The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Siemens Energy Inc. formally commissioned a new 2.3 megawatt (MW) Siemens wind turbine at NREL's National Wind Technology Center on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009.
The Siemens 2.3 MW turbine is among the largest land-based turbines deployed in the United States. Planned testing includes: structural and performance testing; modal, acoustics and power quality testing; aerodynamic testing; and turbine performance enhancements.
Researchers at NREL are also interested ground support requirements for larger wind turbines, which can weigh 400-800 tons. NREL and Renewable Energy Systems Americas (RES) have entered into a separate but coordinated agreement to study the design and performance of turbine foundations, with the aim of increasing the reliability of non-turbine components and reducing turbine installation costs.
This turbine project is part of a coordinated wind research program that is supported by DOE's Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
For more information, visit the NREL wind Web site.
