Orenda manufactures wind turbines for the global medium scale distributed wind industry. The Skye wind turbine is the highest rated turbine in the sub-50 kW band qualifying for Feed-in Tariffs (FiTS) in the UK. It has a fully integrated hydraulically hinged ‘tilting’ tower, designed to be lowered and raised by one operator using a wrench. The ‘tilt’ mechanism has been designed to alleviate the need for extensive and costly maintenance with servicing carried out ‘in-situ’ – a vitally important measure in hostile terrain or rural environments where there is little road access for cranes or heavy lifting gear. From a health and safety perspective, there is no need to climb the tower and hence, no need for a climbing certificate.
The turbine also has a power pack located in the tower base and the company claims this innovative technology makes Skye the most efficient medium wind turbine currently available.
The Skye turbine’s MCS accreditation was awarded to Orenda following detailed independent testing, inspection and assessment by SGS, one of the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification companies, establishing that the design, construction and safety architecture of the Skye turbine complies with EIC’s 61400-1 stringent operational standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission regarding wind turbines.
Rigorous power performance and noise testing was also carried out on the Skye Turbine at the Myers Hill Wind Farm, in East Renfrewshire, by independent assessors TÜV-NEL, providing calibrated performance data and third party validation of Skye’s capabilities.
“The MCS accreditation is an exhaustive process, but ultimately gives consumers the confidence they need that a turbine has been independently assessed to the highest standards available” said Gerry Lalonde, CEO Orenda Energy Solutions. “I’m delighted we have a turbine product that fully complies within the MCS framework. We believe we are the only sub-50kw wind turbine to have been awarded MCS certification by complying with the IEC 61400-1 Design Assessment rather than the simpler 61400-2, which has shown itself to not fully provide protection to consumers. This is also reaffirmation to the UK market of Orenda’s commitment to manufacture a best-in-class turbine that MCS certification recognises, has become a benchmark for efficiency, safety, reliability and financial returns.”
The certification of the Skye turbine means that purchasers now qualify to receive the highest FiT rate available in the UK. Landowners have the option of acquiring the Skye turbine for themselves or leasing their land to investors for the installation of the Skye turbine. In either case, financial returns are likely to be industry leading.
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