ENERCON recently installed a prototype of its IEC class IIa wind turbine in northern Germany and launched operations according to schedule.
The prototype is perched on a precast concrete tower at a hub height of 135 meters, but is also available with towers ranging from 92 to 149 meters (hub height). Thanks to its performance-optimized blade design and a rotor diameter of 115 meters, the E-115 generates high yield even in the partial load range making the new series a profitable choice also for inland sites with slightly less wind.
This new turbine type aligns with ENERCON’s current MW-class models. Up until now, the top selling product was the E-101/3 MW machine with a rotor diameter of 101 meters.
“The demand for this category of wind turbine is high. And customers now have another turbine to choose from featuring technical innovations such as the divided rotor blade concept for optimized logistics,” said ENERCON Sales Director Stefan Lütkemeyer.
At a typical inland site with average wind speeds of 6.5 m/s at 149 meter hub height, the E-115 can generate an annual output of roughly 9.3 million kilowatt hours—an increase of 14 percent compared to the E-101. Expected availability for the E-115 is the middle of this year.
