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Wind Turbine Commissioning & Handover Checklist
Commissioning should compare the installed equipment with an agreed specification and test plan. Use this guide to organise documents, responsibilities and records before the qualified project team performs the applicable procedures.
Agree the checks before the handover.
The installed package, test criteria and responsibilities need a shared documented basis.
01 / Configuration record
Know exactly which package is being commissioned.
Record the turbine, tower, controller, converter and other connected equipment identities.
Record the turbine, tower, controller, converter and other connected equipment identities. Confirm the drawings and instructions applicable to the installed version, including approved changes made during installation.
Keep the scope of the equipment quotation separate from the scope of local installation work. The commissioning team needs to know which party resolves a missing document, an interface discrepancy or an incomplete installation item.
02 / Readiness documents
Review installation completion before testing.
The responsible team should identify the installation completion records needed for its test plan.
The responsible team should identify the installation completion records needed for its test plan. These may include the applicable mechanical, electrical and tower documents and the installer’s records for the agreed scope.
Confirm site access, personnel responsibilities and the procedures governing the work. This planning guide gives no energisation, lifting or brake-test sequence; the actual tasks require the applicable equipment instructions and qualified personnel.
03 / Interface checks
Make each connection responsibility explicit.
Create an interface list linking the generator, controller, converter, yaw and brake functions to their actual connections.
Create an interface list linking the generator, controller, converter, yaw and brake functions to their actual connections. Identify expected inputs, outputs, commands and feedback from the approved documentation.
For third-party equipment, retain the compatibility review and connection information. A device operating independently does not prove that the combined package has the intended control behaviour. See the electrical equipment selection guide.
04 / Functional test plan
Agree expected behaviour before performing the tests.
The project team should name the operating cases to be checked, the instruction or procedure used, the expected response and the acceptance criteria.
The project team should name the operating cases to be checked, the instruction or procedure used, the expected response and the acceptance criteria. Normal generation, permitted yaw movement and stopping functions require the criteria for the actual configuration.
Where applicable, include the agreed response to loss of signals, supply changes or equipment faults. Record the procedure, conditions and observed result. This guide does not specify fault injection, operating thresholds or an automatic restart capability.
05 / Output observations
Keep commissioning readings distinct from a performance test.
Record measurement location, instrument information, wind conditions and equipment state with any output observation.
Record measurement location, instrument information, wind conditions and equipment state with any output observation. A brief reading during commissioning answers a different question from a documented performance assessment over a defined dataset.
Use the power-curve guide when discussing the meaning of the results. Do not turn one high-power observation into a guaranteed annual energy figure or a statement of product certification.
06 / Handover
Close the test record and retain unresolved items.
The handover pack should identify installed equipment, current drawings, operating and service instructions, completed test records and outstanding actions.
The handover pack should identify installed equipment, current drawings, operating and service instructions, completed test records and outstanding actions. Agree ownership and the closure process for any open item.
Establish the operator’s approved responsibilities and service contact arrangement. Use the maintenance planning guide to preserve the configuration and condition records after handover.
Related project guides: Small Wind Turbine Maintenance Planning Guide · Small Wind Turbine Towers & Installation Planning · How to Read a Wind Turbine Power Curve.
Further project guides: Wind Turbine Test Reports & Certification Scope Review · Small Wind Project Approvals: Prepare the Review Record.
Further project guides: Wind Turbine Factory & Site Acceptance: Evidence Planning.
Further project guides: Wind Project Engineering Documents: Revisions & Review Status · Small Wind Installer & System Integrator Selection.
General background: Example of a separately documented performance assessment. These references explain industry concepts; they are separate from the applicable MARSTON product and project documents.
Prepare the information for this review.
Use the checklist to organise the project information. Mark unavailable items and retain document references.
| Review item | Information to provide | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Installed package | Equipment identity and current drawings | Define the commissioning scope. |
| Completion records | Installer documents and unresolved items | Review readiness. |
| Test definition | Procedure, expected response and acceptance criteria | Agree what is being checked. |
| Observation record | Conditions, instruments and measurement boundary | Keep results interpretable. |
| Handover | Documents, responsibilities and action ownership | Create a traceable final record. |
Engineering questions.
Is this a step-by-step energisation procedure?
No. It organises the commissioning record. Qualified personnel must use the applicable instructions and agreed test plan for actual work.
What is the difference between commissioning and performance testing?
Commissioning checks the installed package against its agreed requirements. A performance assessment needs its own configuration, measurement and reporting method.
Does one successful output reading prove annual yield?
No. Annual energy requires site wind information and applicable performance evidence with stated assumptions.
How should third-party equipment be handled?
Include its identity, interface documents, compatibility review and agreed responsibilities in the test plan.
Does commissioning establish certification?
A project handover record is not itself a product certification. The evidence required by the project must be identified separately.
What should the operator receive?
Current equipment and drawing records, relevant instructions, completed tests, outstanding actions and the agreed service arrangements.
Technical enquiry
Bring your project information to the discussion.
Commissioning should compare the installed equipment with an agreed specification and test plan. Share the available information and the equipment scope you want reviewed in a technical quotation.