September 12, 2016 – Ingeteam, the global supplier of electrical conversion equipment, has announced the launch of its new solution dubbed Ingecon Wind Fix2Var Speed, a ground-breaking autonomous power conversion system that increases the Annual Energy Production (AEP), lifetime and grid-performance of fixed-speed wind turbines by enabling them to transform to variable-speed machines to best match wind conditions. With this new innovation, Ingeteam is taking a giant leap in the booming wind turbine life cycle services market.

Ingecon Wind Fix2Var Speed, which was validated after thorough testing on Ingeteam’s full load test bench, is ready for commercialisation. The transformation to a variable speed topology will enable fixed-speed asset operators to obtain the optimum power curve for their fleet, in a wide range of wind speeds, leading to increased AEP.

Ingecon Wind Fix2Var Speed extends asset lifetime by smoothing speed changes, reducing mechanical torque steps caused by wind gusts, as well as by minimising transients due to start-ups, emergency stops and grid variations. What is more, the system ensures grid compliance by removing flicker effects and low frequency harmonics generated by the capacitor banks, and enabling power factor regulation.

Unlike other solutions available, this new innovation in power conversion can turn fixed speed drivetrains to variable speed without the need to recondition both the original generator and wind turbine programmable logic controller (PLC). This helps lower to a minimum the investment cost of transforming to a full converter variable speed topology.

“We are very proud to be able to provide wind farm owners with a concrete and reliable solution to maximize the return on investment of their fixed-speed turbines. Our customers want to minimize the LCoE of their assets. They constantly strive for increased performance, lifetime and reliability. Ingecon Wind Fix2Var Speed is an innovative contribution that encompasses all of these objectives,” said Ingeteam’s sales director Ernesto Ruiz de Galarreta.

Ingecon Wind Fix2Var Speed will be formally introduced to the wind industry at the upcoming Hamburg Wind 2016 event.