International Recognition of SWCC Ratings for Medium Wind Turbines

Clifton Park NY - Reflecting its increased organizational scope, the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) has obtained accreditation by American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to certify medium-sized wind turbine models, defined as newly manufactured, electricity-producing wind turbines with a swept area greater than 200 square meters (about 50 kW).

A2LA's extension grants accreditation for SWCC's recently expanded Wind Turbine Performance Certification program that provides certified power and acoustic performance for medium wind turbines in accordance with IEC 61400-12-1 (Power) and IEC 61400-11 (Acoustics). In 2012, the Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) obtained ISO Guide 65:1996 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to certify small wind turbines to AWEA Standard 9.1-2009.

Accreditation to ISO Guide 65 ensures the universal recognition of SWCC turbine certifications worldwide, while ensuring that certification activities are conducted impartially, systematically and in a uniform manner. Guide 65 ensures that the resulting product certifications are consistent with international standards and based on objective testing.

"We are pleased that A2LA has confirmed SWCC's technical competence for our expanded scope and quality management system's operation as an accredited certification body covering this growing segment of the distributed wind market," noted SWCC Executive Director Larry Sherwood.

SWCC's updated A2LA accreditation certificate number 3299.01 and accreditation scope are available at www.a2la.org/scopepdf/3299-01.pdf.

In Related News: SWCC recently granted its first Wind Turbine Power Performance Certification for a medium wind turbine under IEC 61400-12-1 to the Endurance Wind Power E-3120, announced in the December SWCC Newsletter.

About SWCC: SWCC certifies wind turbine models that meet or exceed the requirements of specified Standards as an independent confirmation that wind turbine designs are tested and evaluated according to industry standards for performance and safety. Designed to promote consumer confidence and mainstream acceptance of small and medium wind technology, SWCC certification standardizes North American reporting turbine energy and sound performance.

Certificates, ratings, and summary reports for SWCC certified turbine models, including tabulated power curves, acoustic data, and tower design requirements, along with a complete list of SWCC pending applicant turbine models, are available at www.smallwindcertification.org/for-consumer. SWCC updates its certified turbines table and application status table on its website as milestones are reached. Visit www.smallwindcertification.org or call 518-213-9440 for more information on SWCC certification.