The Quest for Inexpensive Wind Power: Part 1
Southern Utah has two abundant sources of renewable energy: sun and wind. We began to tap the sun with our 1 Kw solar array installed a year ago. This year, our goal was to find and install a reasonably-priced wind generator— but that hasn't been easy. Many of the available small wind turbines get terrible reviews from installers. We first checked into Spouthwest Windpower's Skystream 3.7, which would generate about 1,600 watts at a wind speed of 20 mph. The unit itself lists for $5,400 and can be found cheaper.
The cost of a wind generator is far more than the generator itself: tower, wiring, and installation are all expensive. The total cost would have been well over $15K. But we found another pitfall in addition to cost: the Whisper 500 is designed as a grid-tie unit— it includes a built-in inverter that produces 120 volt power. Since we already have an inverter, as well as a 24-volt battery backup, we need 24-volt power. Southwest Wind informed me that the unit may someday be available that way, but not yet.
In searching for an appropriate wind generator, our search led us to eBay, where we found a unit for $360 delivered. It's the Hornet 600, which lists for $450 and claims to generate 200 watts at 20 mph of wind. In comparison, the Whisper 100 does 400 watts at 20 mph and costs $2,200, while Southwest Wind's new Air-X (which wasn't yet available when we made our purchase) generates 100 watts at 20 mph and costs $540. The Hornet 600 definitely qualified as inexpensive. Plus, unlike other units that "autofurl" in strong winds, reducing or eliminating their output, the Hornet is desgned to generate higher output in higher winds— at 80 mph it claims to generate 1,100 watts! Since we often get winds in excess of 30 mph here, that's a bonus.
The next challenge was to get it set up inexpensively. We set a goal of getting the unit operational for under $1,000. The advantage of a small unit is that it requires a smaller tower— and that means we could do much of the work ourselves. We discovered that Southwest Wind offers a kit for their Air series, that's the right size for this unit. We found it at Northern Arizona Sun and Wind for under $250 delivered. The design requires no concrete at all, significantly lowering the cost of installation.
Price-shopping mercilessly, I bought black pipe at the local plumbing supply (cheaper than Home Depot), wire on eBay for half what I could get it locally, and anchors at the local ranch store to avoid shipping costs. I also rented a trencher from Home Depot— using it on Thanksgiving Day which got me the 4-hour rate for 24 hours of use and avoided having to hire someone. Costs were as follows:
| Wind Generator | $360 |
| Pipe for Tower | $148 |
| Tower Kit | $247 |
| 6-gauge wire | $220 |
| Other materials | $96 |
| Trencher Rental | $144 |
| TOTAL | $1,215 |
As you can see, we've already exceeded our $1,000 budget. Plus, we're going to hire our solar installer to connect the unit to our existing system— one small error there could cost us far more in burned out equipment than we spend for his services. The final cost will end up being about $1,450— which at current electric costs will take over 20 years to pay for itself.
The good news is, we're one step closer to self-sufficency, and the unit will also help reduce our CO2 output. And we've learned a valuable lesson: everything costs more, especially in the realm of wind power.
(Photo from Hydrogen Applicances)
Thank you for your post on inexpensive wind power. When making choices about small wind systems, consumers should also consider the following information on Southwest Windpower systems:
The post states “…the Whisper 500 is designed as a grid-tie unit— it includes a built-in inverter that produces 120 volt power.” The Whisper 500 is only available as a battery-charging system, and does not include an inverter. Although the Whisper 500 was briefly offered with a utility-tie option, this option is no longer available. The Skystream 3.7 turbine is designed for utility-connection and includes a built-in inverter.
The post also states “…while Southwest Wind's new Air-X (which wasn't yet available when we made our purchase) generates 100 watts at 20 mph and costs $540.” Air-X has been available since 2001. The new Air Breeze is a further refinement in the line of Air turbines, with quieter operation and higher monthly energy output.
For more information, consumers can also refer to Home Power magazine’s guide, “How to Buy a Wind-Electric System” by Ian Woofenden and Mick Sagrillo in the Dec/Jan 2007 (#122) issue, pages 28-34. Download the article at http://www.homepower.com/article/?file=HP122_pg28_Woofenden
Michael French
Southwest Windpower
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Thanks, Michael. For the record, I meant to refer not to the Whisper 500, but to the Skystream 3.7, which Southwest Wind informed me by telephone is only available as a grid-tie unit. I apologize for the error.
As to the Air-X, I understand the new model is completely redesigned and replaces the old models, which appear to be no longer available.
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This is precisly the sort of help I am looking for when researching ideas on the web. Good job and thanks
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Thanks, Hank. Part 2 will be coming soon-- I'm waiting on the final bill from my installer.
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You were very helpful with this article, wind generators are not common product and evaluating your best option for buying one is pretty difficult.
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