Bergey Excel 15 wind turbine has been granted ICC-SWCC certification

Bergey Wind Power Company’s Excel 15 small wind turbine is the latest model to achieve certification under the Small Wind Turbine (SWT) program of the International Code Council Small Wind Certification Council (ICC-SWCC). This represents the second active ICC-SWCC certification for Bergey Windpower, which also maintains the same certification for its Excel 10 turbine. Bergey Windpower is based in Norman, Okla., and is a well-known wind turbine manufacturer in North America. The Bergey Excel 15 turbine has been granted certification SWCC-16-05 that demonstrates compliance with the AWEA 9.1 standard, which serves as the basis of the ICC-SWCC SWT program.

The Excel 15’s turbine’s product information, test reports and calculations were thoroughly reviewed to confirm that all requirements of the ICC-SWCC SWT program were satisfied. The Excel 15 is a horizontal-axis, grid-tied wind turbine. The rotor features three blades with a diameter of 9.6 m (31.5 ft.). ICC-SWCC rated its annual energy production at 29,800 kWh per year* and its rated power at 15.6 kW at 11 m/s (25 mph) wind, and a rated sound level of 49.3 dB(A)**.

Bergey’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Bergey also serves as the current chair of the Distributed Wind Energy Association. “The Excel 15 is a technical and cost breakthrough in wind power for homes and farms and this SWCC certification will provide consumers with confidence that it performs as advertised.”

The ICC-SWCC SWT certification is utilized by numerous incentive programs, regulations and codes in many states and countries, including the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC for small wind turbines provides a significant 26 percent federal tax credit for the costs of equipment and installation of wind turbines under 100 kW.

ICC-SWCC is a program of ICC Evaluation Service, the United States’ leading evaluation and certification service for innovative building and plumbing products. Building officials, architects, contractors, specifiers, designers and incentive programs utilize ICC-SWCC certifications to provide the basis for using or approving renewable energy products.

For more information, visit smallwindcertification.org.

* Annual energy production rating assumes average annual wind speed of 5 m/s with a Rayleigh wind speed distribution, sea-level air density and 100 percent availability. Actual production will vary depending on site conditions.
** Assumes the sound level will not be exceeded 95 percent of the time assuming the wind conditions above and observed 60 m from rotor center.