Top Five Micro Wind Turbines
4. Southwest Windpower Whisper 500
The Whisper 500 can produce enough energy to power a small to moderately sized home. Formerly the Whisper 175, the Whisper 500 was completely redesigned in 2004 to work in harsh, high wind environments.
The Whisper 500 is a two bladed fiberglass reinforced blade and incorporates a patented “angle governor,” designed for quiet operations in high winds. Side-furling overspeed protection turns alternator and blades out of high winds without cutting power output.
Cost: $7,095
Rated Capacity: 3kw
Startup Windpeed: 7.5mph
Rotor: 15 feet (4.6 m)
Interconnection: Utility connected or battery charging
Voltage Output: 24, 32, 48 VDC or 240 VAC
Estimated Energy Production: 1500 KWh/month @12.5mph
5. Bergey Excel
The Bergey Excel is designed for high reliability, low maintenance, and automatic operation in adverse weather conditions. It is available in two configurations: battery charging and grid-tied.
The Excel is a ruggedly built turbine that comes with a 5 year warranty. Connected to the grid, the BWC EXCEL can provide most of the electricity for an average total electric home at moderate wind sites. The all new GridTek 10 power processor (inverter) is the most advanced in the industry and it carries a full UL certification to the latest utility standards.
In a location with moderate winds, the Excel 10kw can provide enough electricity for the average home.
Cost: $21,900-$27,900
Rated Capacity: 10kw
Startup Windspeed:7.5 mph
Rotor: 22 feet (6.7 m)
Interconnection: Utility connected or battery charging
Voltage Output: 48 VDC or 120, 240 VAC
Estimated Energy Production: 1500 KWh/month @12.5mph
*Note: Prices listed are the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, it is quite possible to find them for less (nobody pays retail anymore, right?)
Additional Resources:
All pictures are courtesy of the manufacturers.
Great and informative article. I live in Buffalo, NY and we have, as a community, a desire to start manufacturing wind devices. We have (unfortunately) plent of empty manufacturing space, and different modes of transportation for finished product, even the very large ones. But for some silly reason we can’t get local government to buy off on it. Someday you may read about Buffalo as a mjor contributor to the manufacturing of wind energy devices.
Joe- I hope I do!
Check http://www.allsmallwindturbines.com for a (almost) compleet overview of small wind turbines
I wish I knew how to install that $600 one! That is something I could actually afford.
Nit-picking, sort of - items number 1 and 2 list their energy generation in units of kw per month, which doesn’t make any sense. I’m assuming you really meant kWh per month?
it’s about time that the us and the rest of the world got there head out of there ass and looked at something else we are not the last generation to be left on earth.
wally
I am unclear why these turbines (except the vertical) have such small blades. Don’t you want a larger blade to collect more wind? Same reasoning that would follow for a sailboat…
Thanks. Tracy
A great article and very informative. I am keen in using renewable energy at my farm for an irrigation project and would like to explore the affordable “Southwest Windpower Air X” system.
Great article, one of the best I’ve seen reviewing micro wind turbines. I actually built my own turbine, but if I had the money I think I would go with the Skystream 3.7
The Whisper 500 seems to have a spec that is way off (by the manufacturers own data). You list it as:
Estimated Energy Production: 1500 KWh/month @12.5mph
They list it as:
Kilowatt Hours/Month: 538 kWh/mo at 12 mph (5.4 m/s)
This seems a lot more realistic. (I wish it were the one you have!)