PowerSwitch

hi everyone

im new to this site but im hoping you can help me find info/inform me what would be involved in installing a small wind turbine under 3KVA also someone who would be able to install it to a rural property we own.the house is now connected to the grid

any help would be great


rob

Do you want a grid tied turbine that feeds electricity back into the grid, or a stand alone battery charging one.

Provided that you have a sufficiently windy location, then grid tie can be worthwhile financially and also reduces your carbon emissions. Be aware that such an installation provides NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER against power cuts, you will still be totally reliant on the grid.

A battery charging wind turbine tends to make less economic sense on account of the cost of the battery and the losses therein.
Worth considering though if you get a lot of power cuts, or have doubts about the future availability of grid power.

we would be needing a grid tied turbine that would feed power into the grid even when we are not there ( battery banks have a habit of going missing once your back is turned ) the turbine would be located in the corner of the garden maybe 40 yards from the house where it gets the most wind and would also be out of the way,but due to the location we dont want one that needs a 30mtr mast.we hav'nt had a wind test done but where the house is located it is open flat fields all around and about 10 miles from the coast and even on a still day there is always a breeze.

ive being looking at the Vertical axis 3kw turbines as this type would fit nicely into the corner location as it doesn't have the large blades unfortunatly i cant find out how big the mast needs to be.

Nothing informative to add but good luck!

this is the type i am thinking of installing only with a longer mast

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I'm yet to be convinced of the merits of small scale wind turbines.

Is there a good reason for choosing a wind turbine over photovoltatics? I've heard a lot of bad stories about the reliability for small turbines, they need routine maintenance and don't fare well in storms whereas PV is likely to work for years with zero issues/maintenance.

Planning wise, the size you thinking might exceed the permitted development rights and actually need planning permission.

I rather like the idea of a small wind turbine as a doom prep, but for everyday grid tie renewables I agree that PV might be better.

IME, PV generally does "what it says on the box" and does this for years without significant repair or maintenance.
Wind turbines tend to need regular servicing and/or repairs and do not always live up to the hopes of purchasers.
Vertical axis wind turbines are IMHO a less mature technology than conventional designs.
The only absolute requirement for mounting height is that moving parts need to be well out of reach. Higher is better though and a relatively tall mast not only increases energy output significantly, but the smoother and less turbulent air flow reduces wear.

when the house (bungalow) was built it was built facing east/west instead of north/south so the gable end gets most of the sun,the house is surrounded by open fields with plenty of wind and no near neibours the nearest being half mile away and whilst solar power is easier it is also seasier for toerags to nick when we are not there,for the amount of wind we get down there we wouldnt need a high mast ,a small mast over 10ft would get more than enought wind and we could fit any small turbine as it will only topping up the grid and hopefully canceling out any eletricity we would use on the security system/lights when we are not there.

There is a basic conjunction of the laws of physics and geometry that says bigger is better with wind turbines, but I have some Lincolnshire neighbours with a domestic turbine, who I could put you in touch with. Their's has worked, technically and financially, very well. e-mail me at biffvernon.gmail.com

The maintenance issue is serious, Lynn and Rob, but you might be the sort of people who enjoy it.

I helped build a couple of turbines and they are basically extremely simple but constantly take a battering in use. Unless you commit yourselves to regularly taking it down and maintaining it, it will fail just when you need it the most.

But go for it - life is a constant learning process - and good luck, keep us informed here at PS.

we could'nt find anyone who could install a wind turbine so ended up installing 4kw solar panels .total let down in my oppinion as they have only made 110kw in 16 days.
as mentioned the house faces east/west so we were advised to have half on each side and that really cuts the power production down.
we now have all the security cameras and alarm sucking on that bit of power so its for us until we can get a turbine installed to help with the power consumption at night

Is Lincolnshire the wild east or something? Do you really need security cameras and an alarm? Couldn't you get away with a proximity sensor and some LED lights? That would take b****r all lecky.

The power production does not sound too bad for PV installed in a non optimum direction.

The east facing and the west facing arrays are hopefully electrically independent and NOT connected in series with each other ?

The location may not be the wild east at present, but crime seems subjectively to be increasing, and the response of the police sometimes seems less effective than in the past. It is therefore well to be prepared.

lynnandrob wrote:we could'nt find anyone who could install a wind turbine so ended up installing 4kw solar panels .total let down in my oppinion as they have only made 110kw in 16 days.
as mentioned the house faces east/west so we were advised to have half on each side and that really cuts the power production down.
we now have all the security cameras and alarm sucking on that bit of power so its for us until we can get a turbine installed to help with the power consumption at night

Average daily production from a system with 2 kW East, 2 kW West (assuming 40 deg) should be producing around 11 kWh per day in August so you seem to be around 35-40% down on what you'd expect on average.

Do you have the full 4 kW? What is the roof angle? Maybe it was a bit overcast? Recently high pressure has given us overcast mornings and some high cloud, what's it been like where you are?

The 'cost' of splitting your install 2+2 East and West compared with 4 kW South is around -25% (assuming 40 deg) over the year. However, during the winter months the penalty is far higher more like a half! This is a problem as such a deployment exaggerates the summer / winter difference. Here's a chart:

toe rags are always nicking stuff because its a rural area hense the secuity.

yes its the full 4kw 8 panels on each side.i believe the roof is at around 30deg maybe 35deg but im not sure.either way it a lot less than we expected for the money.