B&Q Wind Turbines (Merged Thread)

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

How refreshing to have a post from someone who has the courage to admit they have bought a 'lemon'. The normal response is for people to defend their decision in order to save face. This particularly applies to solar heating.

There are a number of similar reports to yours emerging. If enough of you can get together you might have a case for a refund as the equipment is clearly not 'fit for purpose'.

The advertising for this equipment was an absolute disgrace and cynically designed to 'cash in' on the current enthusiasm for all things green and environmentally friendly.

yorkie235

Here's the latest from the Warwick wind trials site
15 January 2007 Windsave unable to supply

Windsave have notified us that they are unable to supply the trial.

Looks like a 'pup'???

colinS

I think people should realise that being in a rural location and therefore in a winder situation does not mean that the Windsave turbine will deliver much more power. This turbine has a poor furling mechanism, as we can see in a video clip on yahoo and from read lonewolf946. This means that Windsave chose to use the inverter to control the output and this gives it a very narrow window of maximum wind strength to operate in - it is rated at 12.5ms and cuts out at 14ms. How many turbines operate in only 1.5ms of high winds? There is a posting somewhere on the net where somebody's Proven turbine is generating over 6kilowatts in a strong wind but the Windsave nearby is not turning round at all; because it had cut out. High winds are as detrimental to this turbine as low winds.

I am so glad we are getting postings on the web like lonewolf's, from people who have actually bought one of these pieces of jock junk - I have yet to read of anybody who is generating 30% of their electricity with a Windsave turbine.

I have posted for weeks now on other boards and blogs concerning the lack of a good furling system on the Windsave, and now the consequences are showing up in Windsave buyer's postings.

There is news of a software update from Windsave, but this will not rectify the problem of the bad furling system.

adr0ck

colin

what forums do you post on

just out of interest

thanks

colinS

adrock ,

I hope I get this reply right, it is my first day on the board and I do all my internet stuff in the library,with one eye on the clock.

I first started posting about Windsave years ago on fieldlines.com. Also on scruss's chicken blog, and I did a bit on the chocolate teapots discussion on the selfsuffientwhatever (why do all these sites have such long names, even this one)

I like the fieldlines site very much, there are a lot of knowledgeable people on it.

Scruss's site is easy to post on, but it has slowed down a bit lately with not too many postings, this one seems to be running with the ball at the moment.

I got an email printed in the Time's body and soul suppliment about Windsave also.

I generally have the user name CG on other boards, but it was already taken on this one.

I think the Windsave story is a classic case of "The King's got no clothes". But no matter how much the maths stacks up against it there are people who don't want to believe the numbers.

Cardew

colinS wrote:

I think the Windsave story is a classic case of "The King's got no clothes". But no matter how much the maths stacks up against it there are people who don't want to believe the numbers.

Exactly.

This is supposed to be a money saving board. However I am afraid if it is has any 'green' credentials, financial logic flies out of the window - it must be good as it saves the world!

adr0ck

thanks for those colins....gonna check them out when i've got a mo

colinS

Now we can see a video of a Windsave turbine in action and read posts from people who have bought one, I would like to bring up the subject of the marketing of these things.

Cast your mind back to October last year when B&Q started selling them, and in particular to the promo video made by Windsave. The turbine is behaving completely differently to how lonewolf decribes the behaviour of his turbine; the Windsave turbine had no veering about and the blades turned at a steady beat. How is this so? I think the answer could be that the Windsave chose a windless day to make their video, and then pumped electricity through the generator, turning it back to what it originally was - an electric motor. I can't be sure that this was done, but it is one answer to how one turbine looked so smooth in action while the ones that people bought act so erratic. Perhaps somebody from Windsave will come on the board and explain.

By the way, have you been into B&Q lately? Where was the Windsave turbine on display? In my Norwich store it was tucked way out the way, and I have had reports of other stores moving their turbines out of the main entrance, where they once were.

Lonewolf, have you had any replies from other people who have bought a Windsave turbine? Please keep us updated on how things are going.

Flash_Estivo

Hi there
Well I bought one. It may not make me rich but I'm glad I did.
Estimates of 30% are very optimistic its looks more like 5-10% at the very most.
I live in the east midlands and have had one running for over a month now. Its generated just over 50kwh, so I'm looking at somewhere between 400-500 in a year.
Mark Insulation are doing the rounds and are due to visit me this week with the latest upgrade I guess so that may improve performance further.

lonewolf946

Well it's about a week since I posted my first message and over that time the turbine has only managed another 1 penny in generation. I'm pleased so many people have commented on my original posting and also pleased to see there is now someone else who has purchased one. Even more shocking is Flash Estivio's report of such good results from his turbine. I would like to ask Flash what kind of location he is in etc? I agree with a previous contributors comments about the windmills being pushed into the corner at B&Q stores. I purchased mine from Swansea but has originally seen it displayed at Neath. Now at both stores, despite the size of the stand you would stuggle to find them. The Neath store recently had a hand written note saying 'Any complaints about this turbine should be made directly to Windsave'. Now that says something. When I questioned the staff about the note and asked what type of complaints were being made they told me all the complaints related to planning permission but it didn't sound true at all.
As I was leaving the store I heard an old pensioner enquiring about purchasing one and the staff were offering him 10% discount and I felt like intervening but I didn't and have felt bad since. I even waited round in the car park for 10 minutes to see if I could see the chap and advise him but I never saw him again.
In relation to the marketing, I must confess that the involvment of B&Q was one of my reasons for going ahead and purchasing. I thought that a big store with a reputation such as B&Q would never had gotten into bed with Windsave without testing the product themselves and being sure of it. Surely with a name to protect and a big advertising campaign under their banner they would not want an embarrasing back lash.
Anyway, Mark Installations are due here Wednesday morning to modify thye tail fin and do something to the inverter. I will interrogate the engineers and give it a week or so and report back to this forum. I would still love to hear from anyone else who has actually got one, especially if they are from the same area as me - South Wales.

Ian