Sunforce 44447 900W Whisper Wind Turbine

by Sunforce

Product Features

• Uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics
• Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum
• Fully integrated regulator that automatically shuts down when the batteries are completely charged
• Maximum power up to 900 watts or 60 amps
• installs easily and mounts to any sturdy pole, building, or the Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30-Foot Tower Kit

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 74.8 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000FIUSCC
• Item model number: 44447
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #231,574 in Automotive (See Top 100 in Automotive)
  • #17 in Automotive > Replacement Parts > Starters & Alternators > Alternators & Generators > Generators
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

The Sunforce 44447 Whisper 100 900 Watt Wind Generator uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics. Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum, this generator is also a great choice for powering pumps or charging batteries for large power demands. With a maximum power up to 900 watts or 60 amps, this device features a fully integrated regulator that automatically shuts down when the batteries are completely charged. The 44447 is virtually maintenance free with only three moving parts, and the carbon fiber composite blades ensure low wind noise while the double-sealed ball bearings guarantees a smooth, clean charge. Assembly is required, but this generator installs easily and mounts to any sturdy pole, building, or the Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30-Foot Tower Kit.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to install with 2 people. Great price. You need to get the tower kit separately. Will not power an entire house, August 17, 2009

By 

Citizen John (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sunforce 44447 900W Whisper Wind Turbine (Misc.)

I invested in this Sunforce 44447 900W Wind Turbine for a small house in a wind zone. With some help I installed the windmill (I was corrected several times - they're called "wind turbines") - it was very simple. Installing the tower kit is where the time is, because sliding on the turbine and installing the blades is easy. This is a quiet windmill. This 74 pound turbine has only 3 moving parts so it is unlikely to break down. It came with a 5-year warranty. It starts up at about 7.5 mph wind speed and it's working fine! You should get the Sunforce Tower Kit with it, and it will be 30 to 33 feet high. You also need batteries to store the power.

The current price at the time of this review, about $2,200 is a better than what I paid to own it. I paid just over $2,600 early in the year and that was the very best price available at the time, without free shipping and from H.D. Thus the current price is excellent, probably the best price compared to buying it from another vendor, and compares favorably versus similar Gamesa, Enercon and GE Energy turbines because I checked. But make sure you get the manufacturer's 5-year warranty.

With a maximum power of 900 Watts at best, this turbine is not going to be adequate to power an entire big house. It is recommended for a "cottage" or "cabin." But it's great backup power nevertheless, and as long as there is a wind speed average of 12 mph or better, there's no worry about it paying for itself. This experience made me more confident about wind turbines and I'm thinking next time to go with the Sunforce 44490 if that price hits my sweet spot. That one is more expensive but gets higher output at lower wind speeds and delivers twice the output of this one. Still, you can't beat this price for the Sunforce 44447, a wind turbine that will last a long time no matter the weather and give you an early breakeven point.

To determine whether it was a good idea to invest in wind power, I had to first make sure the location has enough wind. It's recommended that you have at least a 9 mph average wind speed at your house, and there are websites where you can check this. You have to have a radius of about 250 feet to accommodate your tower and make sure there aren't any laws against your putting up a tower. Regulations can be a little complicated, for example some states require easement rights to inspect your windmill (turbine!) whenever they want.

It's also a great idea to check with your utility company to find out if their policy is to connect a renewable energy system to the electrical grid, and they vary a lot in this regard. I am looking forward to the day when we get a federal law that requires power companies to buy excess renewable energy under conditions where it is a public good. The more of us that get wind turbines, the stronger our case will be, so I love to see those wind turbines go up. Until then one has to think more about battery storage and letting the system shut down once the batteries are fully charged in most states. If your utility company doesn't have a dedicated individual to deal with grid-connection requests, you can try contacting the state utility consumer advocate group or the state energy authority.

You still need to get the tower kit to mount the turbine. This is the one to get for this turbine: Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30' Tower Kit

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some things to do before buying, April 21, 2010

By 

Michael A. Duvernois (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunforce 44447 900W Whisper Wind Turbine (Misc.)

(This is a great turbine for the correct wind conditions. Well-built and very inexpensive for what you get.)

There are good reviews here and elsewhere, but I wanted to add a couple of do-before-buying recommendations:

- Don't rely on a simple windmap of your area of the country
- Measure it. There are many folks who have datalogging anemometers available for loan/rent on a tall pole.
- Put up a pole the height you're thinking of, and measure the wind speeds for (ideally) a month in the summer and in the winter.
- Consider going another ten feet higher in elevation. Most of the small wind turbines I've seen in the field have been mounted lower than optimal for the winds. The price of a taller tower is small compared to the turbine operating less efficiently.
- Then compare actual wind speeds with the power output vs. wind speed curves
- Get a permit if it's required!

52 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I found more infomation about it. Then bought it., June 11, 2009

By 

HillBilly (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunforce 44447 900W Whisper Wind Turbine (Misc.)

I have one of these and the reason I purchased it was after finding all the additional details at http://www.searchgeek.com it helped me decide and I love it. It is great having free electricity. All my neighbours think it is great but someone did call the town and they said I need a permit. We will see.