Gaia-Wind Craig Jones – Director, Business Development NSW Small Wind Industry Round-table Event: 15 Nov 2010
• Since 1993; 260+ turbines installed • 1000 years operational experience • Class leading performance due to large rotor - 133sqm swept area in moderate winds 4.5-7.5 m/s • Paul Gipe’s in ‘Wind Energy Basics’; “ The wind turbine with the biggest rotor will almost invariably generate more power than a turbine with a smaller rotor; regardless of generator rating or purported efficiency” • Key customer groups - farmers, large homes, SME’s and estates
• UK FIT’s have delivered large demand for good producing turbines • To 6 turbines per week now, 10 per wk in 2011 • Sales through key partnerships • Well trained, limited number of wind/renewable experts
The facts: • 3 phase grid connected turbine – G83 certification – EN50438 • Three levels of system protection; 1. Passive stall of blades 2. Control system activates mechanical brake 3. Centrifugally activated aerodynamic tip brakes • Low noise; 40 dB(A) at 100 m, rural night time background level; 20-40 dB(A), QUIET Turbine!
• Single piece, Glass fibre polyester • Centrifugally activated tip brakes, manual reset • Rubber bushings and teetering hub • Towers; steel, hot dip galvanised • Tubular or lattice • 18m height, 15m lattice and 27m tube – UK standard • 100/120/140 foot – USA standard
• Manufactured by Mita-Teknik, Denmark • Components: • Computer • Operation panel • Capacitors • Soft starter • Contactors & fuses • Voltage & current sensors • Serial port for monitoring
• Costs, typical; – Gaia-Wind 11 kW turbine; £50.000 fully installed – Maintenance; £600 per turbine per year • Revenues for typical 29.000 kWh/yr – FIT’s 26.7p / kWh => £7,743 – Savings on electricity bill; 14000 kWh x 15p => £2,100 – Export; 15.000 x 3p = £450 – Total revenues; £10,293 • Simple payback: £50,000 / £(10,293-600) = 5.2 years !
• Why Certify? • Not a legal requirement globally but: – Needed to access worldwide incentives – Standardised method to compare turbines • Normalised for tower height and altitude • Declaration of yield – AEP • Peak / Rated power is a poor discriminator • Wind speed / Power curve shape
• Demonstration of safety and function – End user assurance • Confidence in durability – 20 year life of UK incentive scheme • Declares acoustic performance, useful for planning / permitting can be huge hurdle globally. • Creates a high bar that discourages the Shysters and Bozos peddling their crud (Ackn. Mike Bergey, Bergey Wind Power Co. )
• It does not guarantee safety • It judges the certified machine against the standard only. Very specific and clear cut. e.g. Aircraft engines are certified but occasionally fail. • It is not a mechanism to police designs • Declaration of changes are required but cert bodies not required to seek out any changes made. • It does not guarantee performance – just specs it.. • Site specific • It does not guarantee incentive eligibility. • Scheme dependant
• Testing began May 2008 in both USA (NREL) and UK (TUVNEL) • Testing completed July 2010 • Certification granted ?? • Over a 24 month cycle time.
• Submit a machine which is design frozen and ready for testing. BoM has to be submitted. • Take 30 days at the test site for shakedown before beginning the formal testing. • Read the standards! • It’s time consuming and expensive. 24 months plus and c USD100k+. • Treat it seriously and prepare carefully. • Dialogue with certification body all the time.
• Graham Taylor, architect • Designed his own eco house & office – Triple insulation – Heat recovery ventilation – Electric boiler with storage • His Gaia-Wind produces 29,000 kWh House using 14,000 kWh •
• Farmers, Rural businesses, private individuals all require data • Economics needed to drive growth of industry and prove returns • Customers deserve a Handsome Return • Online monitoring for clarity about product performance: • Gaia-Wind provides it � Customer1: Eco House (7days) � Customer1: Eco House (24Hours) � Customer2: Carluke � Customer3: Saltcoates
craig.jones@Gaia ‐ Wind.com
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