Gaia-Wind Ltd, The UK’s leading small wind turbine manufacturer today set out an international expansion programme.
The US order is worth almost £1.5m and comes after the turbines helped Gaia-Wind sweep the board in the annual survey of US small wind turbine industry professionals.* The company beat off opposition from the States as well as further afield to win the order which will more than double their sales in this market.
TALCO Electronics is the leader in the US distributed wind industry. The US-based company has substantially increased their footprint in the US small wind arena, nearly doubling their distribution facility and increasing their workforce to accommodate the higher volume brought on by an increased demand for distributed wind.
TALCO Electronics President Tal Mamo said:
“We have been very pleased with the Gaia-Wind turbine and level of support that we have been given. Due to the ever-expanding market for renewable energy in the US and UK, Talco Electronics plans to continue working with Gaia-Wind to further expand its operations in the alternative energy industry. We look forward to a very long and prosperous relationship with our friends in Scotland.”
Gaia-Wind CEO Johnnie Andringa said:
“We are delighted to have found such a professional and well established distributor in TALCO. The Gaia-Wind turbine will be the main focus of their efforts and we hope to grow this market together over the next years. Coming just weeks after announcing a record 200 turbine order for the UK we believe we are now well on track for the sustained growth targets we have set ourselves.”
“In the United States we are catching the wave of “Distributed Generation”, that is electricity being generated where it is used. Most often this means individual turbines for people trying to reduce their energy costs and make a contribution against climate change. Typically turbines for this market:
• are small enough to get planning relatively quickly and be bought by ‘normal’ owners; and
• do not require the involvement of developers, or huge investment funds.”
“We are now taking this expansion forward across European markets. Having built great experience with our UK and Ireland distribution partners, we have been working hard to identify the best operators for European markets. So I’m really pleased that we now have good partners in place in France and already have one turbine “in the ground “, near Montpellier.
“Great progress is also being made in Italy, with our new Milan office now up and running. We are still in the earliest stages but already have firm orders for more than 20 turbines with the potential for many, many more. We already have two distribution partners in Italy and will bring more on board as we develop”
“Gaia-Wind is well established in Denmark but the appointment of Jens Busk as European Operations Manager is another step forward. In addition to the Danish operation, Jens will coordinate our development in all European markets.
Ronnie Scotland, of Scottish Enterprise, added:
“Gaia-Wind is a forward thinking and ambitious manufacturer which continues to achieve success. With Scotland seeing a shift from low value manufacturing to high value, niche market manufacturing, Gaia-Wind is well placed to capture a share of this important sector.
I look forward to continuing to work with Johnnie and his team as they continue to deliver their ambitious growth plans and contribute to the success of Scotland’s manufacturing sector.”
Designed for sites with average annual wind speeds of between 10-17mph (4.5-7.5 m/s), the Gaia-Wind 133-11kW turbine is ideally suited to sites with large open spaces such as farms, rural properties, businesses, and community projects. The large 13m blade allows the turbine to capture much more energy from the wind than similarly rated machines, which means higher electricity production.
A Gaia-Wind 133-11kW turbine generating 30,000kWh of green electricity per year will offset around 17 tonnes of CO2 emissions; enough to erase the carbon footprint of the average 4 person household.
Notes to Editors:
1. For further information call Martin Paterson on 07920715345, email martinp@patersoncomms.co.uk or visit www.gaia-wind.com
2. Gaia-Wind Ltd is a manufacturer of world leading high performance Small Wind Turbines, servicing farms, rural properties, businesses, and community projects. The company is headquartered in Glasgow, with offices in Denmark and Italy and has appointed distributors in England, Ireland, and the US.
3. More than 500 Gaia-Wind turbines have been “in the ground” for a combined operational time of more than 14 million hours. That’s over 1,500 years. In Denmark, 77 of our Gaia-Wind turbines have been running for more than 10 years.
4. Talco has been involved in over 100 North American installs alone and is the only US supplier specializing in small wind systems for areas including farming and agriculture, residential, business, and public facilities. The company is committed to supplying only third-party verified wind turbines. Their established distribution networks spans from coast to coast covering 3 countries. www.talco.com
5. Gaia-Wind is proud to be core sponsor of the fourth International Small and Medium Wind Conference to be held in Glasgow on April 17th and 18th 2012. See http://www.renewable-uk.com/events/small-wind-conference/
6. Gaia-wind are exhibiting at EWEA 2012 on the Scottish pavilion, stand C2-B10, Bella Centre, Copenhagen, 16th-19th April.
7. *The survey was conducted by world famous wind energy experts Ian Woofenden & Mick Sagrillo as in the June/July edition of Home Power www.homepower.com