Bergey



Bergey Windpower

Bergey Windpower has been in the wind power business since about 1977. They have a reputation of being rugged and reliable units and have been operating in both on and off grid applications in several countries.
It has been said that the Bergey is the “Cadillac” of wind turbines. Over the years there have been several models and sizes produced. The current models in production are the XL.1 and the Excel.

Excel

Bergey Excel wind turbine

The Excel, first appearing in the early 1980's, is available in either a grid tie or battery charging model. It appears the Excel would be a good choice if you need some serious power. Low RPM and heavy, they exude ruggedness.
This turbine has one drawback that we see. It's furling speed is rather high (35 MPH). A lower furling speed would provide less power but it would be subjected to less stress and we would assume a longer life would be the result.

XL.1

Bergey xl.1 wind turbine

The XL.1 is a side furling machine that fits in well in the small turbine market. Available since 2004, it is available only in a 24 volt battery charging model. The rotor diameter is 8.2 feet with pultruded fiberglass blades. The rated output is 1000 watts at 24.6 mph and a rotor speed of 490 rpm, however the furling wind speed is a bit high at 29 mph.
The rectification of AC to DC takes place in the nacelle and two wire DC runs down the tower to the charge controller. The XL.1 features such things as Low-End Boost and Slow mode. The controller also comes with a 30 amp solar control unit built in.

Note

The information provided for this wind turbine(s) is very limited.  We have only posted basic specs and information here.  The "Turbine Reviews" section in "The Ultimate Consumer's Guide To Wind Power" is not comprised of these exact pages.  The ebook does contain thorough, in-depth content, side-by-side comparisons, and our unbiased opinion of each turbine.  


wind power guide ebook

Bergey specifications chart for XL.1 and Excel

Photos Courtesy of DOE/NREL.


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