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Turbine Manufacturers (BWP)
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
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
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.
Photos Courtesy of
DOE/NREL.
