Vergnet Canada: Up and coming wind turbine manufacturer

2002-10-14

The Canadian Wind Energy Association predicts that wind energy could produce five per cent of Canada's electricity by 2010.

Guelph, Ontario wind turbine manufacturer and installer Vergnet Canada Ltd. is helping to make this happen. "While they may be small, Vergnet wind turbines can make a big difference in the daily lives of people in remote areas," said Philippe Quinet, General Manager, Vergnet Canada.

The company is the newest subsidiary of Vergnet SA in France. Vergnet SA bills itself as the world's leading manufacturer of mid-power wind turbines, ranging from 5 to 275 kW. These machines are designed specifically for remote sites and isolated areas.

Vergnet Canada is adapting its parent company's designs for 10 kW and 60 kW turbines for cold climates. These turbines are expected to be ready to ship throughout North America in late 2002. Wenvor-Vergnet Canada Inc. has adapted and now produces the 25kW Vergnet SA machine in this country.

Earlier this year, Vergnet installed two turbines at the Atlantic Wind Testing Site, a national facility for testing and developing wind energy at North Cape, Prince Edward Island. They were specifically engineered with Canadian components to withstand strong winds and temperatures ranging from -40 to +40 degrees Celsius.

There are also plans to install three more Vergnet machines in Nova Scotia early next year as part of a Dalhousie University program to educate high-school students about renewable energy.

Small turbines fill an important niche in Canada-the need for a reliable and economical source of electricity to supplement costly diesel generators in remote communities. By harnessing the wind, they also produce clean, renewable energy that could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with diesel generation by up to 50 per cent. Made-in-Canada turbines will cost up to 15 to 20 per cent less than the foreign equivalent and could fill a market for energy in remote locations around the world.

Vergnet says its turbines are installed on tiltable, guyed towers, rather than freestanding towers, so they can be lowered to and secured on the ground. This is ideal for set-up and maintenance even in remote areas since heavy equipment isn't required for this work. This feature is also used to protect Vergnet turbines in hurricane regions. The company has successfully installed more than 300 machines in such areas.

Mr. Quinet plans to accept an invitation from the Canadian Standards Association to participate in the development of wind energy standards. He is also well-acquainted with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61400 standards in this field.

He says there is a need for efforts such as "net metering" in Canada to support the industry. Net metering programs enable a utility customer to install a small on-site renewable power generator to virtually run its meter backwards and use the utility as a backup. Thirty-six U.S. states have adopted net metering and several Canadian provinces are considering it.

In Canada, wind power producers do benefit from a federal incentive, which pays them 1.2 cents for each kilowatt-hour that they produce and sell.

For more information about Vergnet Canada, e-mail [email protected] or phone (519) 856-0744.

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This article first appeared in Volume 29 of CONSENSUS Magazine, 2002.  The information it contains was accurate at the time of publication but has not been updated or revised since, and may not reflect the latest updates on the topic.  If you have specific questions or concerns about the content, please contact the Standards Council of Canada.

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