In a deal representing the largest order ever by either company, United Wind, a U.S. distributed wind developer, has purchased 100 Excel 10 turbines from Bergey WindPower, a small-turbine manufacturer based in Oklahoma.
The Bergey Excel 10 wind turbine, which has a total rated capacity of 10 kW, typically produces 15,000 kWh to 25,000 kWh per year, depending on the wind resource – enough to power a home, small farm or small business.
The purchased turbines will be installed on United Wind customer properties throughout central and western New York as part of the company’s WindLease program. According to United Wind, WindLease enables property owners to lease a wind turbine and benefit from below-market, fixed electricity costs for up to 30 years without any upfront expenses.
“With WindLease, we empower rural property owners to immediately lower their cost of electricity and lock it in below historical inflation for up to 30 years,” explains Russell Tencer, CEO of United Wind. “This landmark order of 100 Bergey Excel 10 wind turbines demonstrates both the strong customer demand for WindLease, as well as the beginning of the maturation of the distributed wind industry supply chain, which will enable the industry to compete in more markets as we continue to focus on lowering installed costs.”
“We are pleased to be the exclusive 10 kW wind turbine supplier to United Wind’s pioneering WindLease program, which allows customers to enjoy the benefits of a small wind system without the burden of high upfront costs,” adds Mike Bergey, president and CEO of Bergey WindPower. “This latest order for Bergey turbines by United Wind is the largest single purchase of small wind turbines, as measured by units, in U.S. history. It’s a major victory for U.S. manufacturing and the small wind turbine industry.”
Photo: United Wind customer and farmer Ed Doody of New York
