Wind turbine performance and price data
Below are some specs for a number of wind turbines in the under-10kW capcity range. These turbines are a few of several that are certified by NYSERDA as eligible for their incentives in New York State. The data below are from the manufacturers' specifications. The cost estimates are based on figures from either the manufacturer or a certified dealer. All costs are estimated MSRP and do not include installation costs, etc.. The power curves listed are based on data the manufacturers provided at their websites, and may not be completely accurate, so keep this in mind if using them for estimating power output.
| Manufacturer | Model | Rated output (kW) |
Cut-in speed (m/s) |
Rated speed (m/s) |
Rotor diameter (m) |
Estimated cost ($US) |
AEP* (kWh) |
Power curve data |
| Bergey | Excel | 10 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 40,400 | 4,739 | Download |
| Endurance | S-250 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 5.5 | 33,500 | 3,279 | Download |
| Fortis | Alizé | 10 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 49,356 | 9,715 | Download |
| Fortis | Montana | 5 | 2.5 | 17 | 5 | 31,372 | 2,295 | Download |
| Proven | Proven 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 14 | 3.5 | 18,800 | 2,459 | Download |
| Proven | Proven 6 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 5.5 | 28,400 | 6,797 | Download |
| REDriven | FD6.4-5000 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 6.4 | 32,713 | 6,270 | Download |
| REDriven | FD8.0-10K | 10 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 40,058 | 9,841 | Download |
| Southwest | Skystream 3.7 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 13 | 3.7 | 17,427 | 2,022 | Download |
| Southwest | Whisper 500 | 3 | 3.4 | 10.5 | 4.5 | 9,439 | 3,165 | Download |
| Wind Energy Solutions | WES 5 Tulipo | 2.5 | 3 | 9 | 5.5 | ??? | 4,084 | Download |
| Abundant RE | ARE442 | 10 | 2.2 | 11 | 7.2 | 49,400 | 10,549 | Download |
| For incentive amounts, click here. Note: 1m = 3.281ft, 1m/s = 2.237mph. * Estimated annual energy production, using A=4.5m/s and k=2. |
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Using the data
To use the power curves above, download the one(s) you would like (use Right-click, then 'Save Link As...'). The file should have the extension, 'pow'. Remember where you save this file. Next, download and install the latest version of WAsP (this should be the first download file listed). After installing this program, launch WAsP Turbine Editor (this should be under the WAsP program folder in the Start menu). Once started, use File>>Open to browse to and open the *.pow file you downloaded. You should now have a screen similar to the one shown below.
Now shown will be the raw data on the left side of the screen and the power curve on the right. Below the curve, you will see some fields in grey that can be edited. The most useful fields are the 'A' and 'k' fields (shown in the green rectangle on the image above). These parameters exaplain the frequency distribution of a set of wind speeds, and when used in Turbine Editor, produce the estimated annual energy production (AEP) for the particular wind turbine that is open. To obtain these 'A' and 'k' values, you must have some measured wind speed data. With those data, you can then run an analysis and calculate the two distribution parameters with another useful program by WAsP which is discussed here.
Alternatively, if you cannot obtain any on-site or nearby wind data, you can use the PDF below which contains a map with estimated mean annual wind speeds at 30m (~100ft) above ground level. When you have found the wind speed for your area, you can subsitute that value for 'A' and set 'k' to 2 as a general rule of thumb. Note, however, that the AEP estimates from using these as your parameters will likely be off to some degree.
http://www.awstruewind.com/files/NY_spd30m.pdf
(Note: if you want a different state, change the 'NY' to the two-letter abbreviation of the state you want. Not all states are available.)