JUST A WHISPER!

After the explosion of our precious little Air-X, we got the opportunity to get a new “Whisper 100” wind turbine. The company we had purchased the Air-X from, knew what had been happening and on several occasions apologized for the thing even though it was not in the least bit their fault (see: "Disaster"). As it happened, they were being given a rather large credit from Southwest Windpower and they wanted to provide us with a better turbine. We were very grateful for the new unit and set about getting it up and flying.

I had to extend the tower up a few feet to allow for the longer blades of the new turbine. We installed the controller for the turbine near the batteries as this was a direct connection from the turbine to the battery bank. Connecting this unit did not go through the main system charge controller. The Whisper 100 utilizes a controller that also has a built in “element” (basically just an electric heater) to allow for the using up of excess electricity to prevent damage to the system as a result of overcharging.

One of the best features of the Whisper 100 is that it is a “furling” turbine. This means that in high winds, the turbine is pushed over to varying degrees (depending on the force of the wind) which pushes the tail away from the wind which in turn faces the unit out of the wind while still allowing it to produce full power. What it looks like is that it is partially lying over on its back with the tail not straight anymore but at a fairly extreme angle.

After our experience with the Air-X and the fact that it was made by the same company – we were a little skeptical.

I decided that if we had a big storm coming I would lower the tower to prevent damage to this new turbine; so when the first big storm began its decent toward our place, down the tower came. Right after the storm passed, back up it went. The trouble is that we get so many storms during the summer, lowering the turbine would keep me very busy.

Frequently on the plains of eastern Colorado, we get fairly intense storms. They usually pass quickly but can pack a good punch when they come through. One day I wasn’t able to get the turbine lowered in time which made me pretty nervous, since the last one had blown apart and we really didn’t want the new one to suffer the same fate.

The Furious Challenge of the Storm -

The storm began its final approach as the huge, dark clouds swirled and the hard winds blew it over the top of us. The wind slammed into the tower and we held our breath, then watched with wide eyed wonder as this tough machine laid itself back, calmly turned itself out of the wind, and cranked up the power! What an amazing sight to see! As the storm continued to do its best to punish the turbine simply for existing, this machine showed the storm what it was made of. It stood there taking everything that the storm could throw at it and simply – Whispered.

That’s right, NO freight train, no screaming, and almost no sound at all. The quiet hiss of the blades was all you could hear, and nothing from inside the house.

The storm passed, the dark skies cleared, and the Whisper stood itself up once again and continued on with the task for which it was built. I realized that this turbine was not going to give up. It still stands today 10 years from when we first flew it, tall and proud, staunchly defying the wind as it continues to give us everything it’s got.

We did finally bring it down to have it rebuilt - however, within a short time it was back up and flying with its usual vigor. I have passed by other properties with other turbines and have seen them in various stages of destruction. My heart goes out to them as we know what it means to invest in something that you really need, only to have things beyond your control completely destroy the investment that was supposed to bring you some peace of mind.

The Whisper 100 has been, for us, a true work horse that has given us that peace of mind. We know of course that nothing is completely indestructible but this turbine has proven itself over and over again. Other than the rebuild we had done, all we have to do is some periodic inspections of the turbine and tower that include the welds, wires, and cabling. We wire brush and repaint the welds as needed but that’s about it. We have been more than happy with the Whisper 100 and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Although Southwest Wind power has closed its doors, the Whisper 100 is still being built by another company that bought the rights to it. You can find this machine through McDonald Solar and Wind located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Here is a link to their site.
http://mcdonaldsolarandwind.com/
*I do not receive any form of compensation from McDonald Solar and Wind for promoting their business.

For a great article on the history of wind turbines see:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/oct/17/wind-power-renewable-energy

Next: "Building Our Tower"