By DARA BUTTERFIELD
Spanish-based turbine manufacturer Norvento has heralded a record power output from its Slagnaw wind farm in Dumfriess-shire as it gears up for market growth in Scotland.
The Norvento nED100 (100kW) turbine in Castle Douglas generated a total of 2177 kWh on 26 October – equivalent to almost 22 hours of generation at rated power.
The same turbine had generated 2035kWh on the previous day, meaning that in the 48 hour period it produced 4212 kWh – just above the total annual electricity consumption of the average UK household, according to DECC figures.
Following an extensive testing programme, the 100kW unit, now known as nED100, was launched into the UK market in October 2013.
The Iberian supplier has a pipeline of more than 20 turbine developments in Scotland and rUK and the company recently signed a supply deal with distributed energy specialist VG Energy as it seeks further expansion in the ‘promising’ Scottish distributed wind market.
As the UK small and medium-scale wind market faces a series of challenges ranging from planning and financing complications, to grid connection problems and ongoing operations and maintenance concerns, shaking off a reputation of inefficiency and a reliance on outdated technology is crucial to the sector’s ongoing success.
Ivo Arnús, Norvento UK Business Development Director, commented: “This performance milestone is very pleasing, but hardly comes as a surprise. We are continuously striving to refine nED100 as a product and the data we collect is an integral part of this process.
“Given the challenges facing onshore wind in general, and distributed wind in particular, it’s highly important that the medium-scale industry continues to present an attractive and viable investment proposition for landowners and institutional investors alike.
“That’s why efficiency and performance has to stay top of the agenda for the manufacturers and distributors working throughout the sector.”
The Norvento nED100 incorporates a range of technology from the utility-scale wind sector, targeted at maximising performance and efficiency.
In particular, the turbine’s blades have been designed to work in combination with both the active pitch and variable speed controls, allowing it to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency in all wind conditions and maximising output – even at low wind speeds.
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