Ventera VT10 commercial turbine - recommendations or bad experiences?

[Smaug]

I am about to take the step from homebrew to a commercial wind turbine.  I have about decided on the Ventera VT10 system and wonder if anyone on the forum has first hand experience (good or bad) with this system.

Thanks!

[SparWeb]

Don't know anything about the turbine, but I feel some significant tower envy:




Have you checked the Home Power magazine wind turbine comparison tests?
The Ventera seems to be a serious enough contender for them.

[DanB]

I don't know anything about it form experience... except to say that it looks very simple, robust... it has a clever/unique system (I think it's unique) of variable pitch on the outer halves of the blades.  It's Elliott Bayly's recent project.. he has been involved with small wind power for a long time.  I think he founded 'world power' (or something like that) that SW windpower wound up buying out years ago.

We met him and got to look at the machine last year at the small wind conference in Wisconsin just before the MREA fair.  Really nice fellow... very nice looking wind turbine I thought.

[Smaug]

Thanks for the input. 

Tower is (probably) not as impressive as the one shown here as I am limited by zoning.  It will be a 60' tilt up and with the tower adapter this will put the rotor at about 72'.  I understand that this machine has been in production for three years and that there are about 100 installed.  I talked to three current owners and they were all pleased (of course the contact info came from the dealer).

I will post as things progress.....

   

[fabricator]

Hmmmm, Smaug, I used to know a Smaug on another board out in the cloud, can't recall where though.