Counting down to 500GWh

More than 500 GWh of energy produced

WEICan celebrates wind R&D Park

The Wind Energy Institute of Canada’s Wind R&D park consists of five grid-connected 2 MW DeWind 9.2 turbines. Since it began operation in 2012, the wind park has generated more than 500,000,000 kWh of electricity.

Wind energy produced since 2012

In Pictures

Constructing one of the foundations for the wind R&D park.

Installing a tower for the wind R&D park.

Installation of a nacelle at the R&D wind park

Lifting a blade to assemble the rotor for the wind R&D park.

Installing a rotor for the wind R&D park.

Andre Begin Drolet, showing off a ice-free anemometer developed at Laval University. It was tested at WEICan while he was a student, and is now deployed on our wind park.

In-field installation of leading edge protection to our blades. WEICan has trialed 6 different types of leading edge products at the wind R&D park. We currently collaborate with Polytech, acting as open case study for the use of ELLE ® and ELLE® Onshore.

Carl Doucette helping to level the fall arrest training tower at our site that was installed in partnership with Holland College. The tower was used to train technicians for our wind park and others in the local area.

Recent visit from Amy Hsiao’s PROGRES and graduate students. Amy is a long-time collaborator and member of WEICan’s board. Her research relates to materials assessment and characterization of wind turbine components, including lubricants, blades, and leading edge protection.

A visit between NREL and WEICan. WEICan has been collaborating with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for many years on small wind testing, wind research, and solar research. For example, we provide real world data and experience from the Wind R&D Park to the Drivetrain Reliability Group, supporting their research in the factors impacting wind turbine gearboxes and generators.

Transporting lubricants into the turbine. WEICan collaborates with Mobil to support their development of next-generation lubricants by conducting long-term field tests at our wind R&D park.

Randy McDougall on the hub of one of the turbines to give collaborators a tour.

Robbie Sanderson showing off our data systems while hosting Don Jardine and his UPEI class: Climate Change Monitoring, ACC 3030. Our central data system utilizes the AVEVA PI system to track more than 8500 data tags, many of which come from the wind R&D park.

Paige Gallant presenting research that WEICan conducted on lubrication of our wind R&D park at the North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA) conference in 2023.