50kw-100kw reports (large wind turbine recommendations)

StevenB
StevenB Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭✭✭
A land developer friend of mine, who wants to explore the possibilities of building a large green community, with a large co-op wind power turbine (s) to supplement the electric usage of all the residents..........asked me about 50-100 kw turbines.

Although I am aware of the AOC and NPS systems...and have read the NREL reports, but does anyone know of comparative reports online, with some more subjective observations, to go along with the objective scientific data?

Anyone have suggestions for what is considered the best in this category?

Thanks!
Steven

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: 50kw-100kw reports

    That is a big project... You will need to work with engineers, planners, city, utility, etc...

    My two cents--siting is going to be critical to the haplessness of the new community.

    Placing the turbine to the North/South (instead of East/West where strobe-ing shadows can fall on homes and yards (mornings, evenings)...

    And hopefully, the turbine can be installed "downwind" of any residents (less issues with noise and subsonic noise).

    And--if you have wind farms in the area--it would be interesting to find the installer/maintenance companies... Nice to have the same turbine/service folks nearby (hopefully, lower base rates if company/people/parts are local--plus they are familiar with the local regulatory environment).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • StevenB
    StevenB Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 50kw-100kw reports

    Oh boy...that's interesting insight, right from the start. But yes... I will not be jumping from my little AirX to a 50kw. My people will be shopping engineering firms. But there is nothing out here, except for some "professionals" a few notches above my own knowledge base (and I'm beginning to doubt that the more I hear them spout c#@p).

    I do know that extended site evaluations are a critical requirement. And I believe we will before anything, sitting down with our Utility company to see which possible sites are located near enough to lines that can handle the power production on the grid.

    After just a short time with my own small wind power and observing the industry's own "myths and fairy tales" I'd like to get some advice on what are commonly considered the leading manufacturers in North America. I've looked over NREL's performance and acoustic reports, and AOC's own project reports.....AOC looks good, with possible acoustic concerns.

    fyi I am a design engineer/consultant of sorts, for facility master planning....autocad / 3d site modeling etc....in other words coupled with my beginner status in wind/solar.....just enough knowledge to be dangerous!

    Thanks for entertaining these questions. I know they are beyond the intended scope of this forum. And I'll continue to use this for my own personal home project.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: 50kw-100kw reports

    Any resort or community that has enough wind for power, will be uncomfortable to live in. Solar is likely a much better answer, and grid-tie would be my suggestion.
    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 ||
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 50kw-100kw reports (large wind turbine recommendations)

    Might it be a better "bang for your buck" to do an offset? In other words, buy conventional grid power, but take your investment $$ and invest with one of the new bigger players in the market. It seems like the advantage would be a much bigger economy of scale.

    The engineering for one wind turbine with a one off installation would be way more (on a per unit basis) than the engineering on a scale of 100 turbines. So $10,000 invested in wind might go twice as far (just a guess) if it is invested at scale. The money then saved could be used for making the entire community more energy efficient.

    Just a thought.

    Tony

    PS. I agree with what Mike says. The same economics of scale are also true of Pv solar. On the other hand, small scale residential solar is both more common with readily available hardware, and has certain other advantages.
  • StevenB
    StevenB Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: 50kw-100kw reports (large wind turbine recommendations)

    On my own personal scale, 4 - 400w Airx's would be more productive, dependable, and cheaper than 1-Whisper 200. My original thought was 20 Bergey 10kw's....not some monster.

    The developer wants to make a community of super efficient homes, well insulated, geothermal, and individual solar systems. On the "lunatic fringe" portion ...even considering solar pumping a water supply, and methane generation plants from waste.

    Eastern Shore Maryland is a unique combination. Very flat, strong coastal winds, sunny winters and summers. A barrier island with a tourist city that expands from 9,000 to 300,000 in the summer. It's expanding now beyond the island.
    Just inland, still flat but large expanses of rural, intertwined in rivers, bays and marshlands (which has it's own politic of wetlands restrictions).

    So far we haven't gotten very far in Maryland initiating a discussion on an outright wind farm , with the local Utility companies. Maybe with some individuals now getting interested that carry far more weight than me....it can be discussed more.

    We are only in the last year overcoming some of the local politic concerning wind power (personally I fly under the radar). The politic is probably quite different than L.A., each with it's own challenges. But economy aside (some admission has to be made that a turbine has a marketing aspect).....if a large turbine is a negative aspect of residing in proximity...then it's no good.