New Chairs of WWEA Small Wind: Mike Bergey and Frits Ogg

The WWEA Small Wind Section has appointed Mike Bergey and Frits Ogg as cochairs during its latest meeting in March. The members of the section have welcomed having two co-chairs from different continents and backgrounds to reinforce the work of the WWEA on topics such as small & medium wind, distributed wind, rural electrification, and hybrid systems. During the meeting, members of the Small Wind Section have also discussed the main working areas for the next two years which will have a focus on small wind market and policy development, advocacy, R&D and quality assurance.

Mike Bergey, President of the Distributed Wind Energy Association DWEA and President & CEO of Bergey Windpower Co.: “I am honored to be selected as a Co-Chair of the Small Wind Section of WWEA.  There is much to be done to increase R&D funding, create favorable policies and reduce barriers so that small wind can achieve its worldwide potential to create jobs and slow global warming.  WWEA should be an organizing resource for the advocacy such  progress requires.”

Frits Ogg, Co-founder of the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy, lecturer and journalist: “90% of the earth's land surface is rural or an island with restricted or no connection to a larger electrical grid. Much has to be done for 50% of the earth's population that lives there and has to be served with smaller hybrid wind systems. It is an honor to be a Co-Chair of the Small Wind Section of the WWEA and to put my knowledge and experience into the development and potential of sustainable and smaller energy & water systems.”

About Mike Bergey
A co-founder of Bergey Windpower Co. and its’ president & CEO, Mike Bergey is a mechanical engineer and an internationally recognized expert in the fields of small wind systems and distributed generation. Bergey Windpower is a leading worldwide manufacturer of small wind turbines, with installations in all 50 U.S. States and over 120 countries. Mike has twice served as president of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and served on the AWEA Board of Directors for 27 years. In 1994 he was recognized as the “Wind Industry Man of the Year” by AWEA.  He is currently in his sixth term as president of the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA).  He’s a past president of the Norman, OK Chamber of Commerce.

About Frits Ogg
Born in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in 1954, Frits Ogg is Co-founder of the Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (ODE) in 1978. Although today retired, he is still working as a guest lecturer and investigating journalist, with a focus on emergency energy supply, small biogas, photovoltaics, small wind and community wind. Frits owns a degree in education (electrical), industrial marketing and industrial engineering with a European accreditation and has been active within the Dutch wind cooperation “de Windvogel”, windempowerment.org as well as licensed HAM radio operator PA2LIA. Frits was formerly editor in chief of the Dutch magazine WindNieuws and was active as a member of the board in several associations and organisations on environmental and technical issues.

About the WWEA Small Wind Section

The WWEA Small Wind Section was created in 2012 to support the small wind stakeholders from around the world, provide first-hand information and promote the use of Small Wind  Turbines around the globe. Amongst the WWEA Small Wind members are the leading manufacturers of small wind turbines, national small wind associations, scientists, etc. The section was previously chaired by Morten V. Petersen from the Danish Small Wind Industry Association.  More information at: www.small-wind.org