Can I add Turbine to Current Solar System?

hmongsolar
hmongsolar Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭✭
It's really hard to find a Hybrid COntroller for both wind and solar. 
Current Solar system is 1550 Watt Kit. 
Winter is approaching, and would like to add Turbine. Instead of upgrading the controller, 
If I wanted to add Wind Turbine, Can I simply just wire the Wind Turbine to my Battery Bank along side with my Solar? 

Unless if you can direct me to a website that sells a Hybrid Controller for offgrid use that is able to handle 1500W Turbine and 1550 Watt Solar panels, that'd be Great! 

Comments

  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    There are controllers such as the Morningstar TriStar  which can control solar or wind but not both at the same time. With wind it would be set up as a diversion controller to divert energy to a dump load when the batteries are fully charged to prevent turbine  over speed when there is no charging load, with solar there are no moving parts so there is no need to dump excess energy.

    Being that the requirements are vastly different I would think it's unlikely there's a controller that facilitates both similtaniously, though I may be wrong.

    When thinking about including wind to a system I would highly recommend researching the feasibility as it is a little more complicated and has specific requirements with regards to wind speed, obstructions height requirements and so forth. The cost of tower construction, additionalequipment and preventive maintenance for a wind generator, makes additional solar more attractive in most cases.




    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • hmongsolar
    hmongsolar Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭✭
    What if I just leave my solar alone, and get a small Wind Turbine? Can I just add the turbine to the battery bank? 

    For example; 
    Solar remain the same but a new Turbine Charge controller wired into the battery bank in the same battery terminals that the solar charge controller is bolted to? is this possible? 
  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    What if I just leave my solar alone, and get a small Wind Turbine? Can I just add the turbine to the battery bank? 

    For example; 
    Solar remain the same but a new Turbine Charge controller wired into the battery bank in the same battery terminals that the solar charge controller is bolted to? is this possible? 

    Yes it is possible with a separate diversion controller and dump load or other means of braking the turbine. The diversion controller will disconnect the turbine from the battery when they are fully charged and direct the turbine output to a dump load, as an example, there may other methods of control specific to the turbine used.
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wind  turbines are really not a great idea because:
    they need Lots of wind
    Lots of maintenance (greasing bearings and brushes)
    a special controller to provide braking, to slow the blades down in high winds  or when batteries are full

    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

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

  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 514 ✭✭✭✭
    And they have to be quite high off the ground to get consistent air flow. Which pretty much means plunking them on some sort of lightning attracting difficult to get to for maintenance tower.

    Buy more panels.
    Island cottage solar system with 2500 watts of panels, 1kw facing southeast 1.3kw facing southwest 170watt ancient Arco's facing south. All panels in parallel for a 24 volt system. Trace DR1524 MSW inverter, Outback Flexmax 80 MPPT charge controller 8 Trojan L16's. Insignia 11.5 cubic foot electric fridge. My 30th year.