Foundation Reinforcement Cage Being Set in Place

Below is the second of three blogs on the time between contracting Renewegy to install a turbine and the final commissioning. If you would like to read the first blog on the time between contracting Renewegy to install a turbine and permitting, see our first blog segment Installing a Wind Turbine, What to Expect, Part 1

Permitting to Foundation Installation

With all of the approvals in place, installing the foundation of a turbine system is only paced by the weather and equipment availability. Installing the foundation takes a significantly less time than the time it takes to get the turbine system approved for use.

The Renewegy warehouse prepares the foundation items for shipment while engineers work with the foundation contractor to answer questions about the foundation installation itself.  The foundation materials are uniquely designed to allow Renewegy to ship the items on a single standard pallet that any carrier can ship. In addition, the embedded foundation reinforcement cage is built from standard materials.  A foundation contractor can build the reinforcement cage prior to or concurrent to the excavation, saving time and cost.

The foundation of a single 20 kw wind turbine system can be finished in one or two days. On the day of the installation, the contractor excavates the foundation site and places the reinforcement cage in place. Concrete is poured for the footing portion of the foundation after the cage is level; and once the concrete is hard enough to walk on, the contractor places the pier form and foundation stud cage in place. Finally, concrete is poured into the pier form and the foundation is allowed to cure. After a day or two, the pier form is removed and returned to Renewegy and the foundation excavation is backfilled. The only visible portion that remains is the top of the pier form and the foundation bolts sticking out from it.

To see pictures from an installation, click here.

The foundation needs to cure for a minimum of 28 days before Renewegy can install the turbine system.