The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of 70kW vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). Their Vertical axis wind turbines have much simpler engineering than their larger Horizontal axis cousins, since wind direction makes no difference, so no yaw and pitch issues or complex gearboxes.
They have a unique patented design that overcomes the traditional weakness of vertical axis wind turbines VAWTs; the blade to blade-arm connection. Their 70kW G168 is the only vertical axis wind turbines – VAWT undergoing certification at the DTU in Denmark. Their turbines are manufactured from standard off the shelf steel; the G168 is designed to be as simple as possible.
With blade tips 18m at the top and 4m from the ground, the G168 is often compared to a tree, painted green with its vertical rotation it presents a very different visual impression. Many people have never seen such a wind turbine, and most are pleasantly surprised as it can easily and relatively swap the generator for a water pump.
The main advantages of their G168 are: Ease of mass manufacturing, Little infrastructure needs, Simple and cost effective shipping/transportation – two turbines per container, Semi-skilled labor requirements, Erection is possible with two Manitou type tractors with long enough booms and pulleys for vertical lifting, an average wind speed of 6.5m/sec at 10m from the ground is enough to make the WHI G168 economically viable among other merits. They are currently looking for business partners who will act as distributors or agents for their products in Africa.
Julian Still, the Sales Manager, advices potential buyer to have an annual average wind speed of 6M/sec at 10m from the ground to make this fully economic in the traditional business sense. He also commented on the emerging trend regarding the products technology that, “Off grid communities are very interested since Wind farmers increase the production power density, the no of kWh’s produced per hectare. These turbines can be easily built without large infrastructures, so we have UN development programs very interested too.”
Contributor:
Wind Harvest International
Julian Still
