Wind power because of snow???

CBHunter
CBHunter Solar Expert Posts: 39
Guys, need your advice. Since my cabin is far north, I have my panels covered with snow December and January. There is no way to remove it! I'm talking 1-2 feet of snow with ice, etc....When I'm there, I used my propane generator, and everything is working well, but when I'm not, I need something to keep the batteries floating. Would a small wind turbine be a good idea?

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    Even with snow on them, measure their output, and I think you will find it's enough to keep the batteries floating OK. Snow is not opaque. Just depart with at least 90% charge in them.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,422 admin
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    Also, if you have some vertical, southerly facing, surface that you can mount a panel on such as a wall that does not get drifts. Panel only has to be ~1% of your bank capacity to give a useful trickle charging current.

    Make sure the rest of the loads are turned off.

    Bill "from sunny California--what's snow" B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    i agree with bill that it can be nearly vertical facing south to allow what little snow may stick to fall off quickly. the snow will also amplify some of that light by reflecting it from all snow covered surfaces. wind power can actually encounter more problems in such weather than pv and it's hard enough to have a working wind turbine even with good weather conditions these days.

    rub it in bill.:p
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,422 admin
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    By the way--the Sig was also to let you know to not look for me on advice on how to build homes/systems that work with the white fluffy stuff--others here have more experience than I.

    -Bill :roll: B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    Those of us who do live in the frozen North just crank the panels up to the 'Winter angle' (in my case 76 degrees) and the snow doesn't stick. Not that we've had any snow this year.

    You can check your optimum angle here:
    http://www.macslab.com/optsolar.html
  • WisJim
    WisJim Solar Expert Posts: 59 ✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    If you aren't there often enough to sweep the snow off the PVs, I wouldn't recommend a wind turbine that would be unattended. You never know when a storm requiring a shut down or something else might happen. What angle are the PVs at in the winter?
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    Remote, unattended wind turbine= bad idea!

    A couple of panels, enough to keep batteries in float, mounted on the wall, near vertical= great idea!

    I just returned home after ~6 weeks away in NW Ontario. A winters worth of snow still on the roof panels, but the front wall panels (~110 watts worth) have the batteries in float when I open the door!

    Tony
  • CBHunter
    CBHunter Solar Expert Posts: 39
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    thanks guys! I will go with a few vertical panels facing south!
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???
    icarus wrote: »
    ....
    I just returned home after ~6 weeks away in NW Ontario. A winters worth of snow still on the roof panels, but the front wall panels (~110 watts worth) have the batteries in float when I open the door!

    Tony

    Are the vertical panels on their own charge controller, or paralleled with the other panels on the the main controller?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind power because of snow???

    Because of my local site condition, all the panels are wire in one parallel array. ~250 watts on the roof, 110 on the wall. The CC seems to have no problem finding a mppt it likes given that one set is usually shaded while the other is lit.

    Tony