Unlike large wind turbines that have already reached technical maturity, small wind turbines are still troubled by relatively high production and purchasing costs and relatively low reliability and energy yield. These turbines are often developed by small companies with a limited budget for research and improvement.

In cooperation with University College West-Flanders and University College Ghent, and with the support of the Flemish Hercules fund, Ghent University has given the starting shot for the Small Wind Turbine Field Lab. In this scientific field lab, a dozen turbines will be installed on the site of the Greenbridge science park where they will be measured and examined in various ways.

Ghent University will study the optimal inverter design, the noise of the turbine and the mechanical stress and vibrations on sub-components, University College Ghent will concentrate on the most efficient generator design and University College West-Flanders will research the best mechanical transmission.

The field lab aims at contributing to the development of an efficient small wind turbine that is competitive with other forms of decentralized energy generation as for energy yield and payback period.

The construction of the field lab will start in the summer of 2010, the research activities will begin early 2011. The project has a term of 4 years.

The energy knowledge platform Power-Link will coordinate the project and disseminate the research results. Through the Power-Link website you can be kept informed about the course of the research project.

Next to office and lab space for SME’s and location possibilities for larger companies, the Greenbridge science park also offers facilities for research, development and demonstration of cleantech applications.

Your technology will benefit from the embedding in the R&D atmosphere of the science park, the optimal exposure in various media and through numerous events on and around the site and the power of the extensive Power-Link network of entrepreneurs and research institutes from the cleantech sector.

Click here to see the results from the survey small and medium-sized wind turbines