Kestrel - Power, Quality and Affordability

Founded in 1999, Kestrel is a South African based company that has been serving the international market for small wind turbines since its inception. Kestrel customers range from large corporate organisations, small to medium size businesses to local authorities, government departments as well as private consumers. The Kestrel 1000 (e300i) is a true 1kW turbine producing very high power at modest wind speeds, and should not be confused with other turbines of a similar claimed power rating. The Kestrel 1000 has 3m diameter blades and generates its rated power at only 9.5m/s. The total cost of a Kestrel 1000 and tower is approximately £4,500 + VAT. self installed (excluding foundations).

If you are new to small wind turbines, please start by reading our If you are new to small wind turbines, please start by reading our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages, as those form a complete guide to wind resource and wind turbine siting. Not all sites are suitable for a wind turbine, so please ensure you read this information carefully in relation to your location.

Segen supplies the Kestrel 1000 on a 6m, 9m or 12m high "scissor" tower enabling it to capture the best possible wind higher up, but also allowing ease of maintenance without special equipment required. We would however caution that the 6m tower is unlikely to be tall enough to capture much wind.

The Kestrel 1000 is connected to the grid using an SMA 1100 inverter providing maximum efficiency and reliability. It may also be supplied as a battery charging version for direct connection to a 12V, 24V or 48V battery pack. (Recommended battery voltage is 48V to reduce cable and other losses).

Installation of the Kestrel 1000 requires a basic level of mechanical skill and careful following of a detailed installation manual.

Please download and view the Kestrel brochure for more information on the range of turbines and their specifications.

Kestrel 600W

For those with smaller requirements, Segen can also supply the Kestrel 600 turbine which has a blade diameter of 1.5m and is supplied of a 6m, 9m or 12m high scissor tower and is suitable for self installation, with a qualified electrician doing the electrical connection. The Kestrel 600 is connected to the grid using an SMA 700 inverter providing maximum efficiency and reliability.  It may also be supplied as a battery charging version for direct connection to a 12V, 24V or 48V battery pack. (Recommended battery voltage is 48V to reduce cable and other losses). The total cost of a Kestrel 600 and 6m tower is approximately £3,500 + VAT. excluding foundations and self installed.

Installation of the Kestrel 600 requires a basic level of mechanical skill and careful following of a detailed installation manual.

Scissor Towers

The Kestrel turbines are all supplied with mounting poles using an innovative "scissor" design. This provides for very easy raising and lowering of the turbine and eliminates the need for any special equipment to either install or service the turbines. Towers may be supplied with a height of 6m, 9m or 12m, but Segen would not normally recommend the 6m tower as the turbine is unlikely to catch much wind when so low to the ground. Where possible, i.e. planning will allow, best results will always be obtained with the 12m tower. All the tower require a concrete foundation to be prepared with steel bolts embedded to mount the tower onto.

Charge Controllers / Grid Connection

Either turbine may be supplied as a grid connected device with an SMA inverter, or in a battery charging configuration. This needs to be specified at the time of ordering.

The grid connected versions provide power to your property and export any surplus to the national grid. There is no need for any batteries and the system is totally automatic.

The battery charging versions are normally supplied to charge a 48V battery bank which can be used to power DC voltage devices, or via a special inverter, generate mains voltage for applications where there is no grid connection.

Energy Displays

You may also purchase an optional wireless display to show the energy being generated by your Kestrel turbine. The Sunny Beam is easy to use and displays your system's performance data in large, easy to read formats. The Sunny Beam provides a constant flow of data keeping you informed of your system's status without the need to go outside. Wireless technology combined with sleek design makes the Sunny Beam a welcome addition to any home.

For more advanced requirements an Internet connected WebBox is available that allows energy generation data to be automatically captured and uploaded to SMA's SunnyPortal web site for long term viewing, and optionally sharing with others.

For further information, please download the Kestrel 1000 Technical Specification and Kestrel 600 Technical Specification documents from our web site and you may also find the answers to some of your questions on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages, as those form a complete guide to wind resource and turbine siting.

Please then use our Wind Speed Checker to find out how much energy a Kestrel 600W or 1kW small wind turbine could generate at your site, and register your interest with Segen.