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One of the most difficult challenges of the installation of a wind
turbine is assembling and erecting a tower. Fortunately, the engineers
here at Southwest Windpower have designed towers that are easy and
safe to install. A number of heights for each product are available.
Keep in mind, the larger the turbine the more complex the tower
design. None of the towers require any kind of welding or machining
and only the largest towers may require concrete. Most designs can
be installed within a few hours to a day. Lastly, all work with
Southwest Windpower towers is done on the ground.
You will NEVER need to climb a tower.
All of Southwest Windpower’s tower kits include everything
you need with the exception of:
1) Pipe material
2) Anchors
3) Power wires
To keep your costs low and to consider site variables, these components
should be purchased locally. When selecting the materials for the
construction of your tower, please consider the following:
Pipe Material: For most conditions, we recommend a “schedule
40” pipe material. This offers a wall thickness of .125”
which is strong enough to resist most wind conditions. If you are
using fence pipe material, make sure you ask for “SS40”.
If you live in an environment were your winds will never exceed
80 mph (140 km) then we suggest using a thinner wall material such
as a “schedule 20”. In conduit material, this is called
“SS20”.
Anchors: The anchors are by far the most difficult part of installing
a tower. Once you have them in the ground, a tower installation
gets really easy. There are various soil materials that you should
consider prior to installing your tower. The type of anchor should
also vary. Our owner manuals have recommendations based on soil
type.
Power wires: Because of the size of turbine and variable length
from the turbine to your batteries/inverter, it is impossible to
know the proper wire size. Once you have understood the distance
from the turbine to the battery, refer to the wind turbine’s
owners manual for the proper wire size. Be sure to select the right
type of wire for your environment.
VERY IMPORTANT: Prior to the installation of your tower, read the
owners manual thoroughly and make sure you understand the environmental
conditions at your site prior to purchasing materials. Manuals are
free to download and review prior to purchase via the Southwest
Windpower website.
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