Northern Power Systems’ Wind Turbines Exceeds One Million Hours of Operation

Northern Power Systems, a next-generation wind turbine company, announced that its Northern Power 100 (NPS 100) permanent magnet direct drive (PM/DD) wind turbine fleet has achieved more than one million hours of operation. These 100 kW wind turbines, which oftentimes operate in remote locations without local maintenance and support services, have delivered fleet-wide availability of 97%. Over one hundred fifty NPS 100 wind turbines are currently installed and operating in 25 states in the US, as well as in the Bahamas, Canada, Italy, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), distributed wind power – the deployment of wind turbines for on-site energy production at schools, businesses and diesel-powered remote communities – is one of the fastest growing market segments within the wind industry today. As market leader, Northern Power Systems is continuously expanding its global fleet of NPS 100s, which require minimal infrastructure, provide easy installation and maintenance, and eliminate the need for transmission lines for grid connectivity.

"Our customers count on the NPS 100 to produce clean, cost-effective and dependable renewable energy for their communities," said Parthiv Amin, President of Distributed Wind at Northern Power Systems. "Our wind turbines, which operate in harsh environments ranging from Alaskan winters to Caribbean hurricanes to the notoriously high winds of Scotland, have proven their ability to consistently deliver results every day."

"We are very proud to have achieved these significant performance milestones," said John P. Danner, President and CEO at Northern Power Systems. "These accomplishments strengthen our belief that Northern Power’s PM/DD technology will accelerate the deployment of distributed power generation around the world."

Northern Power Systems has over 30 years of experience in developing advanced, innovative wind turbines. The company’s proven, next generation permanent magnet direct drive (PM/DD) wind turbine technology is based on a vastly simplified architecture that utilizes a unique combination of a permanent magnet generator and direct-drive design. This revolutionary approach uses fewer moving parts, delivers higher energy capture, and provides increased reliability due to reduced maintenance and downtime costs.

The company currently manufactures the NPS™ 100 turbine, designed specifically for distributed wind applications such as schools, businesses, commercial farms, municipalities and diesel-powered remote communities. The NPS 100 is particularly well-suited for European feed-in tariff applications. The company also designs turbines for the on-shore and off-shore utility-scale wind energy markets, and in 2011 introduced the NPS 2.3 MW wind turbine for on-shore applications. Northern Power Systems is a fully integrated company that designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines into the global marketplace from its headquarters in Vermont, USA, with additional offices in Massachusetts and Michigan, USA and Zurich, Switzerland.

www.northernpower.com