Testing

Testing capabilities at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) support the installation and testing of wind turbines that range in size from 400 watts to 5.0 megawatts. Engineers provide wind industry manufacturers, developers, and operators with turbine and component testing that ensures performance and reliability. Prototype testing is especially important to capture manufacturing flaws. The NWTC staff conducts tests on components in laboratory environments and on turbines in the field to produce data that can be used to certify and validate turbine designs. Evolving over more than thirty years, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, the NWTC has developed test equipment, methods, and data acquisition to foster wind technology testing.