Solar to Wind ratio?
Steven Lake
Solar Expert Posts: 402 ✭✭
I've been looking all over for this answer and alas, I have nothing. My question is this. If I wanted to supplement some of my off grid power needs with wind to reduce how much solar I need to supply my requirements, what percentage would be required and classified as "safe" IE, 60% solar, 40% wind? And if so, what's the minimum recommended wind input to make that a viable solution? I ask because I'm quickly coming to the realization that what I'd need to fulfill all my energy requirements is gonna completely torpedo the wallet into a sniveling whimpering little pile of goo. But since I can do wind for roughly 1/3rd of what I can do solar, I figure that might be my ticket to making everything work without bankrupting myself. Anyhow, what's your suggestions on this? Also, fyi, my local wind average speed is 12mph over a 24hr period. The winds also tend to be strongest at night, weakest during the day. Anyhow, help is welcome as always.
Comments
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Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
How do you come up with 1/3 the cost? -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
I have found that my wind cost about 10 times the solar and that I get nothing except during the occassional storm and then it is hard to control.
gww -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
The way I would look at the question--Figure out when solar is "cost effective" for you--And then enough wind in the season to make up for loss of solar that would have been suplimented by generator run-time.
For example, using PV Watts, fixed solar array tilted to 42.4 degrees from horizontal near Detroit Mi:
Month
Solar Radiation
(kWh/m2/day)
1
2.90
2
3.59
3
4.13
4
4.84
5
5.52
6
5.58
7
5.42
8
5.48
9
5.18
10
3.96
11
2.59
12
2.15
Year
4.28
Solar power is pretty cost effective at 4 hours of "noon time equivalent" sun per day. You can add panels to make up for poor winter sun--But you would have to double the array for December. So--assuming you have enough panels to run March through October with solar--Then you would want either to add panels, or run enough wind power to make up for the dark days of winter.
Do you have any performance numbers from an existing wind system in your area? Do you have any turbine models/towers that interest you?
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?solar_dave wrote: »How do you come up with 1/3 the cost?Do you have any performance numbers from an existing wind system in your area? Do you have any turbine models/towers that interest you?Then you would want either to add panels, or run enough wind power to make up for the dark days of winter.
-
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
So--How much power do you use, and how much (if any) solar power do you have?
How big of battery bank (AH @ Volts)?
-BillNear San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?Steven Lake wrote: »But with our wind and the amount of wind it takes to really get it really generating, the average for the whole day is about 100-200 watts per hour (depending on location) averaged across the entire 24 hour period.
You do not average 100-200 watts per hour. You average 100-200 watt-hours per hour. Or the average wattage over the 24 hour period (not per hour) is 100-200W.SMA SB 3000, old BP panels. -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
Here's some averaged figures. System has 1kw SWWP |H80 wind turbine, 2.1kw pv (generator, some utiloilty too). The wind average over 10 yuears is 560kwhrs per year, solar 2300kwhr per year. The wind provides about 25% of the renewables for a year, the solar 75% (not total energy, generator and utility do the rest, another couple of hundred kwhrs).
I looked at replacing the wind turbine this spring (fixed it instead). Cost for turbine and controller was going to be about $6K USD. How much do you think 1kw of pv installed would cost...maybe $2K racking, controller and all in? Wind can be nice when there's no sun (March, December, night), but it really pales when you consider the upkeep/maintenance that goes along with it...compared to pv (nothing beyond changing angles 2-3 times per year so far).
Money won't be spent on wind here anymore. Well, bearings only cost $30 every 5 years, but no replacement of turbine...more pv.
Ralph -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?
One other thing, I do get more wind in winter. I have a fixed solar aray set for winter and actually produce more on short winter days then I do on long summer days, although due to clouding my monthly average is about 16 kwh daily winter and 20 kwh summer. My short winter days give about 32 kwhs but more of them are cloudy. My summer days are about 26 kwhs. My turbins give about a 800 watt daily average winter and maby 20 watt average summer. My turbines are on an 80' pole and a 40' pole and I live in a wind zone two.
Hope this helps.
gww -
Re: Solar to Wind ratio?So--How much power do you use, and how much (if any) solar power do you have?
How big of battery bank (AH @ Volts)?
-BillIt may seem like a small quibble, but it is important:
You do not average 100-200 watts per hour. You average 100-200 watt-hours per hour. Or the average wattage over the 24 hour period (not per hour) is 100-200W.Here's some averaged figures. System has 1kw SWWP |H80 wind turbine, 2.1kw pv (generator, some utiloilty too). The wind average over 10 yuears is 560kwhrs per year, solar 2300kwhr per year. The wind provides about 25% of the renewables for a year, the solar 75% (not total energy, generator and utility do the rest, another couple of hundred kwhrs).
I looked at replacing the wind turbine this spring (fixed it instead). Cost for turbine and controller was going to be about $6K USD. How much do you think 1kw of pv installed would cost...maybe $2K racking, controller and all in? Wind can be nice when there's no sun (March, December, night), but it really pales when you consider the upkeep/maintenance that goes along with it...compared to pv (nothing beyond changing angles 2-3 times per year so far).
Money won't be spent on wind here anymore. Well, bearings only cost $30 every 5 years, but no replacement of turbine...more pv.
Ralph
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