Small Wind Turbine
Equipment Providers

Important Questions to Ask When Shopping for a Small Wind System

Equipment manufacturers or their dealers should be able to answer the following questions about their products :

  • What is the energy output (measured in kilowatt-hours or kWh – not in kilowatts or kW) of the turbine, over one year, in average wind speeds of 8 to 14 mph?  Is this calculated using real-life ("field") data (preferred), or laboratory / wind tunnel testing?

  • Can you refer me to other customers who have owned [Model X] for a period of time?  (The longer, the better.)

  • What is the warranty length and coverage (industry standard is 5 years)?

  • Has the turbine/tower ever gone through a reliability test?  By whom?  For how long?  What were the results?

  • How long has the company been producing turbines?

  • How long has [Model X] turbine been available to sale to ordinary customers – not in the prototype or beta testing phase?

  • For how long was the prototype tested?  By whom?  In the field or in a laboratory?

  • How many turbines of [Model X] been sold, and for how many years? How many of these are still running?

  • How frequently has [Model X] been redesigned?  What were those changes and how recent were they?

  • What problems have other customers encountered and how have you dealt with them?

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has compiled the following list of U.S. manufacturers and suppliers of wind turbines for use in residential, farm, and commercial/industrial applications. Many have Web sites or are accessible through E-mail links.

The following is a list of turbines that are eligible for financial incentives by the California Energy Commission and/or the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and are AWEA Corporate members (see http://www.powernaturally.com/Programs/Wind/qualified_wind.asp?i=8 and http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/cgi-bin/eligible_smallwind.cg), and/or are determined by AWEA's Small Wind Turbine Committee as commercially available with multiple publicly accessible operational installations in the U.S.:

Manufacturer Models (Rated Capacity)
Abundant Renewable Energy
www.abundantre.com
ARE110 (2.5KW), ARE442 (10KW)
Aerostar
www.aerostarwind.com
Aerostar 6 Meter (10KW)
Aerostar Independence (10-30 kW)
AeroVironment
www.avinc.com
AVX-1000 (1kW system)
Bergey Windpower Co.
www.bergey.com
BWC XL.1 (1 kW),
BWC EXCEL (10 kW)

Cascade Engineering, Inc.
www.swiftwindturbine.com

SWIFT Wind Turbine (1.0 kW)

Endurance Wind Power
www.endurancewindpower.com
E3120 50kW, G3120 35kW, S343 5kW
Energy Maintenance Service
www.energyms.com
E15 (35 kW or 65 kW)
Enertech
www.enertechwind.com
Entegrity Wind Systems
www.entegritywind.com
EW50 (50 kW)
Fortis Wind Energy - U.S.
www.fortiswindenergy.us
Passaat 3.1m (1kW), Montana 5.0m (5kW), Alize 7.0m (10kW), SMA Inverters, SMA Controllers, SMA Web Boxes
Gaia-Wind Ltd
www.gaia-wind.com
11kW
Hummer Wind
www.hummerwind.com
500W, 1kW, 2kW, 5kW, 10kW, 20kW
Mariah Power
www.mariahpower.com
Windspire (1.2 kW)
Northern Power
www.northernpower.com
NPS 100 (100 kW)
Proven Energy, Ltd.
www.provenenergy.co.uk
Proven 2.5 (2.5kW), Proven 6 (6kW), Proven 15 (15kW)
Raum Energy
www.raumenergy.com
Raum 1.5 (1.5kW) Raum 3.5 (3.5 kW)
ReDriven Power, Inc.
www.redriven.net
2kW   5kW   10kW   20kW
Southwest Windpower Co.
www.windenergy.com
AIRX (400 W), Whisper 100
(900 W), Whisper 200 (1 kW), Whisper 500 (3 kW),
Skystream 3.7(1.8 KW)
TechnoSpin Inc.
www.tswind.com
PowerSpin TSW 2000 (2KW), ComSpin C 2000 (2KW)
Urban Green Energy
www.urbangreenenergy.com
UGE-300 (300W rated capacity),
UGE-1K (1kW rated capacity),
UGE-4K (4kW rated capacity)
Ventera Energy, Inc.
www.venteraenergy.com
VT10 (10kW)
WePOWER
www.wepower.us
Falcon
1.2kW   3.4kW   5.5kW   12kW
Windvertiser

West Wind Energy LLC
www.westwindenergyllc.com

Wind Energy Solutions Canada
www.windenergysolutions.ca
WES 5 Tulipo - (5 Metre Rotor Dia. - 2.5 kW), WES 18 - (18 Metre Rotor Dia. - 80 kW), WES 30 - (30 Metre Rotor Dia. - 250 kW)

Wind Turbine Industries Corp.
www.windturbine.net

23-10 Jacobs (10 kW),
31-20 Jacobs (20 kW)


Abundant Renewable Energy

22700 NE Mountain Top Rd.
Newberg, OR 97132
Phone: (503) 538-8298
Fax: (503) 538-8782
E-mail: info@abundantre.com
Web: www.abundantre.com
Contact: Robert Preus

ARE wind generators are as strong as they come. Designed for harsh climates, they are built simply and ruggedly to quietly last. ARE machines have a large swept area to capture more wind and produce more energy, especially in low wind speeds. These machines produce energy in the winds you get, day in and day out……Power when you need it, not just in storms. ARE manufactures the ARE110 (2.5KW), the ARE442 (10KW), as well as a variety of tower types and sizes.

Aerostar, Inc

PO Box 52
Westport Point, MA 02791
Phone: (508) 636-5200
Fax: (503) 636-3192
E-mail: info@aerostarwind.com
Web: www.aerostarwind.com
Contact: Paul L. Gay

AEROSTAR wind turbines utilize induction generators allowing simple direct utility interconnection without the need for an inverter.  The two blade teetering rotor substantially reduces loads on the turbine and tower resulting in a smooth running, efficient and low cost system.  Although the turbine design goes back to the early 1980s, the design incorporates the latest advances in materials and technology.  Advances include variable generator excitation control which substantially improves energy capture at low wind speeds, aerodynamic rotor control to ensure safe operation and acoustic isolation of moving parts for extremely quiet operation.  All systems are available with a color touch screen display, data logging of wind speeds and turbine output and an Ethernet interface so you can monitor your turbine performance from anywhere in the world.

Bergey Windpower Company


2200 Industrial Blvd.
Norman, OK 73069
Phone: (405) 364-4212
Fax: (405) 364-2078
E-mail:
sales@bergey.com
Web:
www.bergey.com
Contact: Steve Wilke

Established in 1977, Bergey Windpower manufactures highly reliable wind energy systems with ratings up to 10 kW. BWC wind turbines have earned a worldwide reputation for ruggedness and reliability and they incorporate some of the most advanced technology in the industry. They are used for on-grid and off-grid applications such as utility bill reduction (homes, farms, and small businesses), telecommunications, and village electrification.  Bergey generators are successfully operating in all types of environments from Alaska to Saudi Arabia, in all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 other countries around the world.  Complete systems, systems components, engineering services, installations and training can be provided.  Bergey turbines are sold and serviced by a network of over 600 dealers.

Cascade Engineering, Inc. - SWIFT Wind Turbine


4855 Thirty-Seventh St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Phone: 866.544.5520
Fax: 616.975.4717

E-mail: info@swiftwindturbine.com
Web: www.swiftwindturbine.com
Contact:  Customer Service 

Cascade Engineering, Inc. is the exclusive distributor for the SWIFT Wind Turbine in North America, as well as the manufacturer of  all SWIFT rotors sold worldwide.  SWIFT provides urban and suburban businesses and homeowners in favorable wind environments an effective, quiet, structure-mounted solution for lowering energy bills and reducing carbon emissions- helping to preserve the environment. The emphasis of the SWIFT design has been focused on safety, reliability, and ease of operation, alongside the high-performance of this innovative system. Mounting brackets and a patented diffuser ring minimize vibration during operation. In addition, the five blade design allows for a slower speed of rotation to further reduce noise and vibration, making the SWIFT Wind Turbine one of the quietest wind systems available.  The SWIFT Wind Turbine operates at 35 dB or less at any wind speed measured at the hub/center of the wind turbine, and the sound is significantly reduced by the outer ring that diffuses the air flow around the rotor. With installations worldwide and five international patents, this design icon has been quietly generating clean energy for homeowners, community groups, and commercial customers for over five years. The SWIFT is a grid-tied, closed-component system mounted on an aluminum mast with a minimum blade-roof clearance of 2 feet. The external inverter, mounted inside the home or building, allows for ease of access by the owner. Built on unique, patented technologies the SWIFT Wind Turbine is the most versatile wind turbine of its kind- silent enough to perch on a home, yet robust enough to secure to a skyscraper.


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Endurance Wind Power


Endurance Wind Power
#107, 19052-26th Avenue
Surrey, BC, V3S 3V7

Phone: 604-579-9463
Email: info@endurancewindpower.com
Web: www.endurancewindpower.com
Contact: Brennen McLean

Endurance Wind Power is a manufacturer of advanced wind turbines designed specifically for distributed wind power applications. With 5kW, 35kW and 50kW models, our line of modern, induction based wind turbines, bring efficient, reliable, safe and quiet, renewable energy within reach of homeowners, businesses and institutions across the continent and beyond. Our North American wide dealer network has been serving their communities for decades and are working in close partnership with Endurance to support our customers from sales consultation, site assessment, permitting and incentives through installation and ongoing support. Together, our team strives to provide Endurance wind turbine owners with the best products and support in the market today.

Energy Maintenance Service, LLC


129 Main Avenue, PO Box 158
Gary, SD 57237
Phone: (888) 449-5732
Fax: (605) 272-5402
Email: info@energyms.com
Web: www.energyms.com

We at EMS leverage our intimate understanding of most all commercial wind turbine systems deployed in North America, new and old, as we develop products designed to enhance or replace these aging technologies and improve asset performance. Our South Dakota based remanufacturing facility and UL Certified panel shop give us complete control over all turbine remanufacturing processes leading to a higher quality finished product.


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Enertech


1800 SE 14th Street
Newton, KS 67114
Phone: (800) 701-2888
Web: www.enertechwind.com
Contact: info@enertechwind.com

For over 30 years, the name Enertech® has been synonymous with wind energy. Hundreds of Enertech turbines were installed in wind farms in the 1980’s, and many are still in service today. Enertech turbines use induction generators that eliminate inverters, and are 100% compatible with your utility. The Enertech E13 is a 40kw turbine available in both single and three phase output. It is ideal for farms, schools, businesses, irrigation and more.


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Entegrity Wind Systems


PO Box 832
Charlottetown, PE C1A 7L9 Canada
Phone: (902)-368-7171
Email: info@entegritywind.com
Web: www.entegritywind.com
Contact: Carmen MacIntyre

Entegrity Wind Systems, Inc. (EWSI) is the manufacturer and distributor of the EW15 wind system, a very reliable 50kW wind turbine, which is particularly suited to wind-hybrid applications in which the power is used directly by the end-user customer. The EW15 is ideal for use by farms, schools, industrial businesses, and municipal waste water treatment facilities in grid tied applications. For remote communities the EW15 can be incorporated into a utility system to provide power to the small villages and towns. The EW15 is a significantly advanced version of the former AOC 15/50. The EW15 can be expected to deliver between 150,000-200,000 kWh per year, depending on the wind regime at the site. The expected useful life of the EW15 is 30 years. EWSI, located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has operated successfully since the current management assumed control of the former Atlantic Orient Corporation in 2002.

Fortis Wind Energy - U.S.


Fortis Wind Energy - U.S.
102 Cherry Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 379-9463 (WIND)
Fax: (607) 277-1277

Web: www.fortiswindenergy.us
Email: info@fortiswindenergy.us
Contact: Alex Hagen

Fortis Wind Energy - U.S. is your source for affordable small wind turbines and SMA wind inverters and controllers. We are the exclusive importer and primary installer of Dutch-made Fortis wind turbines. With over 5,000 installed in the harshest conditions worldwide, the Fortis wind turbine is rapidly becoming a popular choice for homes and businesses in the United States due to outstanding reliability and efficiency.
Contact us today to find out how we can provide a world-class system for your specific needs. From individual components to complete system design and installation, Fortis Wind Energy - U.S. is your single source for harvesting energy from wind.


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Gaia-Wind Ltd


Hillington Park
1 Ainslie Road
Glasgow G52 4RU
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 845-871-4242
Fax: +44 141-585-6301
Web: www.gaia-wind.com

Gaia-Wind manufactures small and efficient wind turbines for private homes, farms, rural areas and light commercial/industrial facilities. Its flagship 11kW model incorporates more than 20 years of Danish wind industry experience and includes features typically only found in utility-scale equipment: direct grid connection, triple safety system, constant rotor speed, passive stall, gearbox, tip brakes, amongst others. There are over 180 worldwide installations with more than 1,000 years of combined operational history. Gaia-Wind is also the only small wind turbine to have received the coveted Danish HB certification. The firm is headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland but retains its manufacturing facilities in Arhus, Denmark.

Hummer Wind Power, LLC


PO Box 10599
Fort Wayne, IN 46853
Phone (800)980-5440 ext 4
Fax (260)456-1912
E-mail: info@hummerwind.com
Web: www.hummerwind.com
Contact: Peter Stefanos

Hummer Wind Power is the exclusive selling agent representative in North America for Anhui Hummer Dynamo, Ltd. wind turbines. Hummer wind turbines utilize the latest in Direct Drive Permanent Magnet generator technology. With over 40 years of generator fabrication experience and seven international patents on their wind turbines and electronics, Hummer wind turbines are truly the wind turbine of the future. Slow start-up speeds, high outputs and low maintenance are what separates us from the competition. We offer many different wind turbine sizes and options through our network of dealers. Hummer wind turbines are in operation on every continent and over 70 countries including the US.

Mariah Power


5450 Louie Lane
Reno, NV 89511
Phone: 775-857-4888
Fax: 775-201-0269
Email: sales@mariahpower.com
Web: www.mariahpower.com, www.windspire.info

Mariah Power manufactures the Windspire® wind turbine, an affordable, attractive, and silent 1.2 kW vertical axis wind power appliance. Standing only 30 feet tall, the sleek design is well-suited to residential, business, and many other applications. Independently-tested and UL-certified, the Windspire features a fully-integrated design, including a high-efficiency generator, integrated inverter, wireless performance monitor, and tilt-up monopole. The Windspire is made in the USA ( Michigan ), and is available through dealers. Mariah Power has its headquarters and R&D in Reno, Nevada sells throughout the US as well as internationally.

Northern Power


29 Pitman Road
Barre, Vermont 05641
Phone: 802-461-2955
Email: info@northernpower.com
Web: www.northernpower.com
Contact: Maureen McCracken

Northern Power has been a leader in wind power technology for over 30 years, and continues to set the standard for advanced technology and high reliability in wind power. The company's Northwind100 turbine is sized specifically for schools/universities, commercial farms, municipalities, business campuses, and other similar distributed power applications. The Northwind100 utilizes gearless, direct drive architecture and a permanent magnet generator to provide best-in-class energy capture and extremely low maintenance.

Proven Energy Ltd

The Torus Building
Rankine Avenue
Scottish Enterprise Technology Park
East Kilbride
G75 0QF
Scotland, UK
Phone: +44 (0) 1355 597 000
Email: eric.lovely@provenenergy.com
Web: www.provenenergy.co.uk
Contact: Eric Lovely

Proven Energy have built a global reputation for manufacturing the most reliable, robust and highly accredited small scale wind turbines in the world. Our three models, the 3.2kW, 6kW and 15kW turbines are the result of almost 30 years of inspiration, innovation and development. We have over 2,000 units installed across 60 countries that cover every continent and in the most extreme conditions.

 Raum Energy


Raum Energy Inc.
3718A Millar Ave
Saskatoon, SK S7P 0B1
Canada
Toll Free: (877) 946-3979
Main Ph: (306) 651-0586
Sales Ph: (306) 651-1476
Fax: (306) 651-0605
Web – www.raumenergy.com
Email - sales@raumenergy.com

Raum Energy provides the complete wind energy system - turbine, tower, grid-tie inverter or battery charger. We are focused on developing and manufacturing highly robust and reliable wind turbines and grid-tie inverters with no scheduled maintenance.

Raum manufactures a 1.5kW and 3.5kW wind turbine systems that were designed in-house in Canada.

Raum Energy has developed a wind turbine that is designed to operate in just about any climate with no scheduled maintenance. How do we manage to do this? It's simple... literally. Raum's wind turbine's are a direct-drive, gearless, brushless design which allows continued performance in an extremely wide range of conditions with no scheduled maintenance.



ReDriven Power

ReDriven Power Inc.
24A Bath Road
Iroquois, Ontario K0E 1K0
Phone: (866) 330-0007
Fax: (613) 652-1903
E-mail:
sales@ReDriven.ca
Web:www.redriven.net
Contact: Rob Poulin

ReDriven Power Inc. is the manufacturer and distributor of the ReDriven 2, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kW wind systems. These very reliable active yaw wind turbines are internet connected to monitor power production and the health of the turbine in real time.  With hydraulic towers at 60’, 80’, 100’ and 120’, the systems require no crane for installation or maintenance.  The turbines have one of the lowest wind cut-in speeds in the industry at 4.4 mph, are very quiet and have 8 levels of safety including 2 active brakes.  All ReDriven units are ideal for use by farms, cottages, ranches, rural homes, small schools, small industrial businesses, and other facilities in grid tied applications. The expected useful life of the all ReDriven products is 25 years.  ReDriven, located in Iroquois, Ontario Canada, has a growing 150+ worldwide dealer network.

 Southwest Windpower


1801 W. Route 66
Flagstaff , AZ 86001
Phone: (928) 779-9463
Fax: (928) 779-1485
E-mail: andy@windenergy.com
Web: www.windenergy.com , www.skystreamenergy.com
Contact: Andrew Kruse

Southwest Windpower is a 20-year old company has been a pioneer in the development of wind technology and has produced over 90,000 generators that provide power to residential homes, remote cabins, telecom transmitters, offshore platforms, water pumping and sailboats.

Southwest Windpower produces SkystreamTM, Air and Whisper turbines to meet a variety of residential and industrial needs.

Small Wind has never been so easy. Announcing the Skystream 3.7 residential power appliance. It’s the first compact, utility-connected, all-inclusive wind generator designed to provide inexpensive, quiet, clean electricity to reduce or eliminate your home’s monthly energy bill.

TechnoSpin Inc.

601 W 26th St
New York NY 10001-1129
Phone: (212) 751-8336
Fax: (212) 656-1444
E-mail: sales@tswind.com
Web: www.tswind.com
Contact: Mark Segal

TechnoSpin develops and manufactures revolutionary small wind energy systems. Our cutting edge blade technology and in-house expertise allows us to offer cost-efficient and easily customized wind power solutions to fulfill consumer, business and industrial needs at grid-connected and off-grid locations worldwide.

The turbine (with rotor diameter of 9.84ft) produces between 2,000 and 12,000 kWh per year in average winds of 9 and 25mph, respectively.  Key product advantages include: quiet enough to have a conversation at its base while the turbine is at full operating speed; negligible vibration; light weight and low load; and easy installation.

TechnoSpin wind turbines offer solutions for residential commercial use, street and highway lighting, security control systems, and many other applications. Our turbines are especially suitable for roof-top and telecom tower installation.

Urban Green Energy

Urban Green Energy
160 W End Ave Suite 12J
New York, NY 10023
Phone: (917) 512-9777
Fax: (917) 536-9957
Email: info@urbangreenenergy.com
Web: www.urbangreenenergy.com
Contact: Customer service

Urban Green Energy is a leader in vertical axis wind turbine technology. Our 2nd Generation VAWT product line is available in various sizes, both off-grid and grid-tie configurations and for US and European standards. We provide high performance, high quality, and attractive products to our customers and distributors around the world and look forward to helping you solve your energy needs. UGE - Sustainable Products for a Sustainable Future

Ventera Energy

Ventera Energy Inc.
6100 Waseca St
Duluth, MN 55807
Phone: (218) 624-4040
Email: mumpierre@venteraenergy.com
Web: www.venteraenergy.com
Contact: Manny Umpierre

Ventera Energy Inc. is the maker of the new VT10, a 10kW, Grid Tied Wind Turbine manufactured in Duluth, MN.  The VT10 produces enough energy to completely eliminate the need to buy electricity for a typical farmhouse, producing between 1,000 to 2,000 kilowatt-hours per month with a good wind resource.  This cutting edge system is the product of more than 30 years experience in the small wind industry.  The VT10 uses the first ever dual wind and solar input, dual peak power tracking Synchronous Inverter capable of creating a 12 kW Hybrid system.  The patented governing mechanism protecting the VT10 in high winds not only allows it to survive wind speeds of more than 100 mph but (unlike competitors) to continue producing at near peak levels while doing so.   The VT10 uses a freestanding, tilt down tower with a total footprint of only 5 to 13 feet.   Not using guy wires radically reduces the amount of land needed, and the dangerous job of  having to climb the tower is completely eliminated.  The direct drive design drastically reduces preventative maintenance by using very few moving parts, with sealed bearings throughout and no gearbox to lubricate.  Rather than every 6 months as on many systems, preventative maintenance on the VT10 is once every 3 to 5 years.

 WePOWER

32 Journey, Suite 250
Aliso Viejo, CA  92656
Phone:  (866) 385-WIND (9463)
Fax:  (800) 291-7239
E-mail:  sales@wepower.us
Web:  www.wepower.us
Contact:  Howard Makler

WePOWER is a leading manufacturer and developer of small wind energy systems globally, specializing in Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.

WePOWER's Wind Turbines operate in both low and high winds, and can be used in urban, suburban and rural environments, delivering clean energy to residential, commercial, industrial and government applications. With few moving parts, WePOWER's patented airfoil design is virtually vibration-, noise-, and maintenance-free, providing best-in-class products and solutions.

Our family of Wind Turbines includes our Falcon line, with available sizes including: 1.2kW, 3.4kW, 5.5kW and 12kW, all certified by the California Energy Commission.

Our patented Windvertiser™ line features a method to display moving images on wind turbines including eco-graphics, corporate images and even logos to promote a Green Halo™ which visually communicates your commitment to help the environment.

West Wind Energy LLC

West Wind Energy LLC
405 N Main – PO Box 325
Otis, Ks 67565
Phone – 785-387-2626
Fax – 785-387-2623
Email – sales@westwindenergyllc.com
Website – www.westwindenergyllc.com
Contact - Dr. Scott Brantley - CEO

West Wind Energy LLC is the distributor of nationally known turbines such as Micon, Nordtank, Vestas and Bergey. The turbines range in size 1 kW to 1 MW. West Wind Energy supplies both new and refurbished turbines. We handle site analysis, financing, installation, operation and maintenance. Located in the center of Kansas West Wind Energy is able to reach out to customers across the United States. In 2010, West Wind will begin manufacturing new 20 kW to 200 kW wind turbines.

 Wind Energy Solutions (WES) Canada

2952 Thompson Road,
Ontario, Canada
Phone: 905-957-8791
Fax: 905-957-8789

E-mail: k.baigent@windenergysolutions.ca
Web: www.windenergysolutions.ca
Contact: Ken Baigent

 Wind Turbine Industries Corporation

16801 Industrial Circle, SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Phone: (952) 447-6064
Fax: (952) 447-6050
E-mail: wtic@windturbine.net
Web: www.windturbine.net
President: Archie J. Pavek
Manager: Steve T. Turek

The exclusive manufacturer of the Jacobs® wind energy systems since 1986, the wind plants range in size from 10kW to 20kW, with rotor sizes ranging from 23 ft. (7 m) to 29 ft. (8.8 m). These systems can provide power for a broad range of applications, which include Grid Intertie (utility bill reduction) or Hybrid battery charging (remote battery charging). The Jacobs® wind energy systems have over 70 years of history providing clean, quality, reliable and efficient power in the USA and around the world.

 


Source: American Wind Energy Association

Adapted from the June/July 2009 issue of Home Power Magazine, www.homepower.com, 800-707-6585

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