Enercon


Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany, used to be top 5 player but fell out of the top ten in terms of total installations in 2019. It has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-1990s. Enercon has production facilities in Germany, Sweden, Brazil, India, Canada, Turkey and Portugal. In June 2010, Enercon announced that they would be setting up Irish headquarters in Tralee.
, Enercon had installed more than 26,300 wind turbines, with a power generating capacity exceeding 43 GW. The most-often installed model is the E-40, which pioneered the gearbox-less design in 1993. As of July 2011, Enercon has a market share of 7.2% world-wide and 59.2% in Germany.
Enercon supplies wind turbines to the British electricity company Ecotricity, including one billed as the UK's most visible turbine, an E-70 at Green Park Business Park.
leaving Dieppe

Technologies

Enercon wind turbines have some special technical features compared to turbines of most other manufacturers. Characteristic is the gearless propulsion concept, which Enercon pioneered since 1993. The first generation of gearless turbines was the E-40/500 kW series. The hub with the rotor blades connects directly to the rotor of the ring generator. The rotor unit rotates on a front and rear main bearing about a fixed axis. The speed of the rotor is transmitted directly to the high-pole synchronous generator, where the rotor rotates in the stator, differently. The Enercon generator has no permanent magnets, allowing the company to not rely on rare-earth metals. However, the direct connection also causes grid losses. Rotation speed and the mechanical load changes over the service life are lower than geared systems. Rotation speed varies from 18 to 45 revolutions per minute for the E-33 and 5-11.7 RPM for the E-126 depending on wind speed, while a geared generator has a speed of about 1500 RPM at rated power. Thus the large Enercon generators lead to high tower head masses, and construction and logistical challenges.
Enercon systems are visually distinct from systems of other manufacturers. Their nacelles have been drop-shaped since 1995/1996. This unique design was developed by British architect Norman Foster, who also designed the dome of the Berlin Reichstag. In Germany and many other countries, the tower has coloured green rings above the foundation, which get brighter from bottom to top. On islands such as Borkum, the gradation is blue. The NCS grading is intended to better integrate the plant towers into the horizon. The rotor blades were the only ones on the market with blade tips similar to the winglets on aircraft.
In 2008, the first E-126 turbines were installed at sites throughout Germany and Belgium, including the Estinnes wind farm in Belgium. Although the E-126 turbine was initially developed with a power rating of 6 MW, it has since been upgraded to 7.5 MW. The E-82 turbine was also upgraded and is available in 2, 2.3, and 3 MW versions.
Currently Enercon does not offer or supply wind turbines to offshore projects and has at times expressed skepticism about offshore wind parks. Enercon was rumored to have been ready to supply turbines to Germany's Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm and to a near-shore park near Wilhelmshaven but did not do so.

Turbines

Note: wind turbine designations with a "*" mean the turbine either temporarily unavailable, or has been taken off sale permanently.
Model NumberRated Power Output VariantsRotor Diameter Hub Height NotesSourceNumber installed
E-10/E-12*30 kW0.3.10, 0.3.1210Developed in 2007, but unknown whether it's still being produced.3
E-15/16*55 kW0.55.15, 0.55.1615/16Developed 1984, no longer available46
E-17/E-18*80 kW0.8.17, 0.8.1817/18Developed and installed 1988, no longer available158
E-30*300-330 kW3.3030, 3350Gearless direct-drive, discontinued due to "low demand"660, 576, 84
E-32/33*100-300 kW1.32, 3.32, 1.33, 3.3332, 33.434, 35, 41, 47Geared turbines, replaced by E-30 DD model
1st generation E-33		?
E-40500 kW, 600 kW5.40, 6.4440, 44.5First gearless drive, no longer available5879 total
E-44900 kW9.444545, 55563
E-48800 kW8.484850, 55, 56, 60, 65, 761878
E-53800 kW8.5352.960, 73Prototype developed 20061240
E-58*1 MW10.5858Prototype installed in 1998 - replaced by E-48, henceforth no longer available225
E-66*1.5 MW, 1.8 MW, 2.0 MW15.66, 15.70, 18.66, 18.70, 20.7066 & 70Prototype developed 1995, no longer available - replaced by E-70, E-82 and E-922486
E-702.0 MW, 2.320.71, 23.717157, 58, 64, 70, 74.5, 84, 98, 113Direct drive4360
E-822 MW, 2.3 MW, 3MW20.82, 23.82, 30.828278, 84, 98, 108Direct drive3146
E-922.35 MW24.929284, 98, 108, 138Direct drive
~ 250
E-1013 MW10199, 124, 135, 149Direct drive
Prototype installed June 2011		~1500
E-103 EP22.35 MW24.103 10398 or 138Direct drive - two prototypes installed in France in 20172
E-112*4.5 MW, 6 MW60.114, 45.114112 & 114108, 124Replaced by E-126, no longer available9
E-1152.5 MW, 3.0 MW25.115, 30.11511592.5-149Direct drive?
E-1266.0 MW, 7.58 MW60.126, 76.126126135Prototype developed October 200795 as of autumn 2016
E-126 EP33.5 MW, 4.035.126 EP3, 40.126 EP312686, 116, or 135Based on a different platform to other Enercon turbines1 near Kirch Muslow
E-136 EP54.65MW47.136 136109, 120, 132Based on Lagerwey's turbine platformYet to be installed
E-138 EP33.5MW, 4.035.138, 40.138 13881, 111, 131, or 160Based on a different platform to other Enercon turbinesOne installed at Lelystad test site
E-126 EP4 4.2MW4.2 MW42.126 126135Designed for low-wind sites
E-141 EP4 4.2MW4.2 MW42.141 141129 or 159Prototype prepared for late 2016, based on E-126 EP4. 30-year design lifeTBA
E-147 EP55MW50.147 147126, 132, 143, 155Based on Lagerwey's turbine platformTo be installed
E-160 EP54.6MW46.160160120, 166Based on Lagerwey's platformYet to be installed

Patent dispute

Enercon was prohibited from exporting their wind turbines to the US until 2010 due to alleged infringement of. In a dispute before the United States International Trade Commission, Enercon did not challenge the validity of the US patent but argued that their technology was not affected. The ITC decided that the patent covered the technology in question and banned Enercon turbines from the US market until 2010. Later, a cross patent agreement was made with the competitor General Electric, the successor of Kenetech, after similar claims of Enercon against GE. According to a NSA employee detailed information concerning Enercon was passed on to Kenetech via ECHELON. The aim of the alleged industrial espionage against Enercon was the forwarding of details of Wobben's generator technology to a US firm.

Gallery

Estinnes windfarm