Turbine manufacturer Nordex has installed the first version of the N117 onshore wind turbine at the Stadum citizens' wind farm in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. With a rotor diameter of 117 meters and a rotor sweep of 10,715 square meters, the N117/2400 is the most efficient IEC-3 turbine in its class, Nordex says.
According to Nordex, the primary feature is the rotor blade, which is 8.5 meters longer than that of the previous onshore model. With a length of 58.5 meters, this is the company's first blade to be made from carbon fiber, a material that Nordex maintains is lighter but more rigid than glass fiber hybrids. Despite the increased length, the company says the blade weighs less than 11 tons and is, therefore, ‘somewhat lighter’ than its predecessor, Nordex says.
As a result, customers using the N117/2400 are able to achieve high and steady electricity production in regions characterized by lighter winds, Nordex says.
