Skip navigation to main content.
NREL - National Renewable Energy Laboratory
About NRELEnergy AnalysisScience and TechnologyTechnology TransferTechnology DeploymentEnergy Systems Integration

SWIFT Wind Turbine Testing and Results

The SWIFT wind turbine. Text Version

As part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and U.S. Department of Energy (NREL/DOE) Independent Testing project, NREL is testing the SWIFT small wind turbine at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC). The competitive grant was awarded to Cascade Engineering. The SWIFT is a 1-kilowatt (kW), five-bladed with outer ring, horizontal-axis upwind small wind turbine. The turbine's rotor diameter is 2 meters, and its hub height is 13.72 meters. The SWIFT uses a single-phase permanent-magnet generator rated at 1 kW grid connected through an inverter at 240 volts AC.

Testing Summary

Supporting data and explanations for data provided in this table will be provided in the final reports. Data presented are preliminary and subject to revision.



Cumulative Energy Production

10/25/2010: 3; 10/26/2010: 6; 10/28/2010: 11; 11/1/2010: 13; 11/8/2010: 16; 11/11/2010: 18; 11/16/2010: 19; 11/18/2010: 26; 11/19/2010: 28; 11/22/2010: 30; 11/24/2010: 34; 11/29/2010: 55; 12/1/2010: 66; 12/3/2010: 74; 12/6/2010: 79; 12/10/2010: 90; 12/13/2010: 105; 12/17/2010: 108; 12/27/2010: 111; 12/30/2010: 113; 1/4/2011: 141; 1/6/2011: 164; 1/11/2011: 180; 1/14/2011: 191; 1/17/2011: 204; 1/20/2011: 211; 1/22/2011: 222; 1/25/2011: 242; 1/28/2011: 250; 1/30/2011: 252; 2/7/2011: 257; 2/22/2011: 326; 2/25/2011: 328; 2/28/2011: 336; 3/3/2011: 342; 3/7/2011: 349; 3/11/2011: 350; 3/14/2011: 352; 3/17/2011: 362; 3/22/2011: 371; 3/23/2011: 381; 3/25/2011: 386; 3/28/2011: 392; 3/30/2011: 402; 4/1/2011: 420; 4/5/2011: 443; 4/7/2011: 445; 4/14/2011: 462; 4/15/2011: 470; 4/18/2011: 486; 4/22/2011: 497; 4/27/2011: 507; 4/28/2011: 515; 5/2/2011: 531; 5/4/2011: 533; 5/10/2011: 542; 5/13/2011: 545; 5/20/2011: 546; 5/23/2011: 554; 5/26/2011: 556; 5/31/2011: 567; 6/3/2011: 568; 6/8/2011: 572; 6/16/2011: 576; 6/17/2011: 577; 6/20/2011: 580; 6/27/2011: 581; 7/7/2011: 586; 7/8/2011: 588; 7/15/2011: 590; 8/10/2011: 594; 8/23/2011: 604; 9/1/2011: 608; 9/26/2011: 614; 10/7/2011: 622; 10/14/2011: 631; 10/25/2011: 637; 11/14/2011: 668; 12/16/2011: 720; 12/19/2011: 724; 12/29/2011: 751; 1/3/2012: 770; 1/6/2012: 781; 1/16/2012: 819; 1/19/2012: 830; 1/27/2012: 875; 1/30/2012: 903; 2/8/2012: 909; 2/17/2012: 963; 3/22/2012: 1019; 4/2/2012: 1031; 4/13/2012: 1060; 5/4/2012: 1081; 5/22/2012: 1090; 6/18/2012: 1136; 6/27/2012: 1146; 7/10/2012: 1155;
Activity Status
Award of Grant December 1, 2009
Preparation for Installation Foundation installed: July 22, 2010
Components received: September 20, 2010
Documentation received: February 27, 2009
Turbine Installation October 19, 2010
Turbine Commissioning Cascade commissioning: October 19-22, 2010;
Readiness verification: November 4, 2010;
Data acquisition system check: October 18, 2010
Turbine O&M and Testing  
Safety and Function Test Safety and Function Test Report for the SWIFT Wind Turbine
Power Performance Test Under publications review
Hrs of valid data (60 required)
 707
Bins completed (3.5-14 m/s required)
 0.5-23
Acoustic Noise Test Complete
Power Quality Test Not applicable
Duration Test Duration Test Report for the SWIFT Wind Turbine
Months of operation (6 required)
 13 (217%)
Hours of power production (2,500 required)
 2,732 (109%)
Hours of power production in winds greater than 10.2 m/s (250 required)
 533 (213%)
Hours of power production in winds greater than 15.3 m/s (25 required)
 112 (448%)
kWh of production, cumulative
 1155
Turbine Removed June 27, 2012
Post-test Inspection July 24, 2012
Final Documentation Not started
Project Review Meeting Not started