November 30, 2009 11:43 AM Eastern Time
Intertek Announces the First US Electrical Safety
Certification of a Large Wind Turbine Gearbox
ETL Certification enables manufacturers and wind farm developers to demonstrate electrical
safety compliance
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing,
inspection and certification services announces the industry’s first electrical safety
certification of a large wind turbine gearbox in North America, for GE Drivetrain
Technologies, a unit of GE Transportation based in Erie, PA. With the widely recognized
ETL Listed Mark, this first-of-its-kind certification will provide GE with a means for
ensuring that their equipment will be accepted by safety inspectors throughout North
America.
Confusion on the regulatory requirements for product safety compliance for wind
turbines has often lead to state, local and provincial inspectors delaying completion of
wind turbine projects until owners or manufacturers can provide evidence that their
product complies with applicable product safety standards. The gearbox certification is
part of Intertek’s effort to qualify safety critical wind turbine components and subsystems, and eventually the wind turbine as a whole. By providing certification for the
major electrical and mechanical components such as the gearbox, Intertek reduces
compliance challenges from inspectors.
“The lack of a U.S. national standard for wind turbines has slowed the growth of wind
power in key states,” said Ann Ruggles, global business manager for Intertek’s wind
power services. “In response, Intertek has stepped up with certification options that
result in a quicker approval process. This ensures the greatest revenue potential for
manufacturers, provides additional confidence to installers and inspectors, and delivers
clean renewable energy solutions to the market.”
GE Drivetrain Technologies is the first company to have a wind turbine gearbox
complete product safety certification. “The ETL Listing of our wind turbine gearbox is
another sign of our commitment to our customers by ensuring that they meet their
regulatory obligations,” according to Prescott Logan, Business Leader, GE Drivetrain
Technologies. “By delivering Listed and Labelled gearboxes, we reduce the risk of
Code-based challenges and potentially reduce the amount of time and effort for them to
gain approval from the relevant safety authorities for any North American installation.
Intertek effectively guided us through the process and demonstrated their wind turbine
compliance engineering expertise.”
As an OSHA-recognized NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) in the
United States and a Testing Organization (TO) and Certification Organization (CO)
accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), Intertek has evaluated over
1,000 large wind turbines in North America. Intertek is accredited to evaluate and certify
products to a wide variety of National product safety standards. Products proven to
comply with those standards are then eligible to bear the ETL Listed Mark, the fastestgrowing safety certification mark in North America.
For further information on Intertek’s wind power testing services, visit
www.intertek.com/wind
About Intertek
Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of
industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance
and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products
and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace.
Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through
its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 24,000 people in more
than 100 countries around the world.
For further information, visit intertek.com/wind