Intertek receives recognition for Small Wind Turbines Test Centre
17 March 2011
Intertek was a runner up for this years ‘ Environmental Contribution to Industry’ award at the 2011 HazardEx conference for their open air test site for small wind turbines.
Government incentive programs for clean and renewable energy are a key driver in the rapidly growing international wind power market. Intertek tests wind turbines and provides data for program managers to determine product eligibility for incentive programs. As a recognized third party testing company Intertek increases sales opportunities for manufacturers by providing verification of compliance with national and international wind turbine efficiency, performance, and safety requirements.
Their test site nominated for the award in Otisco, New York, together with the company’s nearby Cortland lab, is the only wind testing facility in North America that is operated by an OSHA-acknowledged NRTL (Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory) capable of providing small wind turbine system and electrical component certifications - including Intertek's ETL Mark for the US, Canada and Europe which demonstrates the compliance to national and international safety standards.
Developed to test and certify small wind turbines for durability and performance according to the AWEA 9.1 Small Wind Turbine Safety and Performance standard, the facility can also provide testing Canadian standards such as CAN/CSA C61400-2, creating a ‘one stop shop’ for complete US and Canadian wind turbine testing and certification requirements – supporting testing of several small wind turbines at the same time, from the smaller ‘micro’ turbines of a few hundred watts, up to the ‘largest’ small wind turbine of 200m2 swept blade area – about 50-60kw.
Each year HazardEx magazine, based in the UK run a conference and exhibition attended by representatives of traditional and new energy sectors and hosts a prestigious awards ceremony at the event to celebrate technical excellence in potentially hazardous environments. The Environmental Contribution to Industry award is voted for by those working in the industry and recognises energy efficient processes or products within potentially explosive atmospheres. This is first time an Intertek facility for Renewable Energy product testing has been nominated.
The Intertek team attending the conference were delighted to be nominated: “Intertek very much values the HazardEx conference and exhibition. We were supporting the event this year by exhibiting at the show, presenting a paper at the conference and by sponsoring the ‘Contribution to Safety Award’, so when we found out that our facility in New York was nominated for ‘the Environmental Contribution to Industry’ award, we were stunned and delighted. We’re so focused on helping manufactures receive the recognition and certifications that they deserve in their target markets, that when we get nominated for recognition by the industry we’re always surprised and very honoured as it’s a great validation of the work we do” said Viki Boult, UK Field Marketing Manager for Potentially Explosive Environments.
Intertek are continuing to invest in test facilities and technical resources to support the energy sector recently announcing their new UK accreditation by UKAS to provide MCS certification for Microgeneration products such as Solar Collectors, heat pumps and Micro and Small Wind Turbines.
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