The U.S. National Committee (USNC) to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is pleased to share with the ANSI Federation that Robert (Bob) Sherwin is the winner of the 2023 IEC Lord Kelvin Award.
Presented each year at the IEC General Meeting, the Lord Kelvin Award is the highest honor bestowed by the IEC, rewarding exceptional long-term achievements.
Sherwin was nominated for the award by the USNC to recognize his extensive contributions to wind power development in both standards and certification. A founding father of modern-day wind energy systems, Sherwin has served in many different capacities in IEC Technical Committees (TCs) and conformity assessment (CA) systems, including as a significant participant in TC 88, Wind energy generation systems, for over 35 years. Sherwin was a key contributor to IEC 61400-22, Wind Turbines – Conformity Testing and Certification, which evolved to become the IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Renewable Energy Applications (IECRE) CA System. He is notably influential in standards development and in promoting the uptake of the IECRE as the de facto global CA system for renewable energy.
Sherwin is the chief executive officer, president, and founder of Vermont Windpower International, LLC, and managing partner of EAPC Wind Energy Services, LLC. He started one of the first commercially viable wind turbine companies in Vermont, which became one of the largest wind turbine companies in the world. As an active farmer, Sherwin also leads and promotes the uptake of renewable energy in the farming world.
His role at the forefront of wind power development for over 45 years has been recognized with many honors and awards, including two IEC 1906 Awards and the 2020-2021 ANSI Meritorious Service Award.
Sherwin will be presented with the award on October 24, 2023, as part of the 2023 IEC General Meeting in Cairo, Egypt.