This is an excerpt from the Fourth Quarter 2011 edition of the Wind Program R&D Newsletter.

In October, the Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Laboratory (NREL) worked with Gamesa Wind US to complete the installation of Gamesa's G97-2 MW Class IIIA turbine at NREL's National Wind Technology Center. The turbine will be the fourth multimegawatt wind turbine to be installed at the NWTC for R&D testing. 

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The objective of the tests conducted at NREL is to verify the basic characteristics of the wind turbine, including power performance, power quality, and noise measurements. The measurements will be carried out according to IEC standards.

The turbine, which was installed as part of a Work for Others agreement between NREL and Gamesa, has a hub height of 90 meters and a rotor diameter of 97 meters. According to Gamesa, the turbine is designed for low-wind sites, which the company expects will make up a majority of the future land-based demand.