Southwest Windpower Employees’ Whisper Turbine is The 'Cat’s Meow'

THE ART OF DEAL MAKING

Southwest Windpower was founded in a garage back in 1987 by David Calley and Andy Kruse; a garage that Bo Culton used to call home. It could be irony, coincidence or serendipity—either way, Culton is a tried and true wind person.

Culton realized he needed renewable energy in order to sustain an off-grid lifestyle in rural Arizona, northeast of Flagstaff. Culton bargained his labor with Southwest Windpower for a Whisper 100. That was 13 years ago. The patented side-furling turbine continues to sing into the wind at his cabin, a melody that invariably makes Culton smile. And Southwest Windpower is still very much a part of his life. “Glad to this day I still have one,” said Culton, a technical support representative for Southwest Windpower.

UNPLUGGING

Culton has not watched TV from his cabin in over a decade, but he is more cognizant of his energy consumption. Inspired after helping a friend install solar panels on his cabin in the woods, Culton moved out of the garage and into his own cabin. He said since a gas generator was not an option at the time he had no choice but to quickly transition into the renewable industry— a virtuous, intuitive shift that began with the Whisper 100 and solar panels.

“I would not consider my system complete without one,” he said. He produces enough energy that if a utility company wanted the power, which Culton says he would decline, he could sell it to them if he wanted to—a goal many residential wind turbine owners strive for.

The soft-spoken turbine can produce up to 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month in moderate to high winds. The top-selling small-wind turbine in its class offers Culton efficient current delivery to batteries in the desert’s high-wind environment.

LESS IS MORE

You could see Culton’s life as the epitome of a “green” lifestyle; living on only what he needs. Having such a little impact on the earth, Culton’s grounding into wind energy has unified his professional and personal life.
 

Even in Arizona’s high wind months, Culton has never had a problem with his Whisper 100 despite varying desert weather conditions. The Whisper’s presence has become entrenched in his day-to-day as a silent partner that is reliable, dependent and productive.

“One thing I’ve learned off-grid is to be aware,” said Culton. The cost of installing renewable systems can be an offset; however, Culton suggests that accommodating two power sources of wind and solar is “the cat’s meow.” His combined hybrid system and power conservation tactics have intrinsically conceived a surplus in power, allowing him to finally get a refrigerator.

“It’s not an easy life,” he said. “It’s a simple one, but it’s not easy.” Common appliances like a hot water tank are luxurious items for Culton, but something he continuously builds toward with the steadfast consistency of the Whisper 100 as a foundation to his system. “I’m extremely happy with it [the Whisper 100],” said Culton.

THE TIME AHEAD

His words of wisdom: “It’s sad, but I don’t think it’s heard: Conserve,” said Culton. During the day you can find Culton at Southwest Windpower’s headquarters in Flagstaff, Arizona answering customer questions in the support center. By night he is enjoying the Grand Canyon state’s sunset looking up at his Whisper 100 knowing where his power is coming from and how to control it.