Safest Small Wind Turbine in the World

Workingwindmills.com is proud to introduce the Endurance Electric Wind Turbine which was designed by 3 world renowned wind energy engineers who set out to create a turbine that had all the features of a Large Wind Turbine but the affordability and production capacity of a Small Wind Turbine.

Among these engineers are David Laino, PHD in Aeronautical Engineering, Dean Davis, Masters in Mechanical Engineering who have been testing and designing small and large wind turbines for decades. They successfully the Endurance S-250 – A SAFE, RELIABLE, QUIET and EFFICIENT turbine for today’s changing market needs.

The US National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado have been testing one of the Endurance models for over 18 months and have approved it for certification in all states that have requested prove of testing. The most stringent of which is New York’s NYSERDA rebate program. Other states that have approved the Endurance are California, Vermont, Iowa, Massachusetts, Wisconsin. No state has rejected approval of the Endurance.

As a matter of fact the Endurance is living up to its name – one of their customer’s and dealers sent us a note just a few days ago stating that the Endurance not only survived Hurricane NOEL but it produced over 54 KWH in as short a time period as 18 hours. IF this was not impressive enough the customer noted that he could not even hear the Wind Turbine. It has been designed to be quieter than the breeze through trees.

The Endurance S-250 is produced in North America and built with Long lasting and proven parts sourced through American Manufacturers. Its product life expectancy is 40 – 50 years giving customers an opportunity to buy an electric wind turbine that can produce power for most of their life.

Endurance Wind Power is committed to helping North Americans produce their own power so that they can safe guard their way of life.

Visit the endurance wind power site and learn more about the Endurance Wind Turbine S-250 – North America’s only small wind turbine that has been designed and built with all the large wind turbine Safety, Noise and Performance Standards.

• Dual Brake Fault Tolerant Brake Systems for Fail SAFE Breaking of wind turbine
• Proprietary Blade Design and Constant Rotor Speed to improve performance and ensure quiet operation (production of power is produced in between an impressive low rotor speed of 200-206 RPM) – quieter than any other small wind turbine – quieter the breeze through trees.
• Reliability – built with top quality American parts to last 40-50 Years
• On-Grid – Just Plug it in to the Grid – Induction Generator – increasing reliability and performance – no power conversion necessary for the Endurance produces power at Grid compatible frequencies.

At the Endurance Test Facility in Spanish Fork, the Endurance S-250 set new records for power production over the last 24 hours. The two Endurance S-250 wind turbines produced nearly 200kWh of electricity. The previous record was set by one of our customers in Iowa, Jeff Matt, who had a record production of 89kWh in a single 24-hour period for a single turbine.

The Endurance design makes this tremendous power production possible for the following reasons:

1. Because our power curve comes up and flattens out (stall control) at the higher wind speeds, we continue to generate near rated power even during very windy periods. All other small wind turbines are furling turbines and will have a power curve that drops drastically at the higher wind speeds (you will see this when you look at power curves that are published), making these other small wind turbines unable to capitalize on really windy periods. They also tend to get pushed to fully furled in a gust but then will stay fully furled even as the wind drops.

2. Often, rated power (for other small wind turbines) represents some type of peak or instantaneous value, and it will never equate out to energy. If you use our rated power range of 4.5-5kW and multiply by 24 hours you can see that theoretically we could do 108 kWh/day. The fact that we did 100 kWh/day represents that the 4.5-5kW rating is real.

3. The Endurance wind turbine produces grid compatible energy right at the turbine and we are not converting DC generated energy to AC. Therefore, when we note 100 kWh, this is recorded for actual numbers back-fed onto the utility meter not off the turbine. Other small wind turbines produce DC energy and have a permanent magnet generator that needs an inverter to convert the DC energy to AC for the grid. This conversion process will reduce actual grid compatible energy anywhere from 15-25%.

4. As rare as it might be in our Spanish Fork test site location for the wind to persist all day, for our customers in the Midwestern states that have continuous winds all day, especially during storm seasons, these customers should expect to see big production days like this.

So how windy was it? The average wind speed was 14.6m/s (33 mph) with a peak wind speed of 24m/s (54 mph).

One of Endurance’s customers in Iowa had a record production day, producing 89KWH in less than a 24hr period. Over a month, providing the winds remained constant, that would translate to 2670KWH. Although the probability of the winds persisting is negligible, it does confirm that the Endurance produces some incredible energy production numbers.

Better yet, at our test facility in Spanish Fork on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, the Endurance S-250 Wind Turbine produced 100KWH in less than 24 hours. The average hub height wind speed was 33mph with a peak of 54mph. This would translate into 3000 KWH of power generated in one month – if winds remained the same for a 30 day period.

To give you an idea of the power production of the Endurance – an average North American Home consumes approximately 20-30KWH/day. So, a power production of 100KWH could essentially run between 4-5 average-sized American homes.

Can you get more energy production from a taller tower?

The answer is absolutely. The higher the better. Indeed, the height of the tower is a critical component of energy production. We have also designed our towers to be tiltable for easy installation and servicing.

When measuring Energy Capture there are a lot of considerations that one must take into account. Listed below is an example of how to calculate Energy Capture:

One of our customers in Texas is assuming he has an average wind speed of 9.81mph.

Let us also assume the following:

• Elevation is 1,000ft above sea level.
• Average temperature is 15°C.
• Distribution is Rayleigh (Weibull k of 2.0).

Taking the wind speed and running a shear exponent of 0.14 and a tower height of 105ft, we can calculate that 575 kWh/mo would be the expected energy capture for this customer.

Just by increasing the tower height to 126ft, this customer would receive almost 8% more energy – 619 kWh/mo.

If we assume the customer’s terrain is a little more cluttered (trees, hedges,a few buildings), we now have a shear value of 0.29, and on the 126ft tower the customer would now get 1,013 kWh/mo.

If we take the above, but use the 105ft tower, then we would expect 903kWh/mo.

Over 10% more energy capture on the taller tower.

For more information on expected energy capture, please contact us and one of our engineers will help determine this for you in your area.

To demonstrate the size of the Endurance Wind Turbine, this installation shows how large the Turbine is relative to the people setting it up. When viewed in photos without a common element for scale, the Turbines can appear smaller than they actually are. As you can see, these Turbines are large enough to handle what nature throws at it and strong enough to generate the power you are looking for.

Size is an important consideration when determining location on your property and the Turbine tower height.

The Endurance S-250 Electric Wind Turbine lived up to its name last week in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. where Hurricane Noel knocked on its door. With literally hurricane force winds the Endurance produced maximum power.

In less than a 20 hour period The Endurance was clocked at producing 54KWH of power. This translates into the average power consumption of 3 American households. Gary Harcourt, the owner of the Endurance, was so pleased that he contacted the company to let them know he has already sold 3 more in his area due to this show of durability and safety.

The Endurance is one of the safest and quietest small wind turbines on the market. It has fault tolerant and fail safe breaking systems inherent in the design and its constant rotor speeds and patented blade design makes it one of the quietest wind turbines available. Its noise level is equal or less than the breeze through trees.

Mr. Harcourt’s Endurance Wind Turbine is installed on a 84 FT custom designed tiltable tower, which every Endurance Wind Turbine comes with. The option customers have is a 63 FT, 84 FT , 105 FT, and 126 FT tower. These towers come bundled with each Endurance Wind Turbine package.

In Mass. the Endurance is entitled to $11,000 US Gov’t Rebate due to is eligibility and certification within that state. The Endurance is certified in most states and provinces that have rebate programs.

North Americans are the largest consumers of energy in the world, and the biggest contributers to C0₂ gas emissions. We all can have an impact on the environment and the health of our planet. Small acts that are done together can have a huge impact on our environment and will help reduce our carbon footprints.

Here are a few ideas:

• Switch your thermostats 2 degrees, either hotter in warm climates or cooler in colder climates. This reduces your energy consumption by 2-3%.

• Switch as many light bulbs in your home to compact florescent ones. If everyone in North America switched just one light bulb, it would save over $1 billion per/yr in energy.
• Ensure that your tires are inflated to the right levels. Fuel efficiency is directly related to under-inflated tires. Tires that are 10% under-inflated reduces fuel efficiency by 2-3%.
• Change your shower heads to low flow ones. They can save over 50% of the water consumed in every shower and 2-3% of your energy consumption.
• Conserve fresh clean water by using low flow toilet plugs – they use 2 gallons instead of 4 gallons every time you flush your toilet. This is a simple change to your flush plug.
• Front loading washers use about 50% less water and 50% less energy.
• Produce your own power, whether that be wind power or solar power.

North Americans need to start thinking about how we can become part of a distributed power generation link to our power grid. Consuming the energy that we produce and giving back to the power grid any surplus.

We need to act now for ourselves and for our children. This not only helps save our planet for their future, but it also teaches the next generation how to care for Mother Earth.

• Try to use transportation modes such as biking or walking when taking the kids to school or sports.

• Be careful of the toys you buy your children – make sure they are not made with harmful PVCs which can give off harmful toxins.
• Teach them about conservation – less is more – whether that be food, clothes or toys.
• Say no to chemical ridden foods and teach your children about health and wellness. Try to buy organic foods when available.
• Avoid smoke and smoggy environments. If you smoke, try to quit for the sake of your health and the health of your children.
• Recycle when and where possible. Try composting vegetables and other foods, and recycle your bottles, cans, paper, magazines, plastics, bottles and anything else you can. Save your bottles and bring them to the bottle refund store. Give your kids the money refunded for the bottles.
• Look at alternative energy sources and teach them about renewable energy.
• Encourage local schools and governments to adopt energy conservation programs and invest in renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar power.

Endurance Wind Power has a special program for schools and local governments to help them adopt wind power programs where wind resources are favorable.

Focus on Energy approves up to 25% rebate for Endurance S-250.

Focus on Energy is a Wisconsin State sponsored organization that is in partnership with other innovative organizations to help Wisconsin:

• Lower living and operational costs.
• Increase energy reliability.
• Improve energy efficiency.
• Lower carbon footprints and reduce the need for fossil fuels.
• Improve the economy.
• Improve environmental health.

Focus on Energy helps residential home owners, farmers and other businesses find ways to save money and energy. They also have information, resources, and financial incentives to help implement projects that may otherwise not get completed or would be delayed.

Helping businesses and residential home owners manage the ever rising costs of energy is a main objective of the Wisconsin group.

Overview of Energy Supply and Demand
We all need energy to live, and in the modern world we depend on it for everything from powering our cars to running our i-Pods. We are also aware of the need to save energy, which not only saves us money, but is also good for the environment. The threat of global warming and health risks associated with emissions from burning fossil fuels are other important reasons to reduce our demand on energy.

Turning off lights and reducing car trips are simple things we can all do to reduce our demand on energy. Those who wish to invest a little more in energy conservation can replace light bulbs with compact fluorescents. The next step is to buy new energy efficient appliances and then perhaps even a hybrid car. But no matter how hard we try or how much we are willing to spend, we can never reduce our energy demand to zero.

So what can someone do if they wish to further reduce their personal demand on fossil fuels or their “carbon footprint,” short of cutting themselves off from the modern world? The answer is to offset energy demand by investing in a personal alternative energy system. Although relatively expensive compared to reducing energy demand, an alternative energy system can be the most effective and rewarding way to personally minimize your contribution to harmful pollutants in our atmosphere. Produce your own power!

Alternative Energy Choices
The most common, effective and practical technologies available today for producing your own personal electricity from alternative sources are solar panels and wind turbines. Systems exist today that meld seamlessly with your current electric supply allowing you to live comfortably just as you do today while you use clean, renewable power from the free and abundant sources of sun or wind.

Of these two renewable sources – sun and wind – wind power is typically more cost effective. Based on energy production capacity, a modern wind turbine is several times more cost-effective than solar photovoltaics. However, there are several factors you need to assess first to decide whether wind power is right for you.

Step 1: Determining if Wind Power Will Work For You
Your choice of wind power will depend on several factors.

A: Do you have enough wind where you live?
Wind maps are available to help you determine this. If you happen to live near a large-scale wind farm then you can be sure your wind resource is sufficient.

To evaluate your site’s wind resource no matter where you live in North America – check out this excellent Wind Resource Map.

B: Do you have the space for a wind turbine?
While a wind turbine tower itself has a relatively small footprint, they are not intended to be placed too close to buildings. Wind turbines should never be installed on rooftops or attached to buildings. Typically a tower of 80-feet or taller is required to reach above trees and other obstructions to catch the best wind. If the tower tilts down – which is a recommended means for maintenance – sufficient space is required to do this. Therefore, you should have land of at least an acre in size.

C: Does your local municipal government and utility support wind power and are you living in area that is zoned for a wind turbine?
Local zoning allows you to install a turbine on a tall tower, and this ensures that you are abiding by whether your neighbors will object.

Providing you have the wind, space and permission to install a wind turbine, wind energy will provide you with the most cost-effective alternative energy source you can buy.

Step 2: Choosing a Wind Turbine
Once you decide that wind is right for you, you need to shop for the right turbine for your needs. This can get tricky.

A: Understand your energy demands.
Review your recent electric bills to assess how much energy you use – in the top right hand corner of your energy bill it will provide you with the month usage in kWh and the associated costs of each kWh.

B: Understand both your monthly and annual energy demand then you can begin your search for a wind turbine that produces what you need. The closer you can match the turbine energy output to your demand, the more cost-effective the system will be.

C: When you are reviewing various wind turbine products – beware of manufacturers power production numbers or power curves.
Unfortunately there are some manufacturers in the small wind turbine industry that tend to mislead customers and will often inflate energy production number for their products. Be sure to ask for third-party data or independent testimonials before committing to a particular system.

D: Safety Considerations in a Small Wind Turbine
Most small wind turbines today have an excellent safety record. An important factor is to consider how does your wind turbine controls itself and shuts itself down. Can you shut it off and stop the turbine when you want or need to do so? This is extremely important, and unfortunately there are very few small turbines that have reliable means to stop the rotor on command. The few that do may require you to do so from the base of the tower – not exactly where you want to be if the turbine is out of control in a wind storm. Look for a system that offers one or more means to shut down and preferably stop the rotor from the comfort of your home.

E: Manufacturerss warranty and Life Expectancy along with annual servicing and maintenance schedule should be reviewed.
What kind of tower are you installing the turbine on and is it accessible for the periodic maintenance that is required? Are any of the components at ground level or are all the key components at the top of the turbine? If they are at the top of the turbine, then make sure you have a tilt able tower. Ideally a portion of the components are a ground level.

F: Is the wind turbine a direct connect system without inverter, or does the wind turbine require an inverter to convert the power generated from the wind turbine to make it compatible with the GRID and your power company’s energy supply. You can lose up to 30% of your power being produced when you have to convert the energy into grid compatible electricity. Review the features and equipment the manufacturer needs to install in order to make your wind turbine Grid Compatible.

G: Make sure that you have all your costs listed to give you a total cost of ownership for your wind turbine. This includes the wind turbine, tilt able tower (what is the height of the tower) minimum tower heights should start at least 60 Ft and go up from there. Other costs include installation, concrete footing, guy wires and cabling.

Step 3: Rebate and Incentive Programs
Once you have decided on the wind turbine that is most appropriate for your location and requirements, look into the Federal and State incentive programs that are available for alternative energy. There are lucrative small business, agricultural and residential rebate programs available. With a little research as much as 80% of your Wind Turbine can be paid for from various programs that are available.

For a detailed look into State and Federal Incentive programs visit the Database of State Incentive for Renewables and Efficiency. DSIRE is a detailed information resource on state, local, utility, and federal incentives for the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Step 4: Contact Endurance Wind Power
For more information, please fill out the Endurance Wind Turbine Request Form.

By doing your homework, your wind turbine choice should provide you with a rewarding experience as well as clean, renewable power for many years.