TORONTO, CANADA – Smartricity Motors today announced the commercial launch of the PitchPro 2000, a comprehensive pitch system replacement engineered for the aging GE 1.5 MW fleet. The launch follows the successful completion of uptower field testing, where the system was installed and validated on a GE 1.5 turbine with zero structural modifications to the nacelle.
Developed in close partnership with Linear Labs, the PitchPro 2000 is built around the patented HET (Hunstable Electric Turbine) motor architecture — a four-rotor permanent-magnet design that combines axial and radial flux paths into a single circumferential flux tunnel. The result is one of the highest torque-per-kilogram motors ever deployed in a wind pitch application.
Validated Uptower, Not on a Bench
Uptower testing is the gold standard for pitch system validation. Rather than relying solely on laboratory dynamometer data, the PitchPro 2000 was mounted in a live nacelle and subjected to the real-world loading, temperature swings, and wind events that define the actual duty cycle of a pitch drive. Across the test campaign, the system met or exceeded every target for efficiency, response time, and reliability.
The retrofit went in without a single structural modification to the turbine — a critical proof point for operators who cannot afford repowering economics on a 1.5 MW asset.
Why the GE 1.5 Fleet Needs This
There are more than 7,000 aging GE 1.5 MW turbines operating across North America. Pitch system failures are responsible for roughly 20% of all downtime on these machines, and each incident can cost operators $150K–$300K once crane mobilization, parts, labor, and lost production are tallied up. Replacement inventories for the original pitch hardware are shrinking, and the legacy brushed-DC and induction motors paired with aging variable-frequency drives were never designed for the modern grid-compliance environment operators now face.
PitchPro 2000 replaces the entire pitch stack at once, so operators stop chasing obsolete parts and start running a system that is purpose-built for another two decades of service.
What's Inside the System
The PitchPro 2000 is an integrated, pre-wired solution rather than a collection of components:
- HET Motor — 97% peak efficiency, 50% lighter than legacy designs, IP55 rated, and engineered without dependence on rare-earth magnets
- Keba PitchMaster 2 — modern pitch drive with advanced motion control and grid-compliant dynamics
- Bachmann PLC — industrial-grade controller with native SCADA integration and real-time diagnostics
- Richardson Ultracapacitor Bank — backup energy storage that ensures emergency blade feathering even under total grid loss
- Modular Pre-wired Panel — drop-in electrical architecture designed for rapid installation and serviceability
Production Hardware
Engineered, assembled, and tested at the Fort Worth production facility before shipping to site.
Fault Tolerance by Design
One of the most important architectural advantages of the HET motor is its multi-phase ride-through capability. Where a legacy pitch motor typically shuts down on the loss of a single phase, the PitchPro 2000 degrades gracefully — continuing to produce useful torque during partial phase faults rather than tripping the turbine offline. For operators, that means fewer avoidable stops, fewer crane calls, and more hours of revenue-generating production.
The Economics
Based on modeled deployment across representative GE 1.5 fleets, PitchPro 2000 delivers:
- 12–18 month payback on the upgrade investment
- 80%+ reduction in pitch-related downtime versus the legacy system
- $50K–$100K+ in annual savings per turbine
- 50–150%+ ten-year IRR on the retrofit
First Commercial Deployment: Lamar Light & Power
The first PitchPro 2000 retrofit installed under the commercial program is operating at Lamar Light & Power on a GE 1.5 MW turbine. Following the successful uptower validation earlier this year, Lamar is now scaling the upgrade across additional units in its fleet — moving the utility from reactive crane-out events to a proactive, predictive maintenance posture.
"Uptower testing is where theory meets weather, and the PitchPro 2000 performed exactly the way we modelled it to," said Mike Cowen, Chief Operating Officer at Smartricity. "Operators of the GE 1.5 fleet have been asking for a real drop-in answer to pitch-system obsolescence for years. This is it — and we're ready to ship."
Availability
PitchPro 2000 retrofit kits are available to order now, with scheduled installations beginning immediately through Smartricity's wind service network. Operators interested in a fleet assessment or a site-specific payback model can contact the Smartricity team for a consultation.