Specifications

25
sites. In choosing the best one, the following fac-
tors 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 proceeding. The rotor system and al-
ternator do produce a certain amount of
sound. This is a low-level whirring sound that
usually can not 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 18 meters (60 feet) from the house.
Most often the tower is installed 18 - 50 me-
ters (60 - 160 feet) from the owner’s house.
Never choose a site that is closer to a neigh-
bor’s home than to your own.
2. The local elevation at the tower site.
Since system performance improves with in-
creased 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 considerable distance
(more that 100 meters or 330 ft.) from the
house the additional wiring costs may more
than offset the performance gain to be rea-
lized. It is often less expensive to avoid the
hill and simply chose a taller tower installed
closer to the house.
3. The length of the wire run.
While is possible to install wire runs (the wir-
ing between the wind turbine and the wind
turbine electronics) of several hundred meters
(650 ft) or more, the costs for long wire runs,
particularly if they are buried, can be prohibi-
tive. 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 100 meters
(330 ft.) if buried or 200 meters (650 ft.) if in-
stalled overhead should be avoided because
of their high costs. On the BWC XL.1 it is not
possible to use transformers to increase the
wire run voltage because the wire run is direct
current (DC). Transformers only work with al-
ternating current (AC).
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 lat-
eral lines, power poles, etc. Since the wind
turbine installation is semi-permanent, your fu-
ture plans for the property should also be tak-
en into consideration. When using a
Tilt.Tower you should consider the extra
space needed for the tower when its is tilted
down.
5. Safety
The BWC XL.1 should never be installed
close to a power line. We recommend that
the tower be at least 1 ½ times the height of
the tower from any power line including any
overhead service line bringing power to your
home.
Warning
The wind turbine towers are typically
made of metal, which readily con-
ducts electricity. If any part of the
wind turbine or tower makes contact
with power lines there is a risk of
electrocution.
We also recommend that any guy wire anc-
hors be kept away from roads or paths used
by vehicles.
D. Wiring
The basic electrical schematic for the BWC XL.1
battery charging system is shown in Figure 5.
The wind turbine alternator produces 3-phase AC,
which is rectified into DC in the nacelle. A two (2)-
conductor wire is needed between the wind tur-
bine and the PowerCenter controller. The Po-
werCenter has a fuse for the wind turbine input,
so a fused-disconnect switch is not required at the
base of the tower (as is recommended for the
other BWC wind turbines).
We recommend that the tower wiring be with SO
cord. The SO cord’s neoprene jacket will provide