GE will invest approximately €340 million to develop or expand its wind turbine manufacturing, engineering, and service facilities in four European countries—the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and Germany—signaling GE’s deep commitment to the promising European offshore wind sector. “Offshore wind will play a vital role in meeting the growing global demand for cleaner, renewable energy and has a bright future here in Europe,” says Ferdinando (Nani) Beccalli-Falco, president and CEO of GE International. “These investments will position us to help develop Europe’s vast, untapped offshore wind resources, while also creating new jobs for both GE and our suppliers.”

At the core of GE’s European expansion plans is the development of its next-generation wind turbine, a 4-megawatt machine designed specifically for offshore deployment. As the largest wind turbine in GE’s fleet, it will incorporate advanced drive train and control technologies gained through GE’s acquisition of ScanWind. The 4-megawatt wind turbine will feature GE’s innovative technology that eliminates the need for gearboxes. This technology is already being demonstrated at a test site in Hundhammerfjellet, Norway, where the first ScanWind direct drive unit has been operating for more than five years.

“GE’s proven reliability on more than 13,500 land units coupled with ScanWind’s proven offshore, gearless design enables us to provide our customers the reliable solutions necessary for the offshore wind industry,” says Victor Abate, vice president of renewable energy for GE Power & Water. “These announcements lay the foundation for us to begin scaling our offshore business, technology, and supply chain locally in Europe where we see the greatest growth opportunity.”

The European Wind Energy Association expects that Europe’s offshore wind sector will grow more than 70 percent in 2010, with continued growth forecast over the next several years. If all of the offshore wind projects currently in development are completed, they could produce 10 percent of the European Union’s total electricity while avoiding 200 million tons of CO2 emissions each year. Overall, offshore wind is expected to make a major contribution in helping the European Union reach its goal to have 20 percent of its energy produced from renewable resources by the year 2020. For more information visit the company’s Web site at www.ge.com.

Jens-Peter Saul has been appointed CEO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit headquartered in Brande. He succeeds Andreas Nauen, who is leaving Siemens at his own wish. He was previously managing director of Siemens Energy in the UK and also responsible for the North and West Europe regions.

Saul earned a degree in engineering at the University of Hanover in 1994. He joined Siemens’ Fossil Power Generation Division in 1996 as project manager, where he held various managerial posts. Following a short term as project manager with a consulting company in the automobile sector, he assumed managerial functions at Siemens in 2002, including responsibility for power plants sales and marketing in the Middle East. In 2005 he was appointed head of power plant business for the Siemens Power Generation Group in the UK.

“We would like to thank Mr. Nauen for his achievements for our company,” says René Umlauft, CEO of Siemens’ Renewable Energy Division. “In Jens-Peter Saul we have found the right successor to push ahead with achievement of our ambitious targets in the field of wind turbines.”

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world’s leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services, and solutions for the generation, transmission, and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion, and transport of oil and gas.

Learn more by visiting www.siemens.com/energy.

Mariah Power, developer of the Windspire® vertical axis wind turbine,  announces a corporate name change to Windspire Energy, Inc. The name simplifies the branding of the company and its lead product, while leveraging the innovation of the Windspire wind turbine. In conjunction with the name change the company  has also launched www.windspireenergy.com, a new buyer-focused Web site with information on the many available applications of Windspire wind turbines.

The Windspire is a vertical axis wind turbine designed for use in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The unique design of the rotor enables the turbine to generate energy silently while standing just 30 feet tall. Hundreds of Windspires are currently powering homes, businesses, schools, and museums across the United States. Recently the company announced the installation of 20 Windspires at the headquarters of leading software company Adobe Systems in San Jose, California (see article in this issue).

“We are focused on delivering renewable energy solutions that are elegant in their simplicity,” says Walt Borland, president and CEO. “The corporate name change is just one example of how we are simplifying everything that we do, including our brand.”

Designed and manufactured in the U.S., the Windspire is eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit and many local rebates that can be as much as $4,800.00. In 11 mph average annual winds a Windspire will generate about 2,000 kWh over the course of a year. The thin profile of the Windspire allows customers to easily scale-up the number of turbines to meet higher energy needs.

Windspires are currently manufactured in Michigan and are available through a network of certified dealers who are trained to do site evaluations, installations, and to facilitate permitting and local rebate redemptions. Visit www.windspireenergy.com to learn more, or to locate a dealer near you.

BASF has inaugurated a new section of its Technical Competence Center for intermediates at its Shanghai Pudong site. The new laboratory will specialize in epoxy systems for fiber-reinforced composites, which are used, for example, in wind turbine blades. BASF sells these systems under its Baxxodur® brand. The competence center integrates this new epoxy laboratory with BASF’s existing PolyTHF laboratory, which will also expand the scope of its services.

“With our local competence center we provide our customers in Asia a fast and reliable technical support tailored to their needs,” says Dr. Guido Voit, who heads the Regional Business Unit Asia Pacific in BASF’s Intermediates division. “We utilize BASF’s integrated global knowledge network to benefit our customers in the region.”

In the new epoxy laboratory BASF can simulate its customers’ production processes using Baxxodur epoxy systems under production conditions. BASF’s application engineers develop tailored solutions and provide onsite technical support to their customers. The rotor blades of today’s state of the art wind turbines are mostly made of epoxy-resin-based composites. Baxxodur epoxy systems from BASF allow blade manufacturers to reduce the cycle time to produce the blades, thereby enhancing their productivity. With their specific properties the BASF systems can be used to reliably produce high-quality key components like spar caps and root sections of rotor blades. BASF systems outperform traditional epoxy systems especially in the production of large rotor blades. The systems are approved by Germanischer Lloyd AG (GL), which offers assurance, consulting, and classification for the maritime and energy industries.

At BASF’s expanded Technical Competence Center various polymer synthesis facilities can be used to customize new formulations, improve existing ones and adjust mechanical and thermal properties of PolyTHF-based products to specific applications. Sample and specimen analysis as well as laboratory support for starting up customer plants round off the service offer.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, with a portfolio ranging from chemicals, plastics, and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals, and oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, and mobility. Learn more by visiting www.basf.com.

Signaling its continuing commitment to developing and delivering cleaner, more-efficient energy solutions for the world, GE has officially dedicated a $45 million Renewable Energy Global Headquarters in Schenectady, New York. “The dedication of our new, state of the art global headquarters represents our ongoing mission to provide renewable energy solutions that will help meet both the world’s energy and environmental needs,” says Victor Abate, vice president, renewable energy for GE Power & Water. “It also stands as an important symbol of the rapid growth and success of our renewable energy business. When we entered the wind energy industry in 2002, it was a $200 million business for us. Today it has grown significantly, with revenues topping $6 billion.”

The event also marked the installation of GE’s 13,500th wind turbine globally, further demonstrating the continued growth of GE’s renewable energy business. GE is the largest supplier of wind turbines in North America, and the company’s 1.5-megawatt wind turbine is the most widely used wind turbine in the world. GE’s global installed fleet now generates enough electricity to power nearly six-million U.S. homes. The establishment of the Renewable Energy Global Headquarters has spurred the creation of more than 650 new jobs in Schenectady, 150 more than originally anticipated and a year ahead of schedule.

Without long-term, supportive policy, however, the continued growth of the U.S. wind industry could be jeopardized, Abate notes. “The establishment of a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) with strong near-term goals would provide the stability and support needed to encourage investors and drive growth in the U.S. wind industry,” he says. “This ongoing growth would continue the momentum experienced by the industry over the last several years, creating needed U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

Abate urged Congress to heed President Obama’s call during the State of the Union address to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill that could help create jobs and make America energy independent. “If our elected officials, the public, and the energy industry work together, the U.S. can provide the global leadership needed to solve the world’s clean energy challenges and create American jobs.”

GE’s new Renewable Energy Global Headquarters meets federal Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards and will be 20-percent more energy efficient than required by New York State building standards. Features include low-water faucets and improved insulation, energy efficient hot water boilers and air conditioning system, energy efficient larger windows, bike racks, and preferred parking for hybrid vehicles.

A 48-kilowatt GE solar system installed nearby helps to power the building, and a four-story atrium houses a scale model wind turbine and interactive displays featuring GE’s renewable energy technologies. A Remote Operations Center is one of two global facilities that provides continuous monitoring and diagnostic services for GE’s installed base of wind turbines and solar power electronics.

For more information visit www.ge.com.

Shermco Industries has announced their 2010 Terawatt Sponsorship of the American Wind Energy Association, the national organization promoting wind power growth through advocacy, communication, and education. “The expansion of wind energy is vital to America’s future as a clean, renewable energy consumer,” says Kevin Alewine, director of renewable energy services for Shermco. “AWEA is very influential in advancing our industry’s efforts to provide wind energy to more markets throughout America.”

As a Terawatt Sponsor Shermco supports AWEA workshops, conferences, and exhibitions across America that educate corporations and professionals associated with wind energy expansion about significant environmental, economic, and energy issues.

Shermco Industries is a provider of safe, reliable testing, repair, professional training, maintenance, and analysis of rotating apparatus and electrical power distribution systems and related equipment for the light, medium, and heavy industrial base nationwide. Founded in 1974 in Dallas, the company is comprised of two strategic business units; the Machine Services Division, and the Engineering Services Division. With a corporate location in Irving, Texas, service centers in Austin, Sweetwater, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a sales office in Brussels, the company has over 250 full-time employees. The company is a member in good standing with the Electrical Apparatus Service Association, the American Wind Energy Association, and the International Electrical Testing Association.

For more information about Shermco Industries go to www.shermco.com. To learn more about AWEA visit www.awea.org.

SmartSignal® Corporation announces that six leaders of the power-generation industry already have purchased SmartSignal xConnector™ since its introduction in fall 2009. Those customers include Constellation Energy, BC Hydro, RRI, NV Energy, APS, and Bruce Power.

OSIsoft’s PI System™ gathers real-time and historical data for its customers, and SmartSignal analyzes it to provide industry’s earliest and most precise detection and diagnosis of impending equipment failure. Now xConnector links the two, providing SmartSignal intelligence directly in OSIsoft PI System tools. This makes it possible for all PI customers worldwide to access the industry’s most advanced predictive diagnostics in PI, thus significantly enhancing PI’s value.

Using the xConnector application, SmartSignal’s modeling estimates and incidents are added to PI ProcessBook® and OSIsoft RtWebParts™ screens, where customers can graphically see how all their critical rotating and non-rotating equipment should be behaving and what issues require their attention, all in time to take action and avert expensive unplanned outages and repairs.

Ron Kolz, senior VP of OSIsoft, says that “SmartSignal is a great partner because their application saves customers millions of dollars. For us to be successful we need to have partners in our ecosystem who can add high-value applications,” he says. “That’s what SmartSignal does.”

“With xConnector, PI customers now can easily optimize their resources and maximize their operational and maintenance performance by using the PI tools that they already know and trust,” according to Jim Gagnard, SmartSignal CEO. “xConnector’s outstanding initial success indicates that we’ve hit the mark and are providing value to OSI users.”

SmartSignal eliminates equipment failure so its customers avoid surprises. Its patented predictive diagnostics reduce risk left by current condition monitoring. SmartSignal optimizes its customers’ resources and readily integrates into their enterprises so they can further innovate. SmartSignal has monitored more than 12,000 rotating and non-rotating assets for dozens of leaders across multiple industries for over 10 years. After identifying tens of thousands of developing equipment failures and thousands of operational errors, SmartSignal has proven itself to be the worldwide leader and innovator in predictive diagnostics for equipment health. A Microsoft Gold Partner, SmartSignal and its customers have won over 20 awards for excellence, including an international Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award.

Information is available at www.smartsignal.com.

TorcUP, a designer and manufacturer of bolt torque and tension equipment, has launched a new series of bolt tensioning tools for the wind power generation industry. The tool range is suitable for complete wind turbine erection or maintenance programs on a variety of wind turbine models. The products feature quick-release swivel fittings, automatic piston reset, and hands-free operation. The products are manufactured from aircraft-quality high-strength tensile steel and are compact and lightweight for ease of handling. This new range is designed for manufacturers of wind turbines, installation companies, and subcontractors.

Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, TorcUP has a passion to design the best tools in the industry. TorcUP understands that changes in the industry require changes in tooling, providing safer and more-reliable designs that will help get the job done.

For more information call (888) TorcUP-1 of (610) 250-5800. Send e-mail to sales@torcup.com, or go online to www.torcup.com.

Tindall Corporation announces the award of $16,750,500 in tax credits by the U.S. Treasury Department to provide incentive to build a new precast concrete wind tower base manufacturing facility in Newton, Kansas. The plant will provide production facilities for the company’s Atlas CTB™ concrete wind tower bases. The earmarked funds are from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and fall under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Section 1302, to encourage clean energy manufacturing.

“We are pleased to be applying our precast design and engineering solutions to the wind energy market at this time,” says William Lowndes III, chairman and CEO. “The tax credit is vital to moving this project forward in the next year to create new jobs and positively impact the wind energy market.”

The Atlas CTB wind tower base system boosts turbine hub heights to 100 meters and higher. Assembled on site from precast concrete staves and tube sections, the Atlas CTB will support larger, higher turbines to capture stronger, steadier winds for improved power output.“Newton’s location in the heart of our nation’s wind corridor makes it an ideal setting for this new manufacturing facility,” according to Chris Palumbo, P.E., vice president of business development. “This plant, our sixth manufacturing location in as many states, will be dedicated to the production of Atlas CTB components.”

Tindall Corporation is a leader in the design and manufacture of precast, prestressed concrete structural and cladding systems for mixed-use, educational, commercial, industrial, energy, wind power, and parking structures, as well as modular products for the corrections industry and utility products. With more than 45 years of experience it is one of the nation’s largest precast companies and has five manufacturing facilities strategically located across the southern states.

To learn more contact Palumbo at (864) 595-3315 or chrispalumbo@tindallcorp.com. Go online to www.tindallcorp.com.

Elixir Industries has taken steps to broaden its focus into the renewable energy market sectors. The company has undertaken extensive manufacturing equipment upgrades over the past several months at many of its key manufacturing facilities across the United States. In addition to acquiring Mexia Industrial Products Company, Elixir has purchased equipment with close tolerance capabilities at numerous locations to compliment new and existing fabrication operations. With the acquisition of Mexia, and new CNC fabrication equipment, Elixir can now offer full service metals fabricating and processing. The company offers advanced CNC laser cutting, plate cutting, CNC punching and forming, CNC press braking, MIG and TIG welding, primer, powder coating, aluminum extrusion, aluminum fabrication, robotic welding, and advanced CNC water-jet fabrication. In addition to fabrication services, Elixir has mechanical and chemical finishing capabilities. Mechanical finishes include brushing, buffing, and glass beating. Chemical finishes include both anodizing and powder coating.

In addition to extensive steel and metal fabrication capabilities, Elixir operates a full service aluminum extrusion and fabrication facility. With an array of state of the art extrusion and fabricating equipment, the company can offer customers with one-stop solutions. Its extrusion center is a complete manufacturers’ supplier.

Founded in 1948, Elixir Industries has continued to offer new and existing customers lasting relationships based on quality, service, and adaptability. To adapt to challenging global economic times it has undergone restructuring activities as well. These restructuring efforts combined with equipment upgrades and a strong financial position provides a solid foundation to supporting customer success for decades to come. Elixir Industries will be participating in the AWEA WINDPOWER 2010 show, so please stop by booth #15306.

For advance information contact Julie Cameron at (949) 860-5009 or jcameron@elixirind.com. Go online to www.elixirind.com.

In addition to a highly accurate measuring machine, the most important resources in measuring technology are the latest software and detailed application knowledge. Today, knowledge and software updates are increasingly exchanged via the Internet. Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology (IMT) has accompanied this development over the past 10 years with discussion forums and software downloads. In order to meet the rising demands of measuring tasks, Carl Zeiss IMT has now created the Metrology Portal, thus considerably expanding the existing offering. The objective is to support customers in their daily measuring work and plans for future projects, and to increase their productivity.

The Metrology Portal provides beginners and experts with information for all areas of measuring technology. Furthermore, additional information is available to customers who have a software support agreement with Carl Zeiss. Extensive eLearning videos, descriptions of the fundamentals, and various measuring technologies provide customers with an opportunity for self-study, thus enabling new users to acquire basic knowledge more quickly and experienced users to refresh what they have already learned.

Short programs, help scripts, macros for myCALYPSO, and other software add-ons are available. Anyone can upload or access programs and macros. Other users can enhance programs and republish them. Carl Zeiss employees test these programs and label them “ZEISS verified” to ensure that they meet the company’s high standards of quality. Glossaries and basic information are available to clarify fundamental questions and help ensure that everyone uses the same terminology, thus facilitating better communication between Carl Zeiss and users.

For more information, or to register, search using “metrology portal” at www.zeiss.com.

NECO Wind announces that Phillips County, Colorado, was recently awarded a $2.5 million Community Renewable Energy Grant by the U.S. Department of Energy to help finance its community-based wind energy development. The grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will help jumpstart development on the first 30 megawatt (MW) phase of the project located in Phillips County. The remainder of the project will be completed in separate phases, totaling up to 650 MW across Colorado’s Phillips, Logan, and Sedgwick counties.

The funding awarded to Phillips County is part of a broader DOE initiative that will distribute $20.5 million to community-based, renewable energy projects across the United States. Community-based energy projects like NECO Wind foster rural economic development through localized job creation, tax revenues, and lease payments. They also have been shown to increase local economics up to five times that of non-community-owned energy projects. The NECO Wind project in Phillips County is one of only five projects to receive a grant from the DOE.

“The NECO Wind project has had an enormously positive response from the residents in the project area,” says National Wind’s Scott Hafner, the project’s senior developer. “Without their support, this DOE award wouldn’t have been possible in the first place. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Phillips County and rest of the community to develop the initial 30 MW phase as well as the remaining phases of the NECO Wind project.”

NECO Wind has made swift progress through the beginning stages of development. Currently, over 90,000 acres have been leased to the project’s two footprints leaving site control effectively complete. The next stage will be to design preliminary turbine layouts beginning with the Phillips County portion of the southern footprint. “We will be contacting residents directly affected by these preliminary designs to welcome their involvement in the final design,” says Hafner.

NECO Wind is a community-based wind development company located in Sedgwick, Phillips, and Logan counties in Colorado that intends to develop 650 megawatts of wind-turbine-based renewable energy. The company’s mission is to produce wind energy projects that are sustainable, generational, and environmentally responsible, and to assure that the financial benefits are shared with area landowners and the surrounding community. For more information please visit www.necowind.com.

National Wind is the leader in developing utility-scale (50 megawatts or larger) community wind energy projects. It forms powerful community wind energy partnerships with property owners, assuring that the project’s economic benefits are shared with the surrounding community. National Wind and its subsidiary, Wind Energy Developers, LLC, have participated in developing 13 wind energy projects and currently have over 4,000 megawatts in active development. National Wind projects are located in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, and Ohio. The company has an additional 1,500 megawatts of wind energy in advanced feasibility study stages and is continually exploring expansion opportunities in other states.

Go to www.nationalwind.com for more information.

The ExoFit NEX™ is the next generation premium harness from DBI-SALA; every component is an innovation and improvement on current designs. The ExoFit NEX wraps around you for the ultimate in no-tangle donning and comfortable security. The breathable lining guarantees you’ll stay dry and comfortable every day. It even has memory-fit features allowing you to lock the adjustments in place to prevent the web from slipping. Features and benefits include:

• Hybrid shoulder, back, leg, and hip padding with premium comfort and durability;
• Revolver™ vertical torso buckles make non-slip adjustment of shoulder straps fast and easy;
• Duo-Lok™ quick-connect buckles with memory-fit web-lock ensures an exact fit every time;
• Repel web technology extends harness life by resisting moisture and abrasion;
• 420 lb. capacity for tool carrying options;
• Ultra-soft edging for added comfort, and more.

By special arrangement with Capital Safety, Wind Systems magazine will be featuring the ExoFit NEX at its booth #10841 at the AWEA WINDPOWER show in Dallas and raffling one off each day, for a total of three. Be sure to stop by the Wind Systems booth, as well as Capital Safety’s booth #10860.

For more information call (800) 328-6146, e-mail info@capitalsafety.com, or go to www.capitalsafety.com.

The 53’ BT 2010 model blade trailer from International Specialized Trailers (IST) requires no forklift, crane, or equipment to extend or collapse. The new dual-purpose neck adjusts to the desired load height, allowing you to accommodate the new generation of wind turbine blades. This will allow the operator to lower the load height for bridges or raise it for rough job sites or railroad tracks. You can now load the pilot car, grab your remote, lower the front of the trailer, load the car, raise the trailer with remote, back the truck underneath, hook up, and go.

This new neck will retrofit to any brand of blade trailer, and the extension will allow the capability of hauling the new 200’ blades. 24”-60” load bunk height, capable of hauling one or two blades, and a 37-degree turning radius.

For more information call (866) 253-3144, send e-mail to nancyist@hutchtel.net or mikeist@hutchtel.net, or go to www.isttrailers.com.

AWS Truewind, LLC, a leading renewable energy consultant, has released advanced wind prospecting and site assessment tools via its Web-based windNavigator application. “In a remarkably short period of time, our windNavigator application became the go-to resource for energy developers and government planners looking to locate and confirm attractive wind development sites,” according to Bruce Bailey, president and CEO. “Over the course of the past year, however, it became increasingly apparent that our customers needed more tools to augment their resource-constrained teams. We developed windNavigator Siting and Assessment, a robust set of subscriptions and reports based on our trusted windNavigator dataset, to answer this need and support an expanded customer base.”

The windNavigator Siting and Assessment module features three subscription packages (Developer, Prospector, Advocate), three levels of reports (Site Surveyor, Site Analyst, Site Analyst Pro), discounts on high-resolution GIS data and related products, and advanced account administration features to improve workflow and reduce overhead costs. Subscriptions are thoughtfully designed to support a broad range of customers from utility-scale developers with internal GIS capabilities to small wind developers and industry advocates furthering the wind agenda in their community. Developer, the most robust package available, features 200 m resolution on-screen wind resource browsing and speed queries, four hub heights (30, 60, 80, and 100 m), deep discounts on GIS data and reports, and multiple users.

The windNavigator report suite features three reporting options from high-level assessment to in-depth analysis. The Site Surveyor report provides a high-level summary of the wind resource at a project location based on a user-defined turbine model and hub height. The Site Analyst report takes the assessment one step further with 200 m resolution data, energy estimates for up to three turbine models, and detailed information on the monthly and annual wind resource characteristics. Site Analyst Pro offers the most in-depth analysis of a project site featuring all of the information in Site Analyst plus monthly breakdowns of speed distribution, wind rose, and diurnal patterns. The reports will help developers of all shapes and sizes expedite prospecting and initial site analysis processes so they can prioritize business opportunities and move projects forward with confidence.

“Our main objective for windNavigator has always been to provide a resource for customers that is truly suited to their needs while maintaining the level of quality AWS Truewind is renowned for,” says Amber Trendell, director of sales and marketing. “With project development timelines shortening and funding resources tightening, our customers have to remain nimble to keep their pipeline full. It’s our job to provide tools and resources our customers can rely on so they can work smarter, faster, and make sound business decisions.”

To learn more contact Trendell at (518) 213-0044 ext. 1020 or atrendell@awstruewind.com. Go online to www.awstruewind.com.

KMT Robotic Solutions, Inc., and FANUC Robotics America, Inc., has announced a multi-year extension of their decade long exclusive relationship agreement. This agreement continues to provide KMT Robotic Solutions with the exclusive responsibility to apply FANUC robots in waterjet and routing/drilling applications for customers manufacturing plastic, composite and soft-trim products in the Americas.

“Our 10-year exclusive relationship with FANUC Robotics in the waterjet and routing markets has enabled both KMT and FANUC Robotics America to enhance our mutual products and services to the substantial benefit of our customers,” says Kevin McManus, president and CEO of KMT Robotic Solutions. “FANUC’s willingness to entrust KMT with the sole responsibility to develop standard and unique product and technology solutions for companies manufacturing plastic, composite and soft trim products has enabled us to significantly advance the related technology, and in turn, help our customers make more money and improve the safety of their plants. In return, FANUC Robotics has been an excellent partner. Their products are innovative and reliable which leads to strong customer satisfaction and reinforces FANUC’s leadership position in the robotics industry. FANUC Robotics America has the industry’s largest product development group in the Americas. KMT and FANUC Robotics work together as a team to incorporate the needs of our customers in their product development plans.”

“We are pleased to continue to work with KMT as our exclusive partner in the Americas for these applications and materials,” says Kevin Ostby, vice president of FANUC Robotics America. “KMT has worked closely with FANUC Robotics for 25 years and has spent the last decade significantly advancing this technology and satisfying customers. They are a premier member of our Integrator Network, and have helped us achieve a leading market position for robotic waterjet and routing applications in the Americas. We look forward to continuing our work with them to help even more companies in the Americas improve the cost, quality and overall performance of their manufacturing operations through the proper and creative application of our robots for waterjet and routing applications.”

KMT Robotic Solutions was formed in December of 2006 with the union of KMT Cutting Systems in Ronneby, Sweden, and Robotic Production Technology in Auburn Hills, Michigan. KMT Robotic Solutions has more than 3,500 robots installed around the world and more than 25 years experience developing, designing, building, servicing, and supporting robotic cutting, trimming, and cleaning solutions for manufacturing customers. With direct and relationship partner locations in Europe, the Americas, China, and Japan, KMT is strategically positioned to serve the global market. For more information go to www.kmtgroup.com/robotic.

FANUC Robotics America, Inc., designs, engineers, and manufactures industrial robots and robotic systems for a wide range of applications including arc and spot welding, material handling (machine tending, picking, packing, palletizing), material removal, assembly, paint finishing, and dispensing. The company also provides application-specific software, controls, vision products, and complete support services. After 27 years of success, FANUC Robotics maintains its position as the leading robotics company in the Americas. A subsidiary of FANUC LTD in Japan, the company is headquartered in Detroit and has facilities in Chicago, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Toronto, Aguascalientes, Mexico, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Over 210,000 FANUC robots are installed worldwide.

Visit online at www.fanucrobotics.com.

American Electric Technologies, Inc., announces the introduction of the wind energy industry’s first switchgear solution designed specifically to provide safer, more-reliable, higher-performing wind farm operations.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 212 workers lost their lives in 2008 from contact with electric current. In 2007, 250 fatal worker injuries occurred and in 2006, 256 deaths were reported. These statistics include deaths from arc flashes, which are electrical explosions caused by low-impedance faults between ground and another voltage phase in an electrical system. Arc flashes tend to occur during initial power equipment start-up and during equipment maintenance. Injuries from arc flashes range from minor injuries to third-degree burns, blindness, hearing loss, nerve damage, cardiac arrest, and even potential death. Approximately 65 percent of arc faults occur during electrical maintenance when the equipment doors are open and an operator is standing in front of the equipment. Conventional arc-resistant switchgear, which channels the arc flash through vents away from the equipment and the operator, has limited arc-management capability, significantly compromising wind farm maintenance worker safety in confined areas and putting assets at risk. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports they investigated 32 arc flash-related accidents in 2009, 38 in 2008 and 25 in 2007. Some industry reports estimate that the average cost a company incurs for medical treatment on behalf of each arc-flash survivor is $1.5 million, and total costs of litigation could reach up to $10 million.

AETI is leveraging their 60 years of experience in deploying custom-designed power distribution equipment in the world’s harshest environments with the company’s wind farm services experience, introducing a switchgear that is designed specifically for the wind power industry that breaks new ground in safety, performance, and reliability. More than 50 percent of arc faults injuries occur during electrical maintenance when an operator is standing in front of the equipment. By designing remote circuit breaker racking, maintenance workers can rack in and rack the circuit breakers from a safe distance away. The switchgear also incorporates a ground safety switch, interlocked with the circuit breaker, enabling the operator to ground incoming cables during maintenance, reducing exposure to accidental electrical back feed. Most significantly, AETI’s wind farm switchgear provides protection for high impedance faults, where fault currents may not reach the required level to trip conventional breaker trip settings. The system uses proven light-sensing technology to detect the arc-flash, and sends a signal to open the circuit breaker, isolating the arc-fault within approximately 50 milliseconds.

AETI’s wind farm switchgear is designed to enable maximum wind farm power delivery to the grid. Unlike traditional 38kV switchgear with limited peak duty, it provides 40kV power distribution at 3000A continuous duty, enabling more wind power to be delivered to the grid per collector line. The switchgear also has a 40kA interrupting rating, enabling wind farm developers to connect to high-capacity power grids. The system is designed for wind farm reliability. By offering industry leading 170 kV basic impulse level (BIL), the substation and wind farm are provided increased resilience lightening strikes. The system also uses vacuum-based circuit breaker technology that eliminates use of toxic sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas and continual recharging maintenance services.

“We are pleased to bring our rich history of manufacturing first-rate power distribution gear to the wind and renewable energy markets,” says John Skibinski, AETI’s vice president of renewable markets and chairman of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) wind reliability task force. “We are even prouder to provide safer, higher performance and more reliable switchgear to the industry.”

American Electric Technologies, Inc., is the premium global supplier of custom-designed power delivery solutions to the traditional and renewable energy industries. AETI offers M&I Electric™ power distribution and control products, electrical services, and E&I construction services, as well as American Access Technologies zone enclosures and Omega Metals custom fabrication services. South Coast Electric Systems LLC., a subsidiary, services Gulf Coast marine and vessel customers. AETI is headquartered in Houston and has global sales, support, and manufacturing operations in Beaumont, Texas; Keystone Heights, Florida; and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. In addition, AETI has minority interests in two joint ventures, which have facilities located in Xian, China, and Singapore. AETI’s SEC filings, news, and product/service information are available at www.aeti.com.

Second Wind, Inc., announces that Larry Letteney has been named chief executive officer. He succeeds Walter Sass, who was named executive chairman of the board and chief technology officer. The new executive appointments are effective immediately.

Sass, who co-founded Second Wind in 1980, has led the company’s efforts in developing several game-changing technologies for wind resource assessment and wind farm monitoring. Most recently, Second Wind’s Triton™ Sonic Wind Profiler, introduced in 2008, has become the wind industry’s market-leading remote sensing system. “Larry Letteney’s accomplishments as a business leader in rapid growth technology environments make him ideally suited to lead Second Wind,” Sass says. “This is a critical time for Second Wind. The market for remote sensing in the wind industry is growing exponentially, and we’ve established both technological and market leadership globally. Larry’s vision for the potential of our technology and his breadth of experience will help shape Second Wind as we continue to grow and innovate.”

“Walter Sass was one of the first entrepreneurs in the wind industry to recognize the need for advanced wind information technologies,” says Letteney. “Under Walter’s creative and able leadership, Second Wind has made a critical contribution to the way the wind industry uses information, and ultimately to making wind energy feasible. I am delighted to be working with such an excellent team, in service to clean energy and with such enormous business potential.”

Letteney, most recently Second Wind’s COO, assumed the CEO role on February 1, 2010. Prior to working at Second Wind, Letteney held senior posts in software, hardware, and Web services for start-up, mid-stage, and public technology companies. Most recently, Letteney served as president of HubCast, a cloud-based global print service, and helped to transform Creo, an OEM manufacturer, into a global market leader in print automation systems. Creo was acquired by the Eastman Kodak Company for $980 million.

In addition, the company has hired Dan Vitti as vice president of operations. He will focus on expanding the company’s manufacturing capabilities and operating structure to address the rapid market adoption of its newest product, the Triton™ Sonic Wind Profiler. “Second Wind is preparing for tenfold growth over the next few years,” says Letteney. “Dan brings critical leadership experience in hardware, software and services, particularly around the manufacture of complex, high-value hardware.”

Vitti comes to Second Wind with over 20 years of senior management experience in the electronics industry, ranging from start-up organizations to developed firms. Most recently he was vice president of operations and then COO at Sagamore Systems, where he was responsible for the successful launch of Xconnect, a hardware/software platform that provides carriers with the ability to deploy and manage new services across a copper infrastructure. His experience also includes senior management roles at Converged Access, Inc., Axiowave Networks, Lucent Technologies, and Agile Networks.

Second Wind is a leader in wind technology innovation. Founded in 1980, Second Wind advances the use of wind data to make wind energy more profitable for owners, painless for operators, and practical for consumers. For more information call (617) 776-8520 or visit www.secondwind.com.

With the introduction of new test and calibration equipment, Stanley Proto has positioned itself as a full torque solutions provider. Most companies that use torque wrenches have regularly scheduled calibration checks. To help meet this need Proto is introducing a new standalone torque tester and expanding its line of transducers.

Testing and calibrating a torque wrench usually requires three separate tools: a transducer, a bracket, and a meter. But the Stanley Proto Torque Tester streamlines the process by combining all three functions in one tool. The tool can be used to test all types of torque wrenches in all types of settings where full-scale calibration is needed or where a quick pass/fail check is required. Potential users include those in production facilities and quality control, as well as in calibration labs.

For users who need separate meters and transducers, Proto is also introducing five new transducers, increasing the total number of SKUs in its lineup to 16. When used with the Proto Torque Meter the new transducers are “plug and play,” with automatic transducer detection, easy setup, and user-friendly operation. All bench mount transducer have an impressive accuracy of +/- 0.5 percent of indicated value.

Stanley Proto Industrial Tools has been making durable, high-quality hand tools for over 100 years, having grown from a small machine shop to a worldwide supplier. Its tools are developed according to strict ergonomic standards, with features that let users work faster and easier, including enhanced shock absorption and reduced slip. For more information call (800) 800-TOOL or go to www.stanleyproto.com

A new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has been released titled “Revealing the Hidden Value that the Federal Investment Tax Credit and Treasury Cash Grant Provide to Community Wind Projects.”

The global financial crisis of 2008/2009 has, in several respects, been a blessing in disguise for community wind project development in the United States. In addition to creating much-needed slack in the supply chain, the financial crisis spawned two major stimulus packages in the U.S. that, in combination, have fundamentally reshaped the federal policy landscape for wind power in general, and for community wind projects in particular. Most notably, qualifying wind projects can now, for a limited time only, choose either a 30-percent investment tax credit (ITC) or a 30-percent cash grant in lieu of the production tax credit (PTC) that wind has historically received.

It stands to reason that community wind, which has had more difficulty using the PTC than has commercial wind, may benefit disproportionately from this newfound ability to choose among these federal incentives. This report confirms this hypothesis. On the basis of face value alone, the 30-percent ITC or cash grant—both of which depend on the size of the investment rather than on the quantity of power produced—will be worth more than the PTC to many community wind projects, which on average may cost more or generate less than their commercial counterparts.

Just as importantly, however, and not to be overlooked, are a handful of ancillary benefits that accompany the 30-percent ITC and/or cash grant, but not the PTC. Many of these ancillary benefits—including relief from the alternative minimum tax, passive credit limitations, and certain PTC “haircuts”—circumvent barriers that have plagued community wind projects in the United States for years. This report demonstrates that these ancillary benefits could, in aggregate, be worth even more to a typical community wind project than the greater face value provided by the 30-percent ITC or cash grant relative to the PTC.

Quantitative analysis of these ancillary benefits also informs the development of a policy agenda for community wind, by revealing which of these benefits are most valuable to the sector. For example, the analysis highlights the importance of the 30-percent cash grant—and particularly the relief that it provides from passive credit limitations—for passive investors in community wind projects. In this light, seeking to extend the very limited window of opportunity for the 30-percent cash grant may be a logical top policy priority for the community wind sector. The full report can be downloaded from eetd.lbl.gov/EA/EMP/re-pubs.html.