Bergey Windpower News

New Product:  GridTek 10 Power Processor

 Oct. 1, 1999

BWC has begun shipments of a new advanced UL-certified grid-intertie inverter system for the 10 kW BWC Excel-S wind turbine.  The all-new GridTek 10 "Power Processor" replaces the 10 kW Powersync inverter, which was first introduced in 1983.  Whereas the Powersync inverter used SCR power switches and analog controls, the new GridTek has high-speed IGBT power switches and fully digital controls.  "We are calling it a "power processor" to more accurately reflect the full AC-DC-AC process that the GridTek uses to convert wind power to utility power."  notes Mike Bergey, president and CEO of Bergey Windpower Co.

New GridTek 10 

10 kW Power Processor 

(inverter) for the BWC 

Excel-S wind turbine

There have been over 350 10 kW Powersync inverters installed throughout the country.  In most installations these have performed fairly well.  But, the Powersync inverter has always been regarded by customers as the weak link in the BWC Excel-S grid intertie system because it has required much more service than the wind turbine itself.  The Powersync also does not meet the more stringent power quality requirements now being imposed by utilities (IEEE 929 and IEEE 519).  And, the Powersync could not be certified to the new UL solar inverter standard (UL 1741) that is also being required by many utilities and the California rebate program.  The GridTek 10 is the first wind energy inverter system to qualify for UL 1741.

The GridTek 10 uses a special DSP (Digital Signal Processing) chip to manage its high-speed Pulse-Width-Modulation switching and supervisory functions.  It's IGBT power switches operate at ~ 16 kHz.  This produces a high quality sine wave output that, with a 2.1% total harmonic distortion and 0.99 power factor, easily exceeds the stringent IEEE 519 standard.  The inverter is also certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), which will help with obtaining utility approvals and electrical permits and qualifies the unit for the California rebate program.  The GridTek 10 has a full-load efficiency of ~ 93%.

The GridTek 10 is designed for wall mounting indoors, typically in a garage or equipment room adjacent to the household breaker panel.  It has mounting tabs on 16" centers to accommodate the normal spacing for wall studs.  At 180 lbs (82 kgs), the GridTek is heavy.  However, unlike the Powersync inverter, its power switching section, which weighs only ~ 20 lbs, can be removed separately in case it ever has to be returned to the factory for service. 

The GridTek has three input wires from the Excel wind turbine and three output wires going out to the household breaker panel.  The GridTek connects to a dedicated dual-pole 60 amp breaker in this panel.  BWC also recommends that a utility-type kWh energy meter be installed between the GridTek and the breaker panel so that the cumulative energy production from the wind turbine can be monitored.

The GridTek 10 has a 4-line LCD status indicator and a reset button.  The status panel shows the operating mode, DC bus current, wind turbine RPM and  the power output (kW).  In the event of a fault the panel will also identify the cause of the fault.  The GridTek 10 carries a five-year warranty.  Although it normally comes as part of the BWC Excel-S home wind system, the GridTek is also separately available for a retail price of $8,000.  BWC has established a trade-in program for current Powersync owners that provides a substantial discount (Please contact BWC for details).

Click here for a PDF copy (242 KB) of the GridTek specification sheet.  

   Steve Wilke, Customer Service, Bergey WindPower Co.

   T:  405-364-4212    F: 405-364-2078    E-mail:  swilke@bergey.com