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Proven Energy Wind Turbines

Proven Energy got its start in Scotland in 1982 with the first installation of a functioning turbine.

They currently claim to have over 3,000 installations worldwide. A prominent claim by Proven is the ability of their turbines to operate reliably in harsh climates. We would not deny them this proclamation.

To highlight their climate diversity they currently have several turbines operating in the frigid winds of the Princess Elisabeth Antarctic research station and others in the hot sands of Saudi Arabia. You will find no argument from us regarding opposing climate conditions. If they can hold up in blowing dust as well as blowing snow, that's probably a good indication that they have met the goal of being robust in diverse climates.

All Proven turbines are of the downwind design. Speed control is not with blade pitch but rather blade coning. Since all the Proven turbines are the downwind design and there is no risk of a tower strike, they can make use of flexing rotor blades. In high wind the rotor can effectively shed the wind for speed control. Additionally this blade coning technique takes stress off of the tower during gusty conditions. A drawback is the possibility of added fatigue on the blades themselves. The company has patented the design called the Proven Flexible Blade System.

All Proven turbines have a manual braking system to stop the rotor. The old WT 0.6 was the exception with its dynamic braking scheme. This manual system is essentially a disc brake that can be engaged from the ground. This is a positive method for stopping the rotor.

The turbines are advertised as having “marine quality build” using galvanized, stainless steel and plastic components. Some other manufacturers offer marine grade at additional costs. There is one other fact about the Proven that most of us will not have to worry about, they are listed as being explosion proof.

Proven has made recent changes to its lineup.

• The WT 0.6, also know as the Proven 600, was already fading from sight and is now nowhere to be found.


• The WT 2.5 changed to Proven 7 after some modifications and ended up with a slightly higher annual energy output.


• The WT 6 remained unchanged except for the new designation of Proven 11.


• The WT 15 became the now defunct Proven 35. In its place is a derated Proven 35 which is called the Proven 35-2.