Owner`s manual

We do not recommend mounting the BWC EXCEL 1 on any home or any buildings. Our concerns are:

1. The forces on the turbine and mounting system are substantial and homes are not designed

structurally for them.

2. The air flow around and over a home or building is complex and can cause considerable turbu-

lence.

3. The wind turbine will cause vibrations that will be amplified through the home’s structure.

BWC offers a guyed-tubular tilt-up tower, the Tilt Tower, for the EXCEL 1 in heights form 18m (60ft) to

30m (100ft). The Tilt Tower is cost-effective and is designed to be installable by non-experts. The instal-

lation of these towers is covered in the BWC EXCEL 1 Tilt Tower Installation Manual. Contact BWC for

other tower options, including self-supporting towers that do not require guy wires.

Customers can also supply their own towers. These towers have to meet certain criteria for strength and

blade clearance (see Appendix), and a mounting adapter for the EXCEL 1 wind turbine will need to be

designed and fabricated. Customer supplied towers are not covered by the BWC warranty and any dam-

age to the EXCEL 1 wind turbine resulting from a customer supplied tower is excluded from the turbine

warranty coverage.

C. Location

The size and layout of the installation site may limit the tower location, height, or type. More often than

not, however, there are several potential sites. In choosing the best one, the following factors should be

considered:

1. The proximity of the proposed site to dwellings.

As noted before, it is a good idea for you to consult with neighbors about the installation before proceed-

ing. The rotor system and alternator do produce a certain amount of sound. This is a low-level whirring

sound that usually cannot be heard indoors. From a noise standpoint, the further the wind turbine is from

a house the better. In general, we recommend that the turbine be installed at least 60’ from the house.

Most often the tower is installed 60’ – 160’ from the owner’s house. Never choose a site that is closer to

a neighbor’s home than to your own.

2. The local elevation at the tower site.

Since system performance improves with increased wind turbine elevation it is sometimes best to site the

tower on a hill or ridge to gain extra height. If, as is often the case however, the hill or ridge is a consid-

erable distance (more than 330’) from the house the additional wiring costs may more than offset the per-

formance gain to be realized. It is often less expensive to avoid the hill and simply choose a taller tower

installed closer to the house.

3. The length of the wire run.

While it is possible to install wire runs (the wiring between the wind turbine and the wind turbine electron-

ics) of 650’ or more, the costs for long wire runs, particularly if they are buried, can be prohibitive. The

longer the wire run, the larger and more expensive the wire that is required to conduct the electricity with

acceptable losses. As a general rule, wire runs over 330’) if buried or 650’ if installed overhead should be

avoided because of their high costs.

4. General convenience.

Often the most compelling consideration for locating the wind turbine tower is the space where it will not

interfere with vehicle traffic, fence lines, crops, gardens, septic system lateral lines, power poles, etc.

Since the wind turbine installation is semi-permanent, your future plans for the property should also be