Type and Component Certification

Certification services for wind turbines

The type and component certification process provides confirmation that the wind turbine type, components and systems have been designed, manufactured and tested in conformity with the requirements as mandated by international standards and site-specific conditions.

Wind turbine type certification for design, documentation and manufacture

The purpose of type certification is to confirm that a wind turbine type is designed, documented and manufactured in conformity with specific standards and site conditions. In addition, type certification covers the erection procedures, installation and maintenance of the wind turbine. A type certificate denotes a fully independent assessment of the completeness, correctness and safe functioning of a wind turbine for its design lifetime. Finally, a type certificate provides the traceability for the applicable documentation for design, testing and manufacturing. 

Certification for structural, mechanical and electrical components

A component certificate is applicable to the major structural, mechanical and/or electrical components of the wind turbine, e.g., the frequency converter, transformer, generator, tower, rotor blade and gearbox. UL Solutions confirms that the specific component is designed, documented, manufactured and tested in conformity with the applicable design requirements, specific standards and other technical requirements. Component certification is a useful tool for component manufacturers to provide OEMs traceability to their design assumptions, testing and manufacturing processes and sites. A certified component can easily be integrated into the supply chain of OEMs.

The wind turbine type certification process

Design evaluation 

The purpose of the design evaluation is to evaluate the wind turbine type as designed and documented in conformity with design requirements, specific standards and other technical requirements including:

Load assumptions 

Manufacturing evaluation

The manufacturing evaluation is to ensure that a specific wind turbine type and its components are manufactured in conformity with the certified design. It is also a useful tool to provide traceability between designer, supplier and manufacturing sites. Evaluation includes:

• Components, including gear boxes, generators, nacelles, towers, rotor blades, etc.
• Substructure and foundation

Wind turbine type testing evaluation

The purpose of the type testing evaluation is to verify such variables as wind turbine function, safety, structural integrity, power performance, power quality, and acoustic noise emission characteristics.

Final evaluation and certificate

UL Solutions issues a specific type/component certificate once the certification process is complete and the final evaluation is satisfactory.

Testing to other standards, certification schemes and requirements for wind turbines:

• US: UL 6141, the Standard for Wind Turbines Permitting Entry of Personnel (large WT), UL 6142, the Standard for Small Wind Turbine Systems (small WT)
• Japan: JSWTA0001 (small WT)
• UK: IEC 61400-2, MCS (small WT)
• German type approval (DiBT)
• Korean type approval (KEA Scheme)
• IECRE