Company: Northern Power
Northern Power Systems awarded U.S. DOE grant to develop new class of wind turbine
BARRE, VT – September 15, 2010 – Northern Power Systems, Inc. (www.northernpower.com), a next-generation wind turbine technology company, today announced that it has been awarded a grant by the United States Department of Energy to help fund development and commercialization of a midsize permanent magnet direct drive wind turbine, the Northern Power™ 450.
“We are extremely proud to have been chosen as one of only three recipients from a field of several dozen applicants for this grant,” said John P. Danner, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Power Systems. “Selection by the Department of Energy validates our position as the global leader in developing and commercializing permanent magnet direct drive wind turbine technology.”
The planned Northern Power 450 would extend Northern Power Systems community wind turbine technology platform and will incorporate the best elements of the proven Northern Power™ 100 generator, power converter, software and controls. This combination of advanced proprietary technologies is expected to create a step-change reduction in the cost of wind energy for small businesses, light industries, municipalities, schools, farms, military sites and numerous other applications.
“This development and commercialization project is estimated to create 70 to 100 green engineering and manufacturing jobs within Northern Power Systems over the next few years, with additional job creation throughout our supply chain which spans 15 U.S. states,” added Parthiv Amin, President of Community Wind at Northern Power Systems. “We have developed a U.S.-based supply chain for the Northern Power 100 that we can leverage to support a fast manufacturing ramp with robust job creation from the Northern Power 450.” Northern Power Systems is the only community wind turbine manufacturer to export globally from the United States. The commercially available Northern Power 100 is manufactured in Barre, Vermont, USA and has been installed in 22 U.S. states, as well as in Canada, Italy and the United Kingdom.
About Northern Power Systems
Northern Power Systems has over 30 years of experience in developing advanced, innovative wind turbines. The company’s next generation 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 new approach delivers higher energy capture, eliminates drive-train noise, and significantly reduces maintenance and downtime costs. The company currently manufactures the Northern Power™ 100 turbine, designed specifically for community wind applications such as schools/universities businesses, commercial farms, and municipalities. Later this year, the company plans to launch a 2.2MW turbine into the utilityscale marketplace for wind farm 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 offices in Massachusetts and Michigan, USA and Zurich, Switzerland.
For more information about the Northern Power 100 and our community scale wind business, please visit: www.northernpower.com/community-wind
John J. Ciempa
Marketing Communications Specialist
Northern Power Systems