Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

f5f9
f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
in Wind Power Generation #1
Hello.

First post here.

Contemplating installing a Bergey Excel-R 7.5kW turbine.

Has anyone had any positive or negative comments on the quality of the turbine or the company, etc?

Looking at a 120ft tower. The location is off-grid.

All comments, questions and/or silly remarks are welcome :)

PLEASE state clearly in the beginning of your post if you are a DEALER, INSTALLER and/or ANYONE that has or can benefit financially directly or indirectly from your post. This includes but is not limited to Bergey or other wind turbine manufacturer's management, supervisors, employees, family members &/or any affiliate, distributor or representative, etc, etc, etc.

Thanks!

p.s. Having directly dealt with SWWP management and one of their products, I'd like to say they stink....BAD! I hope to not repeat that mistake. Oh... did I mention they stink.
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Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    the general consensus here is that for the costs involved, power produced, and reliability that solar may be the better buy.

    yes we know swwp stinks.
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  • peterako
    peterako Solar Expert Posts: 144 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    Close by my house there are two installed the owner is happy, the installation is by the greek dealer.
    I personal do not have the money but it is a good setup.

    Greetings from greece8)
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #4
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    Glad to see you are looking at a tall tower--will help a lot...

    My two cents--how are you planning on servicing the turbine? Climbing the tower, bucket, jib crane on tower, etc.?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • f5f9
    f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    neil, BB, peterako.......
    Thank you for the replies! I hope I hear more from others.


    peterako:
    As for the Bergey turbines in Greece..... Please let me know if I can contact them. Private message me if they are willing to chat about them. I will skype them if they are interested or e-mail them... whatever they are comfortable with.


    BB:
    The initial installation will be by crane if I go forward with the project. If so, I will go with a climbable guyed lattice tower with a safety climbing wire. There are several Bergey reps to choose from in the vicinity that will climb it for check ups. I'm guessing with a harness I could take one of the climbs myself to keep connected/in-touch with the turbine, but am unsure if I'll do that.

    I've been told by folks that would benefit from me having the Bergey put up.............. The Excel turbine is a minimal maintenance machine and very reliable as compared to others. If I recall correctly they said about two check-ups a year looking at tower, bolts, noises, blades... basic stuff, etc. No yearly greasing. Probably need blade tape every several years to reduce wear on the leading edge. Nothing else.

    What was interesting to see that it didn't need a rebuild like was suggested by another mfr I was interested in..Kestrel. A Kestrel rep/salesman said that their turbines may need re-building for some or most moving parts after "X" number of years (5-yrs???) based on my area and the winds I told them we get. When I asked a dealer how much for that... the e-mail replies stopped.


    FWIW....
    I live in southern Colorado. I get a lot of great sun and a good deal of wind... even when it is sunny.

    I have a Magnum 48 volt inverter and 24 DEKA L-16 batteries that are about 1.5 years old. I assume I will get 5 years out of the DEKAs if I keep an eye on them, but I only have 6 Solarworld 175w panels hooked up via an MX60 to feed them. They get 2-hrs of generator power every week while I fill the cistern.

    The other 6 Photowatt (inherited)100w panels are hooked up as a 24v array into a TS-45, but are disconnected from each other. I have no idea how to rewire the J-boxes to get a 48v system. That company will not respond to my e-mail requests. These older panels would be nice, but they do seem a bit weak in collecting light in comparison to my Solarworld panels and am unsure how much they would help if they were hooked up.... but I digress.

    In the end, it appears my setup needs help in the winter like many other off-grid apps. I have about 50 volts in the morning left. I assume my power consumption will go up as time goes on; thus, the turbine idea. I have a cheap gas generator I hope not to have to replace soon, but ya know how that goes. Played the powerball tonight hoping to win a few zillions for the cause.


    So anyone else have anything on Bergey &/or their Excel-R?

    I'm still trying to figure out if I should just add more PV and bigger batteries later or put up the turbine?????


    Anyone.... Anyone... Bueller? Bueller? <g>


    Sorry so long winded.
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    Watt for watt solar is now lower cost than wind when you add the tower and everything is on the ground should you ever need to do maintenance.
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback
    Solar Guppy wrote: »
    Watt for watt solar is now lower cost than wind when you add the tower and everything is on the ground should you ever need to do maintenance.

    Unless your solar resources suck and your wind resources are plentiful.

    boB
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  • f5f9
    f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback
    boB wrote: »
    Unless your solar resources suck and your wind resources are plentiful.

    boB


    Got a good deal of both and want to make sure I really really really look at this before I install.

    I primarily want a back up source for night. Something to offset the furnace blower, etc in the winter. I also know my power needs are going to go up and I'm behind the power curve now for night time use/storage.

    I can either invest in a better primary diesel generator, more PV and bigger batteries or go with the turbine --and do the other over time... or even in reverse order. Funds are limited like most folks; so, it aint gonna happen all at once.

    The wind thing really seems to interest me and I don't know why. Maybe because it spins and is shiny shiny... hey stop tipping my drool cup. :cry:

    Does anyone know anyone that has a Bergey Excel-R or even Excel-S turbine that I can contact to get a non-dealer/installer's input?

    If you are an installer and have an opinion I'd like to hear it as well.

    Cheers :D
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    I would get in touch with Logan Bryce at www.pineridgeproducts.com in Montana.
    Logan has evaluated many Bergeys and has an XL 10KW and XL.1 1KW turbine running now. There are many people out there with these but Logan's a very good resource. From what I have seen, Bergeys are one of the best turbines out there.

    boB
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    "Got a good deal of both and want to make sure I really really really look at this before I install."

    That said, if it were me, as Solar Guppy has suggested, with the current low price of PV I would add more watts of PV long before I added watts of wind.

    It just seems to me that small scale wind suffers from a odd Hobson's choice. If you have enough to be useful net/net you have too much such that your hardware suffers short life.

    On the other hand, if you have low enough winds to make your hardware last a reasonable life, you don't have enough wind to warrant the costs to install it.

    Just my opinion.

    Tony
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    FYI... Mike Bergey from Bergey Windpower Company will be on NPR Science Friday tomorrow. 4-9-2010

    boB
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  • f5f9
    f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #12
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    Thanks for the feedback folks!

    I'll try calling a few people today.

    From what I have already, the cost to install it... out the door should be around $20k to $25k.

    That could be a new bank of big Surrettes or forklift batteries and some good panels. Still going to research it all before I go any further.

    FWIW and if it helps....
    I'm not home now, but from what I recall, my setup now has:

    * 6 Solarworld 175 w panels sent to/thru a FlEXmax 60 controller
    * 6 Photowatt 100w panels sent to/thru a Morningstar TriStar TS-45 controller (panels came w/the house with no literature)
    * 24 DEKA L-16 batteries about 1.5 years old.
    * Magnum MS4448AE (just installed... needed if we install the turbine)
    * Generac mobile generator (needs to be replaced soon I would guess... It's dirty power, but has lots of power.... 17.5kW continuous/26kW surge)

    Thanks again!
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  • f5f9
    f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #13
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    Update.......

    No replies yet from my inquiries.
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  • WisJim
    WisJim Solar Expert Posts: 59 ✭✭✭
    #14
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    The generator itself might cost $25,000, but the tower is almost that much (120 foot self-supporting tower is what I would want) and installation might be more than you would guess. In Wisconsin, we figure about $75,000 installed for a grid tied 10kw machine, and a 7.5kw isn't much cheaper. Maybe $5000 less if it is a guyed tower. A wind generator can produce a lot more power per dollar than PVs in the right site, but that is the secret, figuring out if you site is actually windy enough. I would seldom recommend a tower under 120 in height.
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  • f5f9
    f5f9 Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #15
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback
    WisJim wrote: »
    The generator itself might cost $25,000, but the tower is almost that much (120 foot self-supporting tower is what I would want) and installation might be more than you would guess. In Wisconsin, we figure about $75,000 installed for a grid tied 10kw machine, and a 7.5kw isn't much cheaper. Maybe $5000 less if it is a guyed tower. A wind generator can produce a lot more power per dollar than PVs in the right site, but that is the secret, figuring out if you site is actually windy enough. I would seldom recommend a tower under 120 in height.


    Thanks for your input.

    Ya... pretty pricey indeed.

    Front passed through last nigh. Typical of my winter storms minus the cold and snow. Winds about 30 miles away had a peak gust of 27mph while the best I saw from my little wx station was a peak gust of 45 last night. 10 minute averages were all in the 20s to mid 30s. Guessing on cloudy days in the winter without a storm, the averages would be around 8 to 18 with gusts into the low 20s. Some storms have had gusts into the 60s and 70s.... enough to make my little log cabin shudder.

    So... just like buying a house... location, location, location. I hope to have my data logger up by the end of the week. I guess the flip to that coin is the wind too erratic...?

    Do you or have you installed these machines?
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  • 65DegN
    65DegN Solar Expert Posts: 109 ✭✭
    #16
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    I installed a Bergey XL.1 near the mouth of the Kasilof River that empties into Cook Inlet in Alaska.
    We put it on a 100' Bergey tower. The tower is light 10 gauge galvanized steel pipe or tubing with a 4.5" diameter.
    The strength is derived from the tubing diameter not the wall thickness.
    Because of its light weight it tilts up and down using a small boat sized worm gear winch driven by a 1/2" drill.
    The machine has been up for about 10 months and has been running great.
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  • AFWnS
    AFWnS Solar Expert Posts: 13 ✭
    #17
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    New Guy: Notice you have the six Photowatts 100s, I have 4 Photowatts 100 hooked to my Bergey XL-1 power controller, would you be interested in selling the six, I want to max out the Bergey power controller (1,000W). (Photowatt in Albuquerque went belly up). You can email me direct at cfadams09@gmail.com. It is difficult to find PVs that will match the Photowatts electrically. Good Luck
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  • jacobs
    jacobs Solar Expert Posts: 72 ✭✭
    #18
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    I don't know if you experience high gusty winds in southern Colorado but if they are anything like they are in northern Colorado, forget wind. I fought with trying to keep a wind generator up and running for 20 years and finally gave up and installed more PV's. High gusty winds are extremely hard on wind generators. They can be kept running but beware of the high maintenance and cost which almost always occurs during the winter and the low wind during the summer. Bottom line, good average wind speed, poor wind site. Be careful.
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  • AFWnS
    AFWnS Solar Expert Posts: 13 ✭
    #19
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    If you ever want to sell those Photowatt panels, let me know. I have others I want to match to.
    cfadams09@gmail.com Rio Ranccho, NM
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #20
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback
    AFWnS wrote: »
    If you ever want to sell those Photowatt panels, let me know. I have others I want to match to.
    cfadams09@gmail.com Rio Ranccho, NM

    last time jacobs was here was oct of 2011 so he may not see your post.
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  • 65DegN
    65DegN Solar Expert Posts: 109 ✭✭
    #21
    Re: Any Bergey Excel R 7.5kW feedback

    People have a tendency to overestimate their wind resource. So make sure you have as much as you think you have. Maybe there are some people with grid connected machines (on real towers not short poles) that can tell you what their yearly output is.
    Some off grid machines also have KWH meters on the regulators too.
    Every place gets wind storms! But storms are typically the exception and not the norm unless you live somewhere like the Aleutian Chain where they have a 35 MPH average wind speed.
    A Bergey 7.5 KW costs about $75K for the complete install. When one considers that this would buy about a 40KW solar array it makes wind power questionable.
    The tough part is regulating that 40 KW into a reasonable sized battery bank that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
    With the Bergey 7.5 KW they recommend a mninimum of 85 KWH battery bank @ 48 V which costs about $20K. Keeping in mind that this is a reoccurring cost.
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