Wind Turbine Question

Zakarume
Zakarume Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
I am just about to finish my Solar Project at home and would also like to get a very small wind turbine to offset recharging batteries in case of cloudly days. This would be for charging a 24v system

What i would like to get is a good quality turbine around 300 - 500 watts. And good Charge Controller preferably a MPPT. Any recommendation?
1460 Watts Solar @24v. 675 AH Battery Bank using 12 6v Trojan T-105. 1 Midnite Classic 150. 1500 Watt 24v Samlex Pure Sine Inverter

Comments

  • pechan
    pechan Solar Expert Posts: 92 ✭✭
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    For half the money of that Kestrel you can buy a Honda EU1000i which produces the same power and doesn't care if the wind is blowing or not.

    Before you invest in a wind turbine make sure you have enough wind; it can be cloudy and calm at the same time. Also make sure you look into the cost of putting up a decent tower for the turbine; a ten foot piece of pipe stuck in the ground won't do it.

    As is so often repeated around here the simple fact is that for most location small wind is not a good investment.
  • pechan
    pechan Solar Expert Posts: 92 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    I agree with coot,

    I was just trying to make a point that if you want a solution that works its going to cost a lot for a "good quality turbine".

    You are much better off adding 1-2 kw more solar.
  • Zakarume
    Zakarume Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    I got 4 240 watt solar panels coming in. Total of 960 watts. Will be getting rid of the 12v panels. Missouri weather can be unpredictable at times. Was just looking for a small turbine for those days in cloudy weather
    1460 Watts Solar @24v. 675 AH Battery Bank using 12 6v Trojan T-105. 1 Midnite Classic 150. 1500 Watt 24v Samlex Pure Sine Inverter
  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    z
    I have two 500 watt turbines. Last eight days without sun in MO. solar made about 25 kwh and turbines made 2kwh in that time. If you need to rely on the power, go with coots suggestion of a small generator. If you just think turbines are cool, and don't care what you spend get both, turbine and generator. Just my opinion.
    Good luck
    gww
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question
    gww1 wrote: »
    I have two 500 watt turbines. Last eight days without sun in MO. solar made about 25 kwh and turbines made 2kwh in that time.

    Nice 'real world' comparison. I wanted to mention the problem getting a wind turbine up above the tree line, usually 50 feet minimum for decent wind, the cost of the tower might be greater than the turbine itself. and placing it in an urban setting would also be difficult, and check the local regulations, some communities don't allow them.

    I do wish the sun would shine! This has to be the worse fall I can recall batteries were about 70% last night with a chance of sun this afternoon and 'mostly sunny' tomorrow... which seems to have been recalled the last couple times. Just popping online to see and I guess they have the radar set to a deep penetration, shows we should be breaking out now, but the forecast is for partly cloudy, which never seems to mean, some sun...
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • Zakarume
    Zakarume Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    After hearing everything. i wont be getting a turbine. I was just hoping there might be a good turbine out there
    1460 Watts Solar @24v. 675 AH Battery Bank using 12 6v Trojan T-105. 1 Midnite Classic 150. 1500 Watt 24v Samlex Pure Sine Inverter
  • pechan
    pechan Solar Expert Posts: 92 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    There are plenty of "good Turbines out there" but there is a lack of "good wind"
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question
    For half the money of that Kestrel you can buy a Honda EU1000i which produces the same power and doesn't care if the wind is blowing or not......

    Ditto. Most places humans find pleasant to live in, do not have enough wind to bother with.
    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 ,

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question
    Photowhit wrote: »
    .... I do wish the sun would shine! This has to be the worse fall I can recall batteries were about 70% last night with a chance of sun this afternoon and 'mostly sunny' tomorrow... which seems to have been recalled the last couple times. Just popping online to see and I guess they have the radar set to a deep penetration, shows we should be breaking out now, but the forecast is for partly cloudy, which never seems to mean, some sun...

    I'm coming up on 2 weeks of generator power, no sun in forecast for another week. 5 days ago, I got 11 minutes of absorb from solar, after 4 hours of generator time.
    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 ,

  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    Whit
    This has to be the worse fall I can recall batteries were about 70% last night with a chance of sun this afternoon and 'mostly sunny' tomorrow... which seems to have been recalled the last couple times

    Looks like the sun has been recalled again as I still haven't seen it. I have the turbines down and am using the grid to do an extra eq as my batt. has not reached full charge in 8 days. I have to turn the turbines off during eq with no sun cause I can't run loads and my oppertunity loads during grid chargeing. That is another thing about turbines, it is not that they produce much over all but one small spert of wind can really drive battery voltage high if you have nowhere else for the power to go.
    gww
  • Surfpath
    Surfpath Solar Expert Posts: 463 ✭✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    Greetings Zakarume!
    Sounds like you are heading in the right direction with the generator. I have recently worked with a friend who has a 1KW Bergy mounted on a 35-40' tower. They are located at the top of a seaside cliff and, let me tell you, they have wind. Right now the windmill sounds like it is about to take off & it's been 6 days like that. It's now the "windy season" and their production now is fantastic and they need it because their batteries are reaching end of life.

    However, even they still rely on their PV for primary charging because there are always 3-5 months where the wind will be normal, ie poor for production.

    I concur with the other posters in the thread, it seems that wind is only for folks like this, but even still PV has to be primary.
    Outback Flexpower 1 (FM80, VFX3048E-230v, Mate, FlexNetDC) 2,730watts of "Grid-type" PV, 370 AmpHrs Trojan RE-B's, Honda 2000 watt genny, 100% off grid.
  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    Re: Wind Turbine Question

    I have had my solar for 1 and 1/2 years. I made 8 kwh in two days this month with the turbines. That has only happened about 3 times. I am glad to get it. My 5600 watt solar aray is only giving about 2 to 3 kwh's daily this whole month. The differance is I did get three 16 kwh days. This is the worst month I have seen since I put the system up. The solar can put out 32 kwh on perfect days. That is the differance with the wind and solar. The solar will atleast cover the system tare losses and maby help the battery self discharge even if I can't make enough to use and one good day and I am back in the game. The wind might give a good day but has many that you get zero and in summer that could be for months. I can say that I am addicted and can sit for hours watching the turbine output when it is windy. Probly there are worse ways to spend time.

    I can't wait to see the sun although the way things are going the panels may be covered with snow by the time it comes out.
    Cheers
    gww