# wind generator



## sgrmtndrone (May 13, 2002)

I been looking at adding a 800 watt AC 3 phase wind generator to my off grid system . Most the reading I have done say's the money would be better spent on more solar panels. What do you all think ? Are they relay not worth the money ?


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

Personally, I wouldn't invest in one until I was absolutely sure that there was enough wind activity in my area to justify the costs/effort.

A wind genny is like another piece of equipment. It's mechanical and will need maintenance from time to time.. JMO..


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## sgrmtndrone (May 13, 2002)

That is pretty much the story I have been getting lol . Even the guy where we get our supply's (Mo. wind and solar) said a wind genny is pretty much a want not need item . I have pretty much everything to start my install but was waiting to add some wind to it . Guess I will run over today and just pick up another 220 watt panel and a couple more battery's , it will cost about the same as the wind set up buy the time you got the break , 3 phase resistor & power dump for the wind genny . And to tell the truth much easier on the install in the long run . I started this as just a small back up power source due to lot's of outages in our area but I seem to keep adding to it and plan use it as much as I can in the process . One more panel will have me at 940 watts of panel's counting the 45 watt Harbor fright set on our storm shelter (my first project) it work so well there I wanted to do more on the house .


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## mike554 (Jun 9, 2012)

I will probably add a small wind turbine. Here in the mountains we get very heavy winds (20plus) in the winter mostly at night.


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## AVanarts (Jan 2, 2011)

mike554 said:


> I will probably add a small wind turbine. Here in the mountains we get very heavy winds (20plus) in the winter mostly at night.


That sounds like a good place place for one. 

I plan to put up some turbines at our off grid cabin, but won't expect them to provide our main power which will come from solar. A bit extra during the "low solar" times may help me run the generator a bit less when the sun isn't shining.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

As a trained professional wind site assessor, working with small wind turbines, I find that people are universally overestimating the wind at their location. A lot of people feel ground level turbulent winds, and these winds aren't constant enough or strong enough to produce real power. You need a tower at least 80 to 100 feet tall, or maybe taller to get at least 30 feet above anything within 500 feet, often a tall enough tower can cost more than the small cheap turbines on the market. If the turbine is cheap enough, go ahead and try it on a short tower, but if you want good energy output you need to be TALL!
To get a ROUGH idea of windspeed in your area, you can use the maps at Wind Powering America: Residential-Scale 30-Meter Wind Maps Take the info with a grain of salt, as the windspeeds ignore most ground obstacles, so unless you are on a flat plain with nothing higher than a lawn, no trees, buildings or other obstructions, you actual annual windspeed will be a bit less. But if the map says you are in a very windy location, it could be worth checking into a wind turbine.
Mine has been producing power for us since 1978--but photovoltaics are getting so cheap that today I would buy more PVs, at my location.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

WisJim said:


> As a trained professional wind site assessor, working with small wind turbines,* I find that people are universally overestimating the wind at their location. *



Yep.....THAT right there.

Buddy of mine has an off grid cabin ( I set him up a PV system ) and was curious about wind. He is on the very top of a cleared off ridge and does "seem" to get a lot of wind. We had a local company set up a recording wind meter on a 40' pole, and for the month of Feb and March ( our windiest months ), it averaged only 8mph.......and my understanding is you need 12. Yeah, he had gusts up to 50-60, but only 8 as an average......so he will put up more PV if he needs more power.


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## nadja (May 22, 2011)

Good call TNAndy. I invested almost 3,000.00 in putting my wind gennie up. It is great when the wind is blowing, but most of the time it just sits up there and smiles. And yes, they do take a fairly good wind to lock on and once its running, it takes even more power to really get much out of it. For the money, with todays prices on solar panels being so cheap, I could have almost doubled by panels easily. Solar is a much more reliable source of power for the buck.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I am more than glad that I have good functioning wind turbines producing power. 
At this moment they are powering an electric heater making for a comfortable temp in my house.

Go back and re read WisJim's good post . . It pretty much says it all . . .

NOBODY here on a thread like this can tell what YOU have in your own "micro climate"
We just don't know what you have for wind..........

I have installed many wind turbines, and of course I highly support the wind industry, but I am sorry but your post is just to generic to say how wind would work for YOU.

And yes, with the lowering of PV panel costs it is not easy to sell wind equipment with increasing prices. Steel price increases have put the hurt on tower makers . . . . .and your spinning your wheels if you do not put that turbine up very high..........


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## sgrmtndrone (May 13, 2002)

I still have room to expand another 700 watt without having up up grade my controller and may look in to some of the build it yourself wind genny's (I have several pdf files on them) . Even if I do build one I would have to buy a resistor , a brake & a power dump ,witch would cast as much as another 220 watt panel . On the 30 meter wind map we are a 4.0-4.5 .


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## sgrmtndrone (May 13, 2002)

I thought I would add a 60' tower would put me over anything (the tallest oak) within 500' in our area on this ridge top . I to wonder as I get older & even now :grin: how I would handle putting it up or maintaining it . I am pretty much a DIY type guy.


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## mike554 (Jun 9, 2012)

I've also read all the info about mounting so far above existing structures. I used to drive by a business twice a day that has a Skystream. It was barely above the roof of the business and maybe 20' from the building. It was always spinning at a fairly fast rate. I don't have a clue as to what it was producing but it had to be producing something.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

The skystream is absolutely notorious for being sold/installed on ridiculously inappropriate towers..................
Unscrupulous ****dealers**** to make their bid more attractive, badly short change the customer on towers....

It is well documented about greatly disappointed customers complaining about under performing skystreams.............


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## mike554 (Jun 9, 2012)

They've put quite a few Skystreams up at schools around here.


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