Wind Turbine Experiences

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keyturbocars
keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
in Wind Power Generation #1
I've been writing about some of my experiences with country living, and I just added some of my adventures with wind turbines. I thought that someone might be interested (if not now, then perhaps someone searching the archives in the future).

This particular page is a summary of my overall experiences with wind turbines.

http://www.fakefarmer.com/wind-turbines.htm
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    An excellent read indeed. Thanks for sharing!
    I was one of those who a number of years back got suckered into one of the reworked car alternator wind turbines. Only time it ever put out any useful power was when we were hit with one of those tropical storms that come up the east coast every fall, and during those times it would scream like a demon gone mad, and I'd wonder where the blades might be come morning. Must say, it was nice on a warm spring day, to lay back on the ground and watch the pretty blades going around against a clear blue sky, even if it didn't make power. Took the useless thing down after 2 years, while it was yet in one piece. However, all was not lost! I gave all but the alternator back to the retailer I bought it from, so he could sell the parts. The alternator I kept now has a second life, has been running on my micro hydro for 3 years now, and is at this moment, after all system losses, putting out over 176 watts continuous. Ran non-stop through the last two winters, but this summer, due to less rain and thus lower lake levels, it's usually shut down during the day to save water, letting solar take over.
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  • keyturbocars
    keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    I think a lot of people have invested in the car alternator based wind turbines, and only found out later that they didn't live up to the claims. Shame on those companies that sell these and misrepresent them to the public!

    I really like the idea of hydro power. To me, with the right source of water, that would be the ultimate way to go. I wish I had some running water on my property that ran 24/7 and was suitable for hydro.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    nice story. any longer and it would've been a mini-novel.:p
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  • keyturbocars
    keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    Haha. Yes, I've been known to be long winded in my writing. When I'd write e-mails, sometimes they used to be referred to e-novels! So many details and so hard to know what to leave out! :)
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    i should note that i think you write well. when i'm confronted with a long story for me to write (none as long as yours though;)) i get frustrated as i try to condense my thoughts to make my point more quickly. this sometimes works, and sometimes not. part of this is also due to the fact that i'm not the fastest typer in the world. maybe i should get that program that prints what you speak. i do admit that i was never in a typing class and i have improved some over the years, but it is still something less than desirable. do those voice programs really work?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    Everyone who is thinking about getting wind power should read that. I'm not kidding. It's an excellent first-person account of exactly the problems we warn about here, which people don't seem to listen to. Well-summarized at the end too.
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  • Sparkletron
    Sparkletron Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    Thank you for sharing your experiences.

    Regarding your "cheap Chinese piece of junk" and "Beware of wind turbines Made in China!" and other anti-Chinese-manufacturing sentiments, I would simply say that China is easily capable of making the finest goods money can buy. Just visit an Apple store if you have any doubts. Your problem is not with Chinese manufacturing per se, but with corporations--many based in the USA--that control the manufacturing process. Ultimately, your problem is with consumers who don't seem to mind cheap crap and have lowered the bar so far that it's no longer so easy to find quality even when you're prepared to pay for it. Here is where I sympathize with you (or anyone who prefers quality over quantity or convenience).
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  • keyturbocars
    keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    Thanks for the comments everyone.

    Neil, a voice recognition word processor program would be cool. I don't know how well they would work. I could imagine myself getting tongue tied and it'd be interesting to see how the program would interpret it!

    Sparkletron, I know that the Chinese can do a very good job if they want to do so. My HY-2000 wind turbine is Made in China and it is proof of this fact. My comments are not meant to be anti-Chinese manufacturing sentiments. They are just based on first hand experiences, and also based on reading MANY other people's experiences. I am specifically dealing with wind turbines here. I'll still stand by my statement that 9 out of 10 wind turbines coming out of China are probably junk. Who knows maybe it's not quite that bad. Maybe it's 8 out of 10 are junk. In any case, in my opinion, the odds are not good. Once again, this is pertaining specifically to wind turbines. You are right that ultimately the problem comes down to the consumer. I admit I am guilty of buying the cheapest product at times. Sometimes, in doing so, I have shot myself in the foot. That's what I did with my first wind turbine. I got what I paid for!
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  • Sparkletron
    Sparkletron Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences
    keyturbocars wrote: »
    I'll still stand by my statement that 9 out of 10 wind turbines coming out of China are probably junk.

    I don't deny it. Indeed, it may very well be that every single wind turbine coming out of China is junk without exception. But even if that's true, it has nothing to do with China or the Chinese. The factories do what they're told to do. If they're told to make junk by American corporations, then they make junk. And if they're making junk, then it's because a whole lot of Americans have no problem buying it.

    I'm on your side; I don't like junk either. But we'd all be better off pointing the finger where it belongs. Good luck with your farm and I look forward to reading more.
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  • keyturbocars
    keyturbocars Solar Expert Posts: 375 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences
    Sparkletron wrote: »
    Good luck with your farm and I look forward to reading more.

    Thanks, Sparkletron.
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  • klrskies
    klrskies Solar Expert Posts: 30 ✭
    #12
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences
    Sparkletron wrote: »
    Thank you for sharing your experiences.

    Regarding your "cheap Chinese piece of junk" and "Beware of wind turbines Made in China!" and other anti-Chinese-manufacturing sentiments, I would simply say that China is easily capable of making the finest goods money can buy. Just visit an Apple store if you have any doubts. Your problem is not with Chinese manufacturing per se, but with corporations--many based in the USA--that control the manufacturing process. Ultimately, your problem is with consumers who don't seem to mind cheap crap and have lowered the bar so far that it's no longer so easy to find quality even when you're prepared to pay for it. Here is where I sympathize with you (or anyone who prefers quality over quantity or convenience).

    I'm a toolmaker by trade, and although there is plenty of poor quality tooling out there, China can produce some extremely high quality tooling. they have the ability to produce whatever the consumer wants, price being relative to product quality. Many times product management for small, U.S. Companies is done thru brokers who juggle the cost/quality variable...not always ending in with the level of quality the company thought they would receive...buyer beware!

    Ken
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  • Chris Miller
    Chris Miller Solar Expert Posts: 49 ✭
    #13
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences

    Wish the site was still online... :(
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #14
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    Re: Wind Turbine Experiences
    Chris Miller wrote: »
    Wish the site was still online... :(

    Google search "fakefarmer.com" and you will find that it just moved to http://www.rc-trucks.org/home-wind-turbine.htm
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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