The Small Wind Certification Council (ICC-SWCC™), an independent ISO/IEC 17065 accredited certification body, certifies wind turbines that meet or exceed the requirements of specified Standards. Designed to promote consumer confidence and mainstream acceptance of small and medium wind technology, ICC-SWCC certification standardizes North American reporting turbine energy and sound performance. ICC-SWCC certification also helps manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with certification requirements from numerous federal, state and local incentive programs to qualify for rebates and tax credits.
ICC-SWCC issues certified turbines easy-to-understand labels with Rated Annual Energy Output, Rated Power, and Rated Sound Level clearly presented. The labels also confirm that certified turbine meets durability and safety requirements of standards like ACP 101-1 and IEC 61400-1 . ICC-SWCC publishes Power Curves, Annual Energy Performance Curves, measured sound pressure levels, and other technical information in a Summary Report for each model certified.
The Small Wind Certification Council was formed in 2008 to provide a certification body which would independently verify the performance of small wind turbines. Its first certification program focused on small wind turbines, certifying to the AWEA 9.1 standard. SWCC began to accept certification applications in February 2010 and awarded its first full certification in November 2011. In 2014, SWCC’s accreditation was extended to include medium-sized wind turbines to select IEC 61400 standards. In 2022, certification of small wind turbines transitioned from AWEA 9.1-2009 to the updated ACP 101-1, 2021 standard.
The Small Wind Certification Council joined the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) in November, 2016, and in the process became known as ICC-SWCC. ICC-ES is a nonprofit, limited liability company that does technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials, and is a member of the International Code Council family of companies. This gives ICC-SWCC customers and consumers greater resources to draw upon when developing or considering the addition of small and medium wind power alternatives to augment the energy efficiency and resilience of homes, building and communities.Manufacturers interested in certification are required to first submit the turbine for a Preliminary Review. This process confirms eligibility for certification and identifies the specific tests and conditions required for an application. If the Preliminary Review is approved, a manufacturer may then submit an application form. The manufacturer and ICC-SWCC establish the terms, scope, requirements, submittals and fees in a Certification Agreement, signed by both parties. If all testing has not yet been completed, the applicant works with their selected testing laboratory to conduct the required tests. Once all test reports and engineering analyses are received, a Certification Analyst conducts a review and develops a draft Summary Report. This is submitted to the ICC-SWCC Certification Commission for review. If necessary, the Commission will request additional information or clarification before it will recommend approval. Final approval is granted by ICC-SWCC staff, after which certifications are posted on ICC-SWCC’s certification directory.
New certifications are issued for one year, after which they may be renewed annually. Factory inspections are required in the first year of certification and every two years thereafter.
For more information on the certification process, click here.
- Increased mainstream credibility
- Conformity with performance and safety standards
- Published power curves and sound levels
- Proof of certification for incentive and rebate programs
- Comparison shopping
- Standardized performance ratings on easy-to-understand labels
- Established pathways to qualify for incentives and rebates