Top Five Micro Wind Turbines – Remix!
3. Bergey Windpower Co.: BWC Excel 10
The Bergey Windpower Co. is another 2008 Top Five alumnus that is keeping up with new developments in alternative energy markets, one of which is the introduction of industrywide performance standards. Last month, the company announced that its popular BWC Excel 10 wind turbine became the first to attain full certification by the American Wind Energy Association. According to company president Mike Bergey, the certification program will help consumers sort through the “hucksters and hype problem in the small wind marketplace. Bergey explains:
“This new standard is the most significant milestone in the history of the small wind industry because it provides, for the first time, third-party verification of real world performance and a highly technical review of a turbine’s strength and safety.”
The company can trace its beginnings to a 1970’s-era research project at the University of Oklahoma, and its academic roots still show in the detailed “Wind School” consumer education pages on its website. Bergey is also known for its overseas installations in remote locations (pictured here is a Bergey wind turbine in Afghanistan).
4. Portable Micro Wind Power: Arista Power and Skybuilt
We’re including two companies in this category to illustrate how the market for portable wind power has developed – and how far it could go. At one end of the scale you have Arista Power’s Charger 300 series. These are true portable micro wind turbines that can be hand-carried in a suitcase if need be. The lightest, the 300i, weighs only 15 pounds and is designed primarily to recharge batteries; others in the series are designed to fit a greater range of uses. At the other end of the scale is Skybuilt’s mini alternative energy station-in-a-box. Though not designed for hand carry, it is a seamless, shippable unit that includes solar as well as wind capabilities. The company has a number of military contracts for its product, most recently a $2.1 million contract with the Navy. In both cases there are enormous yet-to-be-tapped markets in outdoor recreation, remote research and commercial activities aside from military applications.
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