what is the best low speed unit out there now

Re: what is the best low speed unit out there now

What wind speeds are you talking about? I assume that the information from your earlier thread is still correct...

I have realized that for my area the wind is not that great. they call it Class 2 and will maybe touch on a little of class 3. Wind Power Density (W/m2) = 100 to 150 Speed (b) m/s (mph) = 4.4 (9.0 ) to 5.1 (11.5)

Remember low speed winds are also low energy content. If you are looking at 6-10 mph winds--I am not sure that you will find any "home" unit that will give you more than a hand full of watts reliably.

Are there any successful wind installations near your home? Do they have a good bit of data (ideally, at least 1 year history) where you can compare the output per $$$ vs a solar installation?

In the end, it is your money. But spending $5,000 for a wind turbine vs the $5,500 for power over the last 10 years---does not make any financial sense. I am not sure there is any home style wind turbine that will last ten years, or generate anywhere near 400-500 kWhrs per month (assuming ~$0.10 per kWhr) over the next 10 years in your wind environment.

Solar PV panels are going to cost more up front, but should last 25 years vs the 3-5 years that seems typical for wind turbines (ready to rebuild/replace that wind turbine 5-8x over the next two and a half decades?).

In the end, if you have the "extra cash" available to conduct your own experiments with wind power, by all means, go for it!

If, however, you will be financially harmed by this project--please look at the financial implications closely.

Personally, I installed solar PV grid tie because it was getting close to a financial wash (base utility power is $0.12 per kWhr)--especially if I wanted more electrical power in the future (electric car, use A/C as we get older, etc.). California has very punishing rates if you use more than 300 kWhrs per month. Above 1,000 kWhrs per month, it gets up to $0.30 to $0.50 per kWhr and my installation (after rebates) provides me ~400 kWhrs / month at ~$0.14-$0.17 per kWhr (assuming I have to replace the GT inverter once or twice in the next 25 years).

-Bill

Re: what is the best low speed unit out there now

Well, here is a 10kW Bergey data sheet (PDF) that produces about 1 kW in 12 MPH wind...

If your "average" wind speed is 8-9 MPH at the top of your tower, it will produce in excess of 400-500 kWhrs per month...

The Skystream 3.7 (pdf) only generates ~250 watts in a 12 mph wind...

The Skystream will only generate ~100-150 kWhrs per month in 8-9 MPH "average" wind...

If you want a lot of power from low speed wind, you are going to need a very big propeller (swept area) on the wind turbine.

Plus, take monthly numbers with a large pinch of salt (look for independent validation of any wind turbine manufacturer's wind data--for some reason, most mfg data shows much higher generation figures...).

Both units have a 5 year warranty.

-Bill