Stay away from the whisper 500
I had a Wisper 500 installed 2 years ago and it has been nothing but a nightmare since. Six months after the install, the blades actually fell off of the unit! Apparently Southwest used bolts that were too long to attach the mounting plate to the turbine, and after a short while they sheared off. The installer came out and actually put up a brand new turbine. 6 months later, same exact problem! Installer came back out and was able to fix the unit. About 4 months later, yet another problem, the turbine remained in the tilted position and stopped generating power. Installer came back out and repaired the unit again. Now, 4 months ago the blades just stopped spinning no matter how strong the wind. I checked the wiring for shorts and there are none. So in 2 years, my wisper 500 has broken 4 times. The installer told me he has had so many problems with Southwest, he will no longer come to repair the unit. No the fun begins with me dealing directly with Southwest Energy in an effort to have the unit replaced. Finally, they have agreed to replace the Wisper 500 with a Skystream 3.7. However, I have been forced to take an active role in finding another installer. I am also forced to pay to have a 4th wire run from the unit to my meter as well as pay to have the Wisper 500 shipped back to Southwest. Feeling I have no other option other than to seek legal representation I have agreed to Southwests proposal. So, I called them the other day to find out when they will ship the Skystream. I was told it will be a remanufactured unit, and it will take an additional 6 weeks as they dont have any in stock. I am really at the end of my patience with this company and am contemplating seeking legal representation. I paid $21k for the wisper and it has been nothing more than an eye sore. I believe Southwest should be willing to ship out a new unit, and do it immediately. At this point, my best advice to anyone thinking about installing a wind turbine or becoming a dealer is to stay as far away from Southwest Wind Energy as possible. I will post again when and if my issue is resolved.
This review has votes.
