What size boat should a Superwind be on?

We recommend to install a Superwind on a boat 28 ft or longer.

 

How big should my battery bank be?

We recommend at least four batteries on your house bank, if you have a fridge and/or freezer.

 

What are my best options for battery design?

6 V batteries wired in series and parallel to build voltage and ampere- hours to best suit your needs.

 

If one blade breaks do I just replace one?

The blades are a spun balanced set and must all be replaced together.

 

Where do I service my unit?

The Superwind is a commercially built unit which requires zero maintenance. However, if an incident arises, we do service these units in North America.

 

How do I mount this on my boat?

The options are endless on where to mount a Superwind due to the diversity of boats. We do offer a standard stainless steel mast kit.

 

I have an old boat how much does a Superwind weigh and impact installation?

A Superwind weighs about 25 lb but can produce 150 lb of thrust in full load wind conditions which must be accounted for during installation.

 

How much does a Superwind cost?

We only sell these units in a kit which includes the wind turbine, charge controller, safety stop switch and a dump load resistor bank. This kit costs $2399.

 

Do I need a charge controller, dump load resistor and stop switch?

We always recommend a charge controller to be installed to protect your batteries.  Dump load resistor banks will shed excess loads to avoid over charging. The safety stop switch will allow you to be able to perform maintenance near or around your unit safely.

 

Can I hook up to my hot water tank and avoid over charging?

Hot water tanks internal electrical components will not withstand over charging and will fail, which will, in turn, shed power to your batteries creating an over charge situation.

 

Do I lose power going through charge controller before my batteries?

Yes there is line loss. However, this is minimal considering you are safeguarding your batteries from over charging.

 

Do I have to shut off my Superwind when I’m not around?

A Superwind is designed to be maintenance- free and can be left unattended for indefinite periods of time. Shutting down a Superwind is an option with the safety switch, however, there is never a need to shut it down if it is unattended.

 

Can I mount a wind turbine on top of a pole mounted to my house?

We never recommend mounting a wind turbine to a roof. There are tremendous amounts of physical forces generated that can severely damage a permanent structure.

 

How loud is the Superwind?

The Superwind at full load is rated at less than 10 dB of noise. For reference a typical conversation is 60 dB.

 

Do I need to tie down a Superwind in a storm?

No, that will actually damage a Superwind. You can either turn it off, which will allow its magnetic braking to turn the unit slowly or you can leave the unit in standard ‘Run’ mode and rely on the auto-feather blades to keep the unit from over speeding.

 

How long has Superwind been around?

Superwind has been producing turbines for over ten years in many commercial markets.

 

Other than independent sailboats what are Superwind’s typically used for?

Superwind was originally designed to be a commercially rugged micro wind generator.  The Superwind has since been adopted by numerous navies and coastguards around the world. The customers require power on tsunami buoys, weather stations, earthquake monitors i.e. any place where remote off- grid power is needed. They have since been adopted by the sailing community due to their rugged nature.

 

Are Superwind kits difficult to install?

Superwind is a very easy item to install. We provide electrical and mechanical diagrams that are very easy to follow. If you have any additional questions, our electrical engineers will gladly assist you.

 

How long do the bearings last?

The Superwind auto-feathers during high wind conditions so it will never go over speed, which allows bearing life to be a conservative 12-15 years minimum.

 

Where does Superwind manufacture?

Superwind currently manufactures out of Brühl, Germany and will soon be manufactured in Buffalo, New York.

 

What other models does Superwind make?

Superwind currently manufactures a 350 Watt unit in Germany and will soon manufacture a 1050 Watt unit in Buffalo, New York.

 

How high do I need to mount a Superwind off my boat?

We recommend mounting a Superwind’s blades at its lowest point, at least 9 ft above the surface of the deck. This increases the safety of anybody reaching and being hit by a blade.

 

What are the blades made out of?

The blades are made out of carbon fiber reinforced plastic which is injected molded. The blades are spun balanced as a set.

 

If I currently have a wind generator, can the mounting be easily converted to a Superwind?

We have replaced many units and seen a variety of mounting methods. Our engineers can easily assist in new mounting methods.

 

What size wire do I run to the Superwind and the charge controller?

The Superwind manual maps out wire sizing for various distances. We also have electrical engineers who would be happy to assist in any custom installation.