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.

Nordic Windpower has raised $38 million in a new financing round led by Khosla Ventures, a premier investor in clean technology companies. Joining Khosla Ventures in the Series C equity financing are New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the largest venture firms worldwide, Novus Energy Partners, a U.S./Europe-based investor in clean technology, and existing investor Impax Asset Management, a London-based fund. Other participants include I2BF Management, an international clean-tech focused investment management group, and Pulsar Energy Capital. The company has previously closed three funding rounds since 2007 from investors including Goldman Sachs International, Impax Asset Management, and NBT AS.

“This investment represents a significant achievement for Nordic Windpower,” says Patricia Bellinger, chairman of the board. “We are committed to greatly expanding access to our high quality, innovative two-bladed wind turbines to communities across America and beyond. The support of this world class group of investors led by Khosla Ventures will enable us to build and grow Nordic Windpower substantially, while contributing to global efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and President Obama’s goal of energy independence.”

Nordic Windpower will use the funds to scale up its business activities involving the sale, manufacturing and service of its innovative 1 MW, N1000 wind turbines. Last month, the company announced the shipment to Uruguay’s largest wind power developer of the first three of 19 turbines sold since May 2009. The remaining turbines on order are destined for projects in the U.S. including schools, a municipal utility, a U.S. Army base and wind farms, with deliveries commencing in January 2010. Several more projects are coming into the Nordic Windpower manufacturing pipeline during early 2010.

“We are building a company that aspires to become the trusted leader in community and distributed utility wind turbines,” says Tom Carbone, CEO. “Our customers will soon realize the many environmental and cost benefits of these wonderful, affordable and reliable wind turbines. As the first and only wind power company to receive a commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program, Nordic Windpower is now in a position to meet its equity requirement, which combined with the Series C corporate funding, will further strengthen our growth plans.”

Nordic Windpower designs, manufactures and sells innovative, two-bladed utility-scale wind turbines for community wind and utility markets worldwide. More information is available at www.nordicwindpower.com.

Capital Safety has opened a new warehouse in southern California. The new distribution hub enables the company to dramatically improve services to the West Coast by reducing costs, improving shipping times, and introducing a will-call option. “The new warehouse enables us to deliver products quickly, or make them available for pick up, to better serve our authorized distributors and their customers who have an urgent need for fall protection equipment,” says Kevin Coplan, vice president of sales. “After searching for the perfect warehouse location, I believe we found it. This facility is very easy to get to and it brings our industry-leading fall protection products closer to our West Coast customers.”

Capital Safety’s new warehouse will stock some of the most popular DBI-SALA and PROTECTA brand products, making them available for same-day delivery in the region or will-call pick up, and for one-day deliveries to most parts of the western U.S. The warehouse is easily accessible from two major freeways and features elevated loading docks, making it easier for customers to load the products directly into trucks.

All of Capital Safety’s fall protection and rescue systems are backed by extensive training, knowledgeable technical assistance, and professional customer service. To learn more call (800) 328-6146, (651) 388-8282, or visit www.capitalsafety.com.

The wind energy sector presents many variables that make reliability and maintenance a challenge for all involved with wind power plants. Wind turbines, by reason of their design, location of installation, and operation, do not abide by any international standard for vibration.

According to DIN ISO, condition-based maintenance for wind power plants means to maintain, visually inspect, measure, and analyze the condition of the turbines and perform required repairs. However, how can one measure and evaluate vibration components of wind turbines when they have been excluded from international standards?

In order to increase reliability, uptime, and operation of wind turbines, the Association of German Engineers, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI), in collaboration with manufacturers such as PRUEFTECHNIK Condition Monitoring—LUDECA’s principals—helped in developing the VDI 3834 vibration and evaluation standard for wind power plants. The VDI 3834 standard will help to close the gap between this and other well-established standards for threshold values of specific components. This means that vibration signals of wind power turbines are no longer a problem to measure and evaluate when using a vibration analyzer such as VIBXPERT® and its OMNITREND® PC software which both feature built-in VDI measurement standards.

“Manufacturers and plant operators can now benefit from utilizing the vibration threshold values of drive train components,” says Dr. Edwin Becker, head of the service and diagnostic center of PRUEFTECHNIK. “Consequently, they can deal with the challenge of maintaining these components in well running conditions. Proper alignment between the drive train and balancing of the rotor blades are important to condition monitoring of wind turbines.”

LUDECAwind is a vendor of wind turbine alignment and condition monitoring solutions, including installation and start-up of condition monitoring systems, telediagnosis services with remote monitoring, laser alignment and geometric measurement systems, and continuous alignment monitoring, as well as training and consulting. For more information, visit www.ludecawind.com

Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction introduces NoiseFree brake linings for wind turbine yaw braking applications. The NoiseFree range of brake linings have been specifically developed by Carlisle to meet the demanding requirements of yaw braking applications, where a high brake friction coefficient is required in combination with a long service lifetime and noise free operation.

NoiseFree linings are manufactured from a proprietary non-asbestos material at the company’s ISO9001 friction plant where the friction material is co-molded directly onto the backing plate to provide excellent shear strength and in-service integrity. This unique construction process ensures that this range of linings outperform any other organic lining available, enabling customers to increase their service intervals and maximize the revenue generated from their wind turbines. NoiseFree linings are available in a range of many different shapes, dimensions, and thicknesses to fit all commonly used wind turbine calipers, including products supplied by Svendborg Brakes, Sime-Stromag, and Antec.

For over 50 years, Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction has produced a wide range of brake system products for the world’s most recognized OEMs in the agricultural, construction, military, mining, industrial, and wind turbine industries. Carlisle brake system products include hydraulic disc brakes for yaw, rotor, service and park applications, mechanical park brakes, full circle brakes, hydraulic brake valves, master cylinders, boosted master cylinders, and a wide range of friction materials. To learn more contact Phil Rhead at +44 1283 711 706 or wind.sales@carlislebrake.com. Go online to www.carlislebrake.com.

Arteche PQ, Inc.—a leading manufacturer of electrical power quality equipment for the improvement of power factor and reduction of harmonic distortion—has introduced a complete range of active harmonic filters. This new filter product line achieves 5 percent total harmonic current distortion (THD) by monitoring the flow of harmonic currents on a power system and injecting the precise amount of cancellation current that will reduce the harmonics to minimal levels. This new range of filters is UL listed and extends all the way from 25 amps (harmonic cancellation current) to 1200 amps.

Gary Anderson, president and general manager, says that “Our new AHF series of filters rounds out our complete offering of harmonic filters and expands our ability to serve customers with the latest technology of solutions. The new AHF is a valuable addition to the other five technologies that Arteche offers for mitigating harmonics.”

The Arteche Group is a privately held European manufacturer that has been in business for over 60 years. Their corporate headquarters is located in northern Spain with eight manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Their products are used globally by utilities, as well as commercial and industrial customers. With more than 1,500 employees, including 450 engineers, Artech produces electrical equipment for low-, medium-, and high-voltage electrical systems. Arteche PQ, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation and subsidiary of Arteche Group, specializes in the design and manufacture of products that improve electrical efficiency and the quality of electrical power in a facility, on a transmission grid, or on an electrical distribution network. They are a single source for virtually all harmonic filter technologies in use today, including low pass harmonic filters, 18-pulse converters, tuned filters, automatic harmonic filters, dynamic, soft switching filters, and active filters. For more information call (262) 754-3883 or go to www.artechepq.com.

The Schuch Group has expanded its crane fleet to meet new demands in its upper lifting capacity segment. The lifting and transport company needed a cost-effective unit that would be ideally suited to efficient wind turbine erection operations. A Terex® AC 500-2, featuring a maximum lifting capacity of 500 metric tonnes, was selected as the newest addition to the fleet. Saarbrücken-based A.K.V. Kranvermietung is in charge of the unit within the Schuch Group. The AC 500-2 saw action for the first time in August, near Mönchengladbach, when it erected an entire wind farm next to the small town of Willich.

The turbines, manufactured by Fuhrländer, consisted of a turbine house weighing a total of 58 metric tonnes and individual tower sections, each weighing 33 metric tonnes. The turbines’ three-blade hubs added another 36 metric tonnes to the assembly.

Crane operator Andreas Portz set up the crane with a 180-metric tonne counterweight—a simple, time-saving, and safe procedure made possible by the machine’s automatic counterweight system. Ballasting is handled from the cab and does not require any manual intervention. “Deadlines keep getting tighter and tighter at construction sites. The time required to set up a machine so that it is ready for operation is a crucial factor in today’s world, which is why quick setup times are so incredibly important,” Portz says, explaining that he used a 36-meter [118-ft] jib to extend the crane’s main boom and adjusted the machine’s Sideways Superlift (SSL) system to an angle of 30°.

The Terex AC 500-2 is one of the smallest units available in the large crane segment (compared with 700-metric tonne and 1,000-metric tonne units). Its large lifting capacities and enormous system length provide it with an unparalleled level of flexibility, an advantage when working with wind turbines. With an undercarriage length of 17.1 m [56.1 ft], the Terex AC 500-2 is the most compact eight-axle crane in its class. A maximum working height of 145.8 m [478.3 ft] can be achieved with a luffing fly jib. The crane provides enormous power across all lifting capacity ranges, a feat made possible by several features, including an enhanced main boom cross-section and reinforcement provided by the Sideways Superlift system. The crane’s star-type outriggers help minimize system deformation and provide the level of stability required by the unit. To learn more go to www.terex.com.

Marathon Special Products has released a new series of UL listed power blocks. The features of the 135 Series Power Distribution Block include high current carrying capacity (up to 950A), wide range of wiring options, hinge cover, and suitability for UL508A control panel applications with short circuit current rating (SCCR) up to 100,000 SYM amps.

According to James Hemp, senior project engineer, “the advantage of using a 135 series listed power distribution block versus a recognized block is that a listed block (UL1953) can be used in ‘as supplied condition’ since it meets the feeder circuit terminal spacing requirements per UL508A section 10.2.”
The 135 Series Power Distribution Blocks comply with National Electric Codes (NEC) for use in service equipment. Since these blocks are UL listed and service equipment rated, they are suitable for applications where system components must be connected in the field. This includes installation in wireways, junction boxes, termination boxes, and similar applications. Applications include connection of modular tower sections for wind turbines, large motor connections, and interconnection of multiple panels in control and power distribution systems.

Marathon Special Products has been an industry leader in electrical/electronic components designed for circuit protection and connection applications for over 60 years. Its product offering includes fuse holders for power fuses, power distribution blocks, touch-proof power blocks, single and double row terminal blocks, heavy duty terminal blocks, and NEMA and DIN sectional terminal blocks. Marathon Special Products is a division of Regal-Beloit Corporation. For more information call (419) 352-8441 or visit www.marathonsp.com.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products introduces the new LAF DC power sources. The LAF series are three-phase, fan-cooled DC welding power sources designed for high productivity mechanized submerged arc welding or high productivity GMAW welding. They are designed to be used in combination with ESAB’s A2-A6 equipment range and the A2-A6 Process Controllers (PEK or PEI).

LAF welding power sources offer excellent welding characteristics throughout the entire current and voltage range, with particularly good starting and re-ignition properties. These power sources demonstrate good arc stability at both high and low arc voltages. The welding power source can be adjusted and monitored from the front panel of the process controller for easy adjustment of all welding parameters. The welding current range can be extended by connecting two power sources in parallel for the most demanding applications.

The power sources are designed to be used with the fully digital PEK controller for maximum functionality or with the PEI controller with basic functionality for less demanding applications. Communication is vital in automation applications. Therefore the power source is prepared for communication using most standard protocols including TCP/IP (LAN), Anybus, Profibus, CAN, or even straight communication with a PLC. Optional communications modules are also available.

LAF power sources are ideal for production of wind-power components, nuclear power vessels, heavy pipe, and boilers, and they are popular in shipbuilding and automotive applications. For more information call (800) ESAB-123 or go to www.esabna.com.

REpower Systems AG has received a contract from National Wind LLC, America’s leading large-scale community wind project developer, to supply 20 wind turbines. The REpower MM92 type turbines have a rated power of 2.05 MW (megawatts) and a hub height of 100 meters. The turbines will be used in the first phase of the Lake Country Wind Energy project in central Minnesota. All phases of the project will total 340 MW.

Following the successful construction of projects in Washington, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, and California, these are the first wind turbines that the U.S. subsidiary of Hamburg-based REpower Systems AG will deliver to Minnesota. “The U.S. market is gradually starting to recover,” says Per Hornung Pedersen, CEO. “This order and the other signed contracts in the last few months show that our North American business is slowly picking up again.”

Steve Dayney, CEO of REpower USA Corp., adds that “We are pleased to be collaborating with National Wind for the first time and to be entering a new state with the Lake Country project. Minnesota is one of the fastest-growing U.S. states for the wind business, which makes it an important and promising region for us.”

“We strongly value our new relationship with REpower and look forward to building upon it,” says Jack Levi, co-chair of National Wind. “Securing wind turbines is a significant project milestone for Lake Country Wind Energy. Not only is REpower’s turbine technology an ideal fit for the project’s wind regime, it also advances Lake Country’s first phase toward late 2010 construction. It is exciting to bring Meeker and Kandiyohi Counties’ first utility-scale community-owned wind project closer to reality.”

REpower USA Corp.–headquartered in Denver, Colorado–has installed or sold more than 400
wind turbines with a total output of over 800 MW in the U.S. since 2007. For more information go to www.repower.de.

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.

American Superconductor Corporation, a global power technologies company, announces that its wholly-owned AMSC Windtec™ subsidiary has signed a follow-on contract with Dongfang Turbine Co. Ltd. to design and jointly develop 5MW full conversion wind turbines for the offshore wind power market.

Dongfang is one of China’s top machinery companies. The company entered the wind power market in 2004 and shipped more than 800 wind turbines with a 1.5 MW power rating in 2008, making it the country’s third largest wind turbine manufacturer. Dongfang will soon commission its first prototype 2.5 MW wind turbine designed under a prior agreement with AMSC Windtec and will enter volume production of these wind turbines in the second half of 2010.

“Dongfang has firmly established itself as a top manufacturer of wind turbines for the Chinese market and has aggressive plans to enter the global market with cutting-edge technologies,” says Wang Wei Min, vice general manager and chief engineer of Dongfang. “We are happy to expand our relationship with AMSC and add this higher-power, full conversion wind turbine to our portfolio to help meet the growing demand for clean, wind-generated electricity.”

Dongfang has exclusive rights to the 5MW full conversion wind turbine designs in China and plans to begin supplying the wind turbines for the worldwide offshore market in 2012. AMSC has the right of first refusal to supply the core electrical components for Dongfang’s 5 MW wind turbines.

“Dongfang already has established itself as one of China’s largest wind turbine manufacturers and is poised for strong growth in 2010 and beyond as it introduces its new 2.5 MW in the second half of this year and its 5 MW wind turbines in the next two years,” says Greg Yurek, founder and chief executive officer of AMSC. “We are particularly pleased to see more and more of our customers become repeat customers for new wind turbine designs. It is a validation of our advanced wind turbine technologies and signals more growth for our customers and AMSC going forward.”

At the end of calendar year 2008 the global wind energy market had a total installed capacity of 120GW. Industry research firm Emerging Energy Research projects the global installed base to grow to over 600 GW by 2020. It predicts that China’s total installed wind power capacity will increase from 12 GW at the end of 2008 to more than 200 GW by 2020, estimating that the global offshore wind power market will grow from its current total installed capacity of 1.5 GW to 41.5 GW in 2020. To learn more visit www.amsc.com.

Snap-on Industrial announces the introduction of a multimeter certification program designed to meet the electrical monitoring requirements of technicians working in a variety of industries, from automotive to wind power. Snap-on Industrial, a division of Snap-on Inc., is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of hand and power tools, specialty tools, storage solutions, and training to meet the needs of industry.

The program focuses exclusively on the multimeter, the standard device used to determine the level of electrical current, usually AC and DC voltage, amps and resistance (ohms), present in a given application. Typical industries where multimeters are used include aerospace, automotive, energy, and engineered products.

“The multimeter is a standard device used by every electrician every day, but many other professions require people to monitor electrical current,” according to Frederick Brookhouse, business development manager. “They need to know exactly how to read and use a multimeter to its full capability. This is not an intuitive device. You need to know where to best apply the multimeter and what the readings really mean.”

The certification is designed to give employers a widely recognized qualification that shows a graduate has both a base knowledge of electricity characteristics and demonstrated expertise in using a multimeter. The Snap-on Industrial program is turnkey, meaning the company will train and certify instructors as part of the certification process.

The program is designed to give students familiarity with the same technology they will use in industry. It includes advanced lab exercises, as well as hands-on practice in an observed, supervised environment.

The four-hour certification course is designed to augment existing curriculum used in technical schools and junior colleges across the United States and North America. The multimeter training program joins torque certification, diesel diagnostics, general diagnostics, undercar maintenance, and vehicle management in the company’s overall certification portfolio.

The Snap-on Industrial torque certification program is included in technician courses currently available at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin; Gateway Technical College in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Wichita Area Technical College in Kansas; and the multi-campus Frances Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma.

To learn more contact Dale Alberts at (262) 656-6559 or dale.l.alberts@snapon.com. Visit online at www.snapon.com.

The new Ice*Meister™ model 9734 industrial ice detecting sensor system offers many benefits to wind turbine owners and operators. Once “tuned” for the application at hand, the device operates as a digital ice/no-ice indicator. At maximum sensitivity it detects the incipient formation of any kind of ice, even the condensation from human breath, and also determines ice thickness. It detects and “stretches” raindrops for efficient control of irrigation sprinklers, and it detects the point at which rain has turned to ice. It is ideal for use in hazardous, remote, and/or unattended locations, also offering an optional de-ice heater for system reset.

The model 9734 precipitation sensor system runs on about a watt from virtually any available power source of any polarity—primary batteries, solar panels, six-volt motorcycle batteries, and even cell phone chargers, AC and DC alike. The three components of the Ice*Meister are the sensor head, the cable, and the interface board. Users provide raw input power and receive data output via indicator LEDs and isolating relay contacts, which helps to avoid system ground loops. The user interface board tunes the sensor head to specific applications, and various options are available for the sensor head and cable assembly. To learn more contact Richard Hackmeister at (954) 568-1991, rlh@newavionics.com, or www.newavionics.com.

In spite of an expanding wind power industry, the North American market has steadily relied on imported wind generators. That is about to change. WindGen America, LLC, is in the process of building the first wind turbine generator manufacturing facility in the Untied States. The company’s principals have extensive wind power experience and will be using it to develop and manufacture wind turbine generators for the North American market.

The generators under development at WindGen America will be 660 KW and 2.5 MW permanent magnet design. With prototypes up and running, these designs address the weaknesses in conventional wind generators. The past and current wind generators have been fraught with high maintenance costs. Designed and built for wind power applications, these generators will offer the industry a choice. Not just American-built, but built to exceed the demands placed on conventional wind turbine generators.

A convergence of wind power growth and incentives to provide U.S. manufacturing jobs have created the right climate for this enterprise. In addition to developing superior generator designs, WindGen America has focused its attention on a facility whose efficiency will match its turbines. Locating in an eastern industrial hub, WindGen America will be able to take advantage of existing road, rail, and ocean port facilities. Starting from scratch, all aspects of the operation will utilize the latest technology maintaining high quality while keeping manufacturing costs in line. Simplifying logistics, the company will be able to supply the nation with the latest in turbine generator design at a very competitive price. The 100,000 sq. ft. facility will have a labor force comprised of 120 skilled technicians onsite. The initial production target is 1,500 generators per year. For more information go to www.windgenamerica.com.

SeaRoc—the marine, engineering, and offshore experts—are joining Natural Power to form the first renewable energy consultancy truly capable of providing end-to-end services globally for the industry both onshore and offshore. The announcement follows almost 18 months successful operation under a framework agreement and an existing minority stake acquired earlier this year. Natural Power has already consented over 1,300 MW of client projects offshore. SeaRoc, which sits on two BWEA steering committee groups, provide marine, engineering, health and safety, and environmental services to some of the UK’s biggest renewable energy projects. Sister company SeaPlanner provides world class GIS expertise and extensive data management knowledge to the offshore market.

Natural Power and SeaRoc will form a group of over 220 highly skilled resource engineers, development specialists, construction engineers, marine managers, GIS experts, and asset managers based across 11 offices worldwide. The Natural Power group will be a world-class wind, wave, and tidal service provider in the areas of due diligence, engineering, development, construction, operations, and health and safety both onshore and offshore. The group creates a single source for complete lifecycle services for the industry.

Stuart Hall, director and founder of Natural Power, says that “Having provided lifecycle services onshore for the past 15 years, and consented over a gigawatt of client projects offshore, it is a natural step forward to complete the loop by welcoming SeaRoc to the family. They are the experts offshore. The announcement reflects the needs of our clients for a single provider of both onshore and offshore services, which we are delighted to now offer.”

Peter Hodgetts, CEO and founder of SeaRoc, adds that “We are looking forward to joining the Natural Power family. There are many existing synergies between us and we wholeheartedly share the concept of ‘practical consulting’ for the benefit of our clients. The industry is changing and it is vital that companies evolve in order to meet the needs of developers, owners, insurers, investors, regulators and financial institutions.”

To learn more contact Alex Woodward at alexw@naturalpower.com. Go online to www.naturalpower.com.