Bergey Windpower's newest product is the 1,000 Watt BWC XL.1.  The BWC XL.1 is currently available only as a 24 VDC battery-charging system.  A 48 VDC battery charging versions and a batteryless grid-intertie version (like the 10 kW GridTek system) are in development.

With a rotor diameter of 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) and a peak output of approximately 1,600 watts the XL.1 is intended for the off-grid home market in the U.S. and for rural electrification programs in developing countries. It is also a perfect upgrade system for current owners of micro-turbines, such as the Air 303 or 403.

The XL.1 combines a number of advanced technical features, including a completely new airfoil, to provide the highest efficiency yet achieved in a small wind turbine at a cost of energy ~ 10% lower than the current price leader.  And, the XL.1 carries the exclusive, industry-leading, Bergey 5-year warranty. 

The XL.1 is an up-wind, horizontal-axis, three- bladed turbine.  The blades are pultruded fiberglass, a material that is over ten times stronger than the injection- molded plastic used on most small wind turbines.  In fact, pultrusions have a breaking strength exceeding 100,000 psi, which is twice as strong as normal steel.  "Just about any blade material will hold up in light to moderate winds.  But, when the storms come, weak blades can put the whole system at risk."  And the new BWC SH3045 airfoil makes the XL.1's blade probably the most efficient ever on a small wind turbine.  

The blades attach directly to a specially designed very-low-speed permanent magnet alternator which uses state-of-the-art neodymium super- magnets.  "We have designed an oversized alternator that slows the rotor down and makes the turbine very quiet."  Overspeed protection is provided by the proven BWC AutoFurl passive sideways furling system.  "In spite of the claims otherwise, no other overspeed protection system has proven to be more reliable or effective than AutoFurl."    

The XL.1 includes the BWC PowerCenter controller which controls battery charging, has a low-end boost for superior low wind speed performance, "slow-mode" rotor idling when the batteries are full, an electrical braking system, and even includes a 30 A controller for the solar modules that are often a part of a complete hybrid system.  The PowerCenter allows an auxiliary or "dump" load to be connected to utilize excess wind (and/or solar) power after the batteries are fully charged.

Low wind speed performance is greatly enhanced by a low-end-boost circuit that optimally loads the wind turbine down to wind speeds as low as 5.6 mph (2.5 m/s).  Combined with the new blade system, this circuitry allows the XL.1 to produce useful power more than 6,000 hours a year at a typical site.  For reference, a typical solar system produces power 3,500 hours a year at a typical site.