PURCHASING GUIDE

The impressive variety of turbines available on the German wind market is once more apparent in the latest update of the Winkra publication Windkraftanlagen/Markt, published at the end of October. The report carries details of 168 turbines derived from 108 different turbine types, ranging in nominal capacity from the 0.05 kW Aerogen 3 to the 2 MW Gamma 2. Twenty-four turbines fulfilled the criteria defined by Winkra as qualities necessary for a project to be economic. These criteria are: German type certification; capacity curve and noise emission curve as measured by a recognised German institution; confirmation of grid compatibility by a German utility; at least five turbines in operation and officially tested; a contract guarantee from the manufacturer of 95% technical availability and full compliance with the officially measured power curve; a minimum prototype operation time of one year (including all four seasons).