Press Release: Interstate Turbine Advisory Council Adds Unique Maine-Made Wind Turbine to its Unified List

Montpelier, VT – Today, the Interstate Turbine Advisory Council (ITAC), a project of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), added the Pika T701 turbine to its Unified List of wind turbines.  The turbine joins several others on ITAC’s small wind turbine list; these turbines meet ITAC’s listing requirements, a unique set of eligibility criteria that address both the business practices of manufacturers and the performance and reliability of turbines with a rotor swept area of less than 200m2 (meters squared). The list is used by ITAC-member clean energy programs across the United States that have pooled resources to efficiently review and evaluate turbines. These programs provide customers with incentives for wind turbine installations. The list has been developed to boost consumer confidence in distributed wind and to ensure that taxpayer and rate-payer funding supports the installation of reliable and safe wind energy technology.

“Achieving listing with ITAC is a key milestone for Pika,” said president and co-founder Ben Polito.  “Our engineers work hard to design reliable products with innovative safety and monitoring features.  From product development to dealer training, our entire team is committed to delivering a great experience for Pika’s customers.”

The Pika T701 entered the U.S. market in late 2013; 25 turbines have been installed across the nation, including in Maine, Kansas, New York, and North Carolina. The 1.5 kW residential-scale turbine is manufactured entirely in Maine. In fact, the inverter and optional solar-hybrid system is manufactured in Maine as well. This unique grid-tied, wind-solar hybrid system provides year-round, efficient power.  An off-grid design has just been unveiled. The Pika design gives customers easy access to system monitoring, including remote monitoring.

The addition of this turbine to the ITAC Unified List will increase customers’ choices; the Pika is an efficient, cost-effective turbine with an average pay-back period of five years.  Audrey and Paul Lones of North Yarmouth, Maine have been making power from a Pika T701 wind turbine since 2013.  “We were looking for a quiet, American-made wind turbine to power our 145-year old home and put a dent in our electric bill,” said Audrey. “The high quality of engineering of our Pika wind-solar system and the support of the Pika team has been apparent since day one.”

The turbine was tested at the High Plains Regional Test Center in Colby, Kansas and at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado. It received its Limited Power Performance Certification from the Small Wind Certification Council, an independent and accredited certification body, this month.

Seven clean energy programs across the United States use the ITAC Unified List: the Energy Trust of Oregon, the New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the New Jersey Clean Energy Program, the Minnesota Department of Energy Resources, the Maryland Energy Administration, and NV Energy. The List provides these programs with peer-reviewed, carefully-vetted turbines that have proven safety and reliability records and third-party acoustic and power performance reports. Only ITAC-member programs may use the Unified List for incentive eligibility. Programs wishing to use the list should contact CESA to discuss membership.