial.

American Superconductor Corporation has acquired a 25 percent ownership position in Blade Dynamics Ltd., a designer and manufacturer of advanced wind turbine blades based on proprietary materials and structural technologies. Founded in the United Kingdom in 2007, Blade Dynamics has developed wind turbine blade technologies designed to increase the efficiency and performance of very high power (multi-megawatt) wind turbines while also reducing costs. The Dow Chemical Company, through its Venture Capital group, also made a minority equity investment in Blade Dynamics.

“Blade Dynamics has developed unique and proprietary structural designs and manufacturing methods aimed at overcoming critical barriers that are facing today’s wind industry,” says Blade Dynamics founder and CEO Paul Rudling. “Utilizing advanced manufacturing processes, innovative structural designs, proven composite materials, and our advanced Bladeskyn surface coatings, our wind turbine blades provide compelling performance and efficiency advantages for wind turbine manufacturers. We see tremendous potential for this technology and are delighted to work with AMSC and Dow. Blade Dynamics will now be able to utilize AMSC’s unique wind turbine design capabilities and business model as well as Dow’s global reach and composite materials to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities we see in front of us.”

Today’s 2 megawatt (MW) wind turbines require rotors that are more than 70 meters (230 feet) in diameter, and 5 MW wind turbines require rotors that are at least 120 meters (360 feet) in diameter. Rotor diameter is the diameter of the swept area of a wind turbine’s blades. Ideally, these wind turbines would be equipped with even larger-diameter rotors to maximize power output. Yet cost, weight, and transportation factors have historically limited the size of rotors, outweighing performance and efficiency benefits.

“The design and manufacturing processes for wind turbine blades have remained fundamentally unchanged for 20 years,” says AMSC founder and CEO Greg Yurek. “Today, however, the market is migrating to higher wind turbine power ratings. Onshore wind turbines now exceed 2 MW in many locations, and offshore wind farm developers are increasingly seeking wind turbines with power ratings exceeding 5 MW. Blade Dynamics presents us—and the entire wind industry—with a game-changing wind turbine blade technology that enhances performance and reduces weight and cost for high power wind turbines. We view this as a compelling investment and expect many wind turbine manufacturers, including our own AMSC Windtec™ licensees, to quickly migrate to the Blade Dynamics solution to avail themselves of these competitive advantages. In fact, AMSC Windtec and Blade Dynamics engineers have already been working in close collaboration to optimize blades for AMSC Windtec turbine designs.”

AMSC has acquired its 25 percent stake in Blade Dynamics for $8 million in cash and will have one seat on the Blade Dynamics Board of Directors. In addition to providing AMSC Windtec licensees with a differentiated blade offering, AMSC expects that its investment could expand the company’s sales opportunities with other wind turbine manufacturers around the world. AMSC also expects that Blade Dynamics technology will provide a compelling blade platform for the company’s 10 MW SeaTitan™ superconductor wind turbines. For more information go to www.amsc.com, www.bladedynamics.com, or www.dow.com.

Deere & Company has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell John Deere Renewables, LLC, its wind energy business, to Exelon Generation Company, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exelon Corporation. “As Deere sharpens its own strategic focus, we have concluded that the company’s resources are best invested in growing our core equipment businesses around the world,” says Samuel R. Allen, Deere & Company chairman and chief executive officer. “We have chosen to place the wind portfolio with Exelon in part due to its demonstrated leadership in the energy industry.”

Deere said the $900 million sale, including earn-out provisions, will result in an after-tax charge of approximately $25 million in its fourth quarter results. The charge was not reflected in Deere’s fourth quarter earnings forecast of approximately $375 million that was announced August 18th.

John Deere Renewables includes 36 completed projects in eight states with an operational capacity of 735 megawatts. The definitive agreement includes the completed projects plus numerous others in development. Subject to regulatory approvals, Deere anticipates the transaction to close within the 2010 calendar year. For more information contact Ken Golden, director of strategic public relations at Deere & Company, at (309) 765-5678. Go online to www.deere.com.

Siemens Energy and Samsung C&T Corporation have signed an agreement for the supply of wind turbines with a total capacity of up to 600 megawatts (MW). The wind turbines to be delivered under this supply agreement will be deployed at selected wind projects in southern Ontario and will provide clean power to approximately 240,000 Canadian homes. Furthermore, Siemens will establish a blade manufacturing site in Canada that is set to create up to 300 jobs in the province.

“With this supply agreement we are strengthening our position in the rapidly growing wind power market in Canada,” says Jens-Peter Saul, CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. “Furthermore, by investing in a new blade production facility in Canada, Siemens is pushing further ahead with the regionalization of its wind manufacturing network in important markets.”

Siemens also recently invested in a U.S. nacelle production facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, which will start producing nacelles in December 2010. Siemens has been working with Samsung C&T and its development partner Pattern Energy on this first phase of development under Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program where Samsung has committed to develop 2,000 MW of wind power over the next six years. The new wind turbine supply agreement is a significant step on the road to realizing this commitment.

The installed capacity of wind power in Canada is expected to increase from 3,400 MW today to more than 15,000 MW in 2020. Siemens already has a strong presence in Canada, so far the company has installed a total of 130 2.3-MW rated wind turbines at Kruger Energy’s 101.2-MW Port Alma wind farm and TransAlta’s 197.8-MW Wolfe Island wind farm in Ontario, and is supplying an additional 152 units of its 2.3-MW wind turbines to four recently announced projects, which will bring Siemens installed capacity to a total of 550 MW by the end of 2011.

Wind energy is part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2009 revenue from the portfolio totaled about EUR23 billion, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period the company’s products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 210 million tons. This amount equals the combined annual CO2 emissions of New York, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. Further information is available at www.siemens.com/energy.

AFC-Holcroft is pleased to announce the receipt of a new furnace order for a sealed quench furnace line that will be used to process specialized components utilized in the wind energy market. The furnace line is based on AFC-Holcroft’s standard, modular UBQ (Universal Batch Quench) family of products, but was modified to optimize its efficiency for the mix of products required by this customer.

Brevini Wind, headquartered in Italy, is expanding their facility in Indiana, where the equipment will be installed. AFC-Holcroft is pleased to be part of the premium Brevini supplier base as they expand their business units around the world. AFC-Holcroft’s European branch office spearheaded this project, although equipment for the project will be built in North America. “We believe the time is right to invest in additional capacity, in North America specifically,” says Jacopo Tozzi, president and CEO of Brevini Wind. “The UBQ furnace fit our needs for today and allows the flexibility of future expansion as the wind energy sector continues to grow.”

“We are thrilled to add Brevini to the list of global manufacturing suppliers who have chosen AFC-Holcroft and our UBQ furnaces for their operations,” says Marc Ruetsch, director of european operations at AFC-Holcroft. “Our UBQ furnaces have gained global acceptance by several multinational companies, due not only to their adaptability to changes in capacity, part loads and temperature requirement but also to their modularity, which allows easier reconfiguration options within existing floorspace for future capacity.”

AFC-Holcroft is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heat treating furnaces. The company has a global reach, with organizations in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Turkey, including manufacturing means in many of these countries. For more information contact Ruetsch at europe@afcholcroft.com. Go online to www.afc-holcroft.com.

Leading renewable energy consultancy Natural Power is to merge their U.S. and Canadian operations to provide seamless service offerings to clients active across North America’s national boundaries. Natural Power’s new North American hub will be a center of excellence for consultancy services and product support across the company’s range of offerings. CurrentPresident of U.S. Operations Jim Adams will take the helm as president of North American operations. Erin Harlos, currently the director at Natural Power’s Vancouver office, will support as vice president. Between them, Adams and Harlos have over 14 years of experience spanning the wind and marine renewable sector.

“There is huge potential for the North American renewables industry, particularly in onshore and offshore wind,” Adams says. “Natural Power has been active in North America for over five years and provides industry leading product innovations such as complex flow modeling to ensure new projects perform to expectations, due diligence to support project investment, and ZephIR lidar to efficiently validating models and provide bankable wind energy assessments. Additionally, drawing upon our extensive experience in providing full life-cycle services to Europe’s offshore wind, wave, and tidal industries, we have the unique ability to bring very applied and seasoned products and services to North America’s blossoming offshore renewables industry, leveraging many of the lessons learned in this rapidly growing market sector. With a dedicated North American hub we will better service both our consultancy customers but also our product customers who require local engineering, construction and operational support which we will now build at pace.”

This fall Natural Power will be presenting and exhibiting at the AWEA Wind Resource & Project Energy Assessment Workshop in Oklahoma and AWEA’s Offshore Wind Conference in Atlantic City), New Jersey, as well as at CanWEA’s annual conference in Montreal. The team will also be hosting several educational Complex Terrain Workshops in the U.S. and Canada. Details on upcoming workshops can be requested by e-mailing training@naturalpower.com or visiting www.naturalpower.com.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its initial set of Smart Grid cyber security guidelines. Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security (NISTIR7628) include high-level security requirements, a framework for assessing risks, an evaluation of privacy issues in personal residences, and other information for organizations to use as they craft strategies to protect the modernizing power grid from attacks, malicious code, cascading errors, and other threats.

The product of two formal public reviews and the focus of numerous workshops and teleconferences over the past 17 months, the three-volume set of guidelines is intended to facilitate organization-specific smart grid cyber security strategies focused on prevention, detection, response, and recovery. “As we modernize the nation’s electric infrastructure to make it smarter, more efficient, and more capable, we need to we need to make it more secure from end to end,” according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “These new cyber security guidelines will help government and industry meet this important responsibility.”

“The development of common smart grid standards is a national priority, and these cyber security guidelines are an important step toward that goal,” says U.S Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “If we are to truly modernize our electrical grid, we must have electricity producers, distributors and consumers all speaking the same language and all working together to make our grid more secure. Cyber security is an integral part of the grid.”

The new report was prepared by the Cyber Security Working Group (CSWG) of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a public-private partnership launched by NIST with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from the Department of Energy. To access Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security (NISTIR 7628) go to www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsNISTIRs.html#NIST-IR-7628. Also visit www.nist.gov.

Mortenson Construction has started construction of White Oak Energy Center near Bloomington, Illinois, adding 150 megawatts to Illinois’ approximate 2,000-megawatt wind generating capacity. Located in agricultural terrain in central Illinois along the McLean and Woodford County lines, the wind power facility, developed by Chicago-based developer Invenergy Wind LLC, will consist of 100-1.5 megawatt GE turbines. Mortenson is responsible for the design and construction of access roads, foundations, and the erection of the turbines. Invenergy is the sixth largest owner of wind generation assets in the United States, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

According to the Illinois Wind Energy Association, an average 100-megawatt wind farm in Illinois creates 150 temporary construction jobs and 10 permanent maintenance jobs. “We are excited to be building another wind energy project in Illinois and look forward to partnering with the local community to safely deliver this project to our customer, Invenergy,” says Tim Maag, vice president and general manager of Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups. “The White Oak project will be our fourth wind project we have built in Illinois, which represents approximately 40 percent of the state’s total generating capacity.”

Since entering the renewable energy market in 1995, Mortenson Construction has become a leading building of wind power facilities in North America and has erected 5,000 wind turbines across the United States and Canada. With 100 percent of Mortenson’s business in the power sector coming from renewable energy, Engineering News-Record ranked Mortenson the 11th largest power contractor in the U.S. for 2009.  In addition to wind power, Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups also construct facilities that generate solar power, biofuels, and hydro-electric power.

The White Oak facility has been in the planning process for several years. With Illinois’ robust wind resources, evolved transmission system, and progressive public policy, the project marks another significant step for a state leading the way in renewable energy. Learn more by visiting www.mortenson.com/wind.

SMP’s chokes for inverters in wind turbines are now also approved for use in offshore installations. These inductive components feature low losses, very low stray fields, and a highly compact design. The chokes’ cores consist of powder composites, which SMP has specifically engineered for this application.

The direct current from the wind turbines must be converted into a sinusoidal waveform with the values required by the grid. The converter’s filters, which consist of capacitors and filter chokes, ensure that the current being fed into the grid exhibits a near sinusoidal waveform. To maximize the inverter’s efficiency, its components must exhibit low losses. The materials that SMP developed especially for use in its energy-efficient, high-performance chokes have low magnetostriction and exceptionally low eddy current and hysteresis losses. Their encapsulated design ensures that the power converters emit only low-intensity stray fields, so that they do not affect other components. The chokes have a space-saving compact design, are maintenance-free, and have a long lifespan—a significant contribution to cutting the maintenance costs for offshore wind turbines.

Offshore wind turbines are prone to corrosion. To protect them from the corrosive action of the seawater, special salt-resistant materials, additional corrosion protection, and a complete encapsulation of certain subassemblies are necessary. SMP’s inductive components for wind turbine inverters are now certified IP66 and approved for use in offshore installations. Because of their high protection class of IP66, these chokes can be fitted outside the inverters, which means that the heat generated by the choke is not discharged inside the inverter. This results in a lower internal inverter temperature, which removes the need for cooling fans, saving both energy and installation space.
Placing the choke outside the inverter has the further advantage of reducing the inverter’s overall dimensions, which further cuts space and energy demand. To simplify mounting outside the inverters, SMP provides the chokes with special mounting fixtures. The choke and the mounting plate are fitted on the device’s outside and the connecting cables pass through a sealed opening.

SMP’s product range includes low-loss inductive custom components based on in-house-developed powder composites, such as filter, commutating, step-up converter, power recovery and single-conductor chokes. Many of its products are used in the railway industry. The market for inverters for photovoltaic systems that feed solar energy into the electricity grid and for converters for wind turbines is also experiencing strong growth. In the United States contact Keith Westendorf, Westendorf Associates, Inc., at (414) 380-9730, kwestendorf@westendorfassoc.com, or www.westendorfassoc.com. Also go to www.smp.de.

Tres Amigas, LLC, a merchant transmission company, and CH2M HILL—a global full-service consulting, design, construction, and operations firm—announce that CH2M HILL has received a contract to provide program management services for building the Tres Amigas SuperStation in Clovis, New Mexico. Once completed it will tie together America’s three power grids for the first time. Construction is projected to commence in 2012 and be completed in 2014. Under the terms of the contract CH2M HILL will provide overall program management services and logistical support to ensure that the project remains on schedule.

“CH2M HILL is pleased to assist Tres Amigas with this landmark project,” says Don Zabilansky, president of CH2M HILL’s Power Group. “The Tres Amigas SuperStation will enable cross-regional marketing of clean electricity, enhance power grid reliability and security, and provide new opportunities for renewable energy producers. This strategic infrastructure program will transform the way electricity is delivered to customers across the United States utilizing the most advanced technology.”

Phil Harris—the former CEO of the world’s largest transmission balancing area (PJM Interconnection) and CEO and founder of Tres Amigas—says that “The Tres Amigas SuperStation will offer multiple benefits to power consumers and energy producers across North America, including savings projected in the hundreds of millions of dollars due to the more economic dispatch of electric power. Tres Amigas will also increase the value of several large transmission projects planned for the Southwest and will support the expansion of a reliable national corridor system. Tres Amigas is committed to completing the SuperStation in its projected timeline, and CH2M HILL has the expertise and experience needed to ensure that happens. We’re pleased that this leading firm will provide Tres Amigas with planning, organization, and logistical support throughout the construction of the project.”

The SuperStation project site is at the intersection of the nation’s three grids: the Eastern Interconnection, Western Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection. It will serve as a market hub and balancing authority, enabling the economic transfer of thousands of megawatts of power among the three interconnections. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management for government, civil, industrial, and energy clients. Go to www.ch2m.com. Tres Amigas, LLC, headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is uniting the nation’s electric grid as a merchant transmission entity composed of electric utility industry operational, technology, and thought leaders. More information is available at www.tresamigasllc.com.

MobileCal, Inc., has been certified by A2LA (The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) of Maryland as accredited by certificate number 3040.01 which assures customers that its quality system meets the requirements of ISO 17025 proficiency testing and proves the validity of its documentation and test results. As this scope of accreditation had never been granted previously, MobileCal had to establish new standards before the process of certification could begin. This process delivers heavy industry a new level of quality and process documentation not available before which will improve process resulting in the prevention of large scale industrial accidents and other injuries. The process took about three years to complete, mainly due to the fact there exists no published standards for the calibration of hydraulic and pneumatic torque wrenches of high capacities. Process has been established for decades for the calibration of small sized torque wrenches used in manufacturing and assembly, such as those below 1,000 ft/lbs.

MobileCal’s target market is heavy industry, with the majority of their customer’s tools being larger in capacity. By adapting established procedures to the larger sized equipment the company was able to bring a higher level of quality and process documentation to the heavy industrial marketplace. Because of their work establishing the new procedures, MobileCal was able to become the world’s first accredited organization for mobile calibration of hydraulic and pneumatic wrenches.

MobileCal is the world’s oldest and largest provider of on-site calibrations for high capacity torque wrenches. In their five service vans and in-house laboratory they provide calibrations of hydraulic, pneumatic, and manual torque wrenches up to 20,000 ft/lbs for industries such as natural gas pipelines, power generation, wind turbine construction and maintenance, and petrochemical facilities. For more information contact Thomas Smith at (316) 686-3010, or go to www.mobilecal.net.

Siemens Energy has secured an order for the supply of 98 wind turbines for the Crossroads wind power plant in Oklahoma. The owner of the project is OG&E (Oklahoma Gas & Electric). Siemens will supply 95 units of the SWT-2.3-101 to the Crossroads project. Furthermore, the contract includes three units of the new SWT-3.0-101, Siemens’ new gearless direct drive wind turbine. The SWT-3.0-101 was launched for sale in America just a few months ago.

Construction of the 227.5 MW wind power project will begin in late August, with the first wind turbines being delivered in April, 2011. The Crossroads project will be built in Dewey County in northwest Oklahoma, approximately 160 km (100 miles) from Oklahoma City. The scope of supply for the Crossroads wind farm includes the delivery, installation, and commissioning of all turbines. Siemens will also provide services for turbine service and maintenance for an initial period of three and one-half years. Upon completion in the second half of 2011, Crossroads will be able to meet the electrical needs of more than 68,000 average U.S. homes. This is already the third Siemens wind power plant that will provide clean energy to OG&E, following the OU Spirit and Keenan II wind farms, built in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

“We are proud that OG&E has chosen Siemens again as the supplier to their wind power projects,” says Jens-Peter Saul, CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. “This is the first time that the new SWT-3.0-101 direct drive turbine has been sold in the U.S. Bringing our new generation of direct drive wind turbines to Oklahoma is the first step in establishing this game-changing technology in North America.”

“We are excited to move forward this project, which we have negotiated on very favorable terms for OG&E’s customers,” says Jesse Langston, vice president of utility commercial operations. “By its third year in operation we expect Crossroads to be delivering net savings to our customers for the balance of the projects’ 25-year life. This is possible because of the excellent business partnerships we have formed with Siemens, and also due to the constructive regulatory environment we have in Oklahoma.”

Wind turbines are part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2009 revenue from the portfolio totaled about EUR23 billion, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period the company’s products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 210 million tons. This amount equals the combined annual CO2 emissions of New York, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. More information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

Cumulative global investment in smart grids—including smart meter implementations, as well as upgrades to the transmission and distribution infrastructure—will approach $46 billion by 2015 according to the latest forecasts from ABI Research. A smart grid is an energy generation, transmission, and distribution system equipped with an advanced two-way communications system that allows for greater visibility, control, and automation over the system for the utility operator. Simultaneously, it provides a greater level of energy usage choice and automation for customers. It’s that communications system that makes a grid truly “smart” because it allows for the real-time monitoring of the current operational state of the network, as well as the ability to respond to those conditions automatically, as quickly as possible.

Larry Fisher, research director of NextGen, the ABI Research unit that published this study, says “Most of the electric utility infrastructure deployed in the industrialized world was built between 60 and 80 years ago. Much of this infrastructure is outdated, and with the continuing increase in demand for power year after year the grid cannot safely and reliably manage the loads of today and tomorrow without significant upgrades.”

The groundwork for smart grids has been laid in a number of countries over the past several years, but the pace of investment and implementation is increasing. “Transmission and distribution (T&D) investments will account for the lion’s share of smart grid investments through 2015,” Fisher says. “On a cumulative basis, a total of almost $41 billion will be invested globally in the electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure through 2015, compared to $4.8 billion for the purchase and installation of smart meters. This infrastructure spending will focus on grid automation and control, distribution automation, distributed generation and demand response programs.”

ABI Research’s new study “Smart Grid Applications: Smart Meters, Demand Response, and Distributed Generation” forecasts the market for smart grid equipment and services for the 2010-2015 period covering North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and selected other countries. For more information call (516) 624-2500 or visit www.abiresearch.com.

CommScope introduces  GroundSmart grounding products into its BiMetals family of wire and cable solutions. These products help reduce the costs of managing and maintaining electricity transmission and distribution networks by deterring theft and vandalism. CommScope’s use of copper-clad steel in its GroundSmart products provides a safe, highly reliable alternative to the use of solid and stranded copper for grounding applications. These products are specifically designed to disperse fault currents and lightning strikes at a lower total cost of ownership compared to pure copper. GroundSmart products offer proven performance for optimizing grounding design in substation, distribution and transmission systems, as well as in wind and solar farms.

“A survey published last year estimated that theft of copper wiring from electrical utility sites creates more than 7,500 hours of downtime and costs the industry more than $60 million annually,” says Paul Bedder, vice president. “Copper-clad steel wire and cable products provide the same reliability, performance, and durability as solid copper but are unattractive to would-be thieves and vandals.

“These facts alone make copper-clad steel the smart alternative to solid copper in most grounding applications,” he continues. “The advantages of this solution increase when combined with CommScope’s reputation for service and reliability. GroundSmart users realize long-term benefits when repairing their current systems damaged by theft and vandalism or when bringing online new systems such as wind and solar farms.”

CommScope’s copper-clad steel wire and cable products meet the relevant National Electric Code (NEC) and ASTM wire and cable standards and are approved by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). They are engineered and manufactured at CommScope’s ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 registered facility in Statesville, North Carolina.

CommScope, Inc., is a world leader in infrastructure solutions for communication networks. Through its Andrew Solutions brand it is a global leader in radio frequency subsystem solutions for wireless networks. Through its SYSTIMAX® and Uniprise® brands, CommScope is a world leader in network infrastructure solutions, delivering a complete end-to-end physical layer solution, including cables and connectivity, enclosures, intelligent software, and network design services for business enterprise applications. CommScope also is the premier manufacturer of coaxial cable for broadband cable television networks and one of the leading North American providers of environmentally secure cabinets for DSL and FTTN applications. Backed by strong research and development, CommScope combines technical expertise and proprietary technology with global manufacturing capability to provide customers with infrastructure solutions for evolving global communications networks in more than 100 countries around the world. More information is available at www.commscope.com.