Ray-CA
Well-known member
We already have solar but I am interested in installing a wind generator as well. Since I don’t know much about these systems, I’d be happy to hear your thoughts…
Ray
Ray
Wind generated electricity
- Thread starter Ray-CA
- Start date
- Status
bluedog225
Well-known member
Unless you have a massive turbine, there is only sadness in wind power generation.
Seriously, the physics/math/cost simply doesn’t begin to approach solar in terms of being cost effective. .
Seriously, the physics/math/cost simply doesn’t begin to approach solar in terms of being cost effective. .
WisJim
Well-known member
I installed my first personal wind turbine in 1977 (a 2500 machine with 14 foot diameter rotor that weighed over 300 pounds and was installed on a 55 foot tower). We used it and then a similar machine (a 1940s vintage Jacobs) that we used until just a couple of years ago when we moved to town and sold the machines. When we first started using them, PVs were very expensive compared to wind energy. In the last 10 years the cost of a small wind installation has gone up due to raw material costs, while PVs have gotten cheaper. There are small roof top or vertical axis machines and other worthless attempts to sell non-functional wind systems. I wouldn't recommend a small wind system unless you are a serious hobbyist who has done LOTS of research. I have been a certified small wind site assessor and know alot about what is necessary for a really good site and installation, also, and am willing to answer serious questions.
The wind generators I work on are up in the 3+ MW range - not directly related to OPs question, but: Even at the utility scale, maintenance costs are ridiculously high. The only reason you see wind farms all over the place is tax breaks, subsidies but most of all tradeable carbon offsets and credits. Few of those financial incentives are available to small private generation and as WisJim suggests doesn't matter if you have a personal interest and walk in with eyes wide open. At our US office we had a cabin way up thus very much off grid in the Bighorns, and it operated from a pair of about 1 KW turbines, a pair of solar panels and a bank of lead acid glass jar batteries - everything bought used or salvage. Also has a cell data link and camera so we could monitor conditions 24 x 7 (very unlikely to have people that far up very often). For our guys (dedicated scroungers and hobbyists) worked extremely well and was actually cost effective (note: still not "cheap").
These vertical turbine are popular now...
WisJim
Well-known member
And I've never seen one that actually works. The most basic rule of wind turbines is that they need to be well above anything within 500 feet.
you know these things are like solar or wind or hydroelectric etc.... all dependents on location.... so. kinda like if the OP lived in an area that is high wind... he might get it, but if he build a hydroelectric turbine on his creek without enough water flow.... is just the wrong application.
Vertical Turbines takes less room to operate., if it fits OP's situation.
***Also most city ordance does not allow wind turbine installation or have very stringent rules on wind turbine, solar steam turbine than hydroelectric or solar cell.
Last edited:
LopezBart
Well-known member
These have been quite popular in the past. The declining cost of pv panels has made them less attractive. My brother lives on a 42 foot ketch; he's planning an extensive trip in the south Pacific and perhaps a circumnavigation; he's previously sailed about 20k miles in the Pacific. His boat has 900 watts of solar panels so he can run all the creature comforts including a fridge and freezer (both very efficient built-in units) while far from land.
And, they are on water. HUGE difference in the amount of wind resources available in flat land vs. on ridge, in mountain pass or most of all over open water. Why do you think the North Sea is lousy with them? Also a decent size sailboat has enough mast height to cash in on the near constant oceanic wind. On land you need a really high tower to do that....on a GOOD site, never mind in questionable location with all kinds of buildings to screw up what little boundary layer is moving near the ground.
Most setups are mounted aft and not high up due to sail interference. Wind resources are variable as in most open places. Most moorings are in bay/on the leeward side of islands and out of trade winds so they are usually calmer. The reason I suggested that OP look at them is for info and research, not necessarily to buy.
dcg9381
Well-known member
I got "certified" as an installer on a particular type of wind generator. After spending the money, I decided that I'd never install a wind turbine for a customer. Too much complication, too many moving parts.
Look up "wild AC wind turbine" - basically because the frequency of your power is not static, you need to charge a battery then invert that to 60hz AC power.
I find solar to be much more reliable, easier, and zero moving parts... I get there may be places where wind is better.
If I had a DC powered structure, I'd consider it... But AC? Nope.... Too much to go wrong.
For those nay sayers of wind turbine in urban area. About 20 of these vertical turbine were installed on Amazon whole foods in an urban city area and their store are net zero or something… so it must have been working. Don’t know how tall the towers are thought….
Attachments
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That's probably 50% for marketing. I bet they might get enough power to run some of the lighting, maybe.
I bet the roof is covered with solar though
Looking at the roof to the left I’d agree with you.
Until 2018 the was a magazine called Home Power that wrote about first hand experiences using small scale hydro, solar, and wind. Their old articles are still available on the web, and I think they’d give you some good basic understanding of your options.
Home Power - Wikipedia
What's a little different for those of us living in Rural SK/MB/AB is - if we are old enough - to remember when farms were all off grid - because there was no grid. 32VDC generators (mostly Jacobs from Minneapolis - so you can bet this applies equally to US prairies). When I first started working with electric utility I had the great pleasure and privilege of working with a retired SaskPower lineman who, earlier in his career had brought the very first line power to a lot of rural towns and farms. In our modern efforts to be "green" nobody bothers to look back and realize it is just a matter of organizing your life to use a LOT less energy to do things. IMHO LEDs where the first really significant development that I would have hoped led (sorry, pun not intended) led to more ways or reducing energy use - but instead we just devise more efficient ways of using MORE (ny ongoing dig at the whole BEV nonsense).
Last edited:
Yes marketing, that carbon credit… it claims 100% runs on green energy with solar and / or wind. That is beside the point right. I dunno if those are 500’ above but it sure works for urban environment better than those propeller wind mills. Not every one needs to install tht gigawatt windmill like the ones in the Lincoln electric.
Whole Foods turns to wind power
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Whole Foods Market Inc. said Tuesday it has turned to wind power for 100% of its electricity supply, buying wind credits to...
www.marketwatch.com
dcg9381
Well-known member
Which makes no sense when you factor in that we've got spinning parts in there somewhere that will eventually need some maintenance.
My bet is "grant money" - I see the feds throw some pretty big dollars at silly little "city" projects here and there... Because? Who knows.
- Status