Industry News
Here you can find information about industry news and events. Please check back for the latest!
Certification testing at Intertek
August, 2010
Fortis Wind Energy will be one of the first US companies to have its turbines tested to all international standards. Beginning in August, the 5 kW and the 10 kW turbines will be installed at the Intertek wind test site location and certification testing should be complete in 6-9 months. This project clearly demonstrates Fortis' strong commitment to standardization and hopes that the effort continues to spread across the industry.
Fortis Hybrid system at a Pennsylvania High School
July, 2010
Fortis Wind Energy is pleased to announce an exciting project for a local Pennsylvania High School. The students will have a greenhouse and workshop that draws energy from the sun and from the wind. Using Federal grant dollars, Fortis has designed a custom hybrid energy system around the Fortis Passaat and a small array of solar panels. The system is remarkably cost-effective and will provide a wonderful learning experience for the children of the school district.
Fortis Sponsors Small Wind Conference
June, 2010
Stevens Point Wisconsin is the host for the 2010 Small Wind Conference in June. Fortis is pleased to announce that we will be one of the leading sponsors of the conference so stop by our booth to learn more about our products and services. Also, our own Art Weaver will be speaking on a panel of small turbine manufacturers so be sure to check the conference schedule. Please see www.smallwindconference.com/ for more information.
TEC-SMART project nearing completion
May, 2010
TEC-SMART (Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative and Renewable Technologies) near Albany NY is obtaining final approvals for installing their two 5 kW Fortis Turbines. President Obama spoke at TEC-SMART recently and applauded their leadership in training the future work force for green energy jobs. The Fortis turbines will be used for all areas of wind energy study and we are proud to partner with TEC-SMART on these efforts. Please see www.hvcc.edu/tecsmart/ for more information.
Morrisville's RETC to use Fortis Turbine
April, 2010
Morrisville State College in New York has purchased the Fortis Passaat for training students at its Renewable Energy Training Center. Morrisville's RETC is helping lead the nation with training opportunities geared toward our new green economy. Training sessions focus on renewable energy resources and systems, including wind, solar, micro hydro, geothermal and biofuels. Please see retc.morrisville.edu/ for more information.
Certification is coming
March, 2010
The Small Wind Certification Council and the American Wind Energy Association have released the new small turbine certification standard. Fortis will be among the first companies to submit for testing and we welcome the day when all turbine performance specs will be reported on equal footing. Many turbine companies are making claims that seem too good to be true. But very soon, they won't have a leg to stand on. See www.smallwindcertification.org/ for more information.
WindyBoy 3000 now available through Fortis
February, 2010
Fortis Wind Energy - U.S. is now able to provide the WindyBoy 3000 Inverter from SMA. UL listing is now complete and units are ready to ship. SMA inverters are the highest quality available and are now being offered with a 10 year warranty. The WindyBoy 3000 is a great addition to the product line for the U.S. market.
Fortis and SMA Inverters
January, 2010
Fortis Wind Energy - U.S. now offers affordable custom programming of SMA inverters ordered through us. Even if you don't buy a Fortis turbine, we're happy to work with you to design your electronics and make sure they are configured for your specific system. We found many of our customers were losing efficiency with sub-optimal parameters, but we also found that most customers needed help with the programming process. Now if you order through Fortis, your inverters will arrive at your site 100% ready for installation.
Fortis to submit for Certification
December, 2009
Fortis Wind Energy will soon begin testing all of our turbines for certification under the AWEA standard, due to be released early next year. We are very excited about the certification process because it will give tremendous credibility to those of us in the industry who publish and stand by "real world" data. Check back soon for further anouncements about the test plan and timing of the certification process.
Fortis attends the AWEA Small Wind Conference - Detroit MI
November, 2009
Fortis representatives were at the Small Wind Conference in Detroit Michigan this past November. The conference was well attended by many different companies in the industy and there was plenty of interest in the Fortis products. The Small Wind Certification Council gave an update on the project status and there were many excellent sessions on a wide variety of topics related to this industry. Look for the Fortis booth the next year!
MREA Small Wind Conference
June 16-17, 2009
Fortis Wind will be attending and presenting the latest information and data on Fortis wind turbines deployed in the U.S. at the 2009 Small Wind Conference hosted by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) to be held June 16-17 in Stevens Point WI. We strongly encourage potential Fortis Wind dealers and even end-users to consider attending this one-of-a-kind event!
SMA wind equipment now available from Fortis Wind
March, 2009
Fortis Wind Energy · U.S. has reached an informal agreement with SMA America to sell and provide technical support for SMA WindyBoy inverters (700U, 3000US, 5000US, 6000US, 7000US) and matched WindyBoy Protection Boxes with matched diversion loads (WBP-Box 400, 500 and 600) in the U.S. market. We have found SMA WindyBoy inverters to be an excellent complement to Fortis turbines and are pleased to partner with SMA. Please refer to our Products page for SMA technical information and pricing.
Federal small wind incentives
February, 2009
A 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (FITC) is available for prospective owners of small wind turbines. This credit is applied after any state or local incentives or grants have been subtracted from the cost of the system. This credit is the most generous support ever given by the federal government to promote small wind development.
Further, a provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) passed on Feb 17, 2009, is a new cash grant program that certain taxpayers may elect to use in lieu of claiming the 30% FITC. This cash grant is apparently not applicable to residential consumers (as defined in IRC Section 25D), but rather only to entities as defined in Sections 45 and 48, which, generally, are businesses. Notably, tax-exempt entities are not eligible for the grant. The small wind equipment must be placed into service during 2009 or 2010. The U.S. Treasury has not yet issued specific guidance on the use of this grant and other new tax provisions in ARRA, but is expected to soon.