Aidan Doran is a freelance author who writes about various Energy related subjects. For more information about Aidan visit his website techstore.ie
January 19, 2010
People show an increasing tendency towards having their own wind turbines for generating their own electricity and also for reducing their contribution to environmental problems arising from carbon based energy sources.
Wind turbines and their operation
A wind turbine is a machine that can convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Blowing wind rotates the blades of the turbine and the mechanism in it can generate electricity upon this rotation. Wind turbines have mainly two types. Horizontal axis and vertical axis wind turbines. They both have advantages and disadvantages but horizontal axis ones are more common due to higher efficiency.
Individual wind turbines
Individual turbines can be used for various purposes ranging from supplying energy for some small electrical devices where grid connection is not possible to meeting part of the energy demand of a house, a farm or even a production facility. Individual generation systems can be standalone or grid connected. The energy output from a standalone wind turbine can be directly used. However, in grid connected systems excess electricity produced can be supplied to the national grid system. In Ireland, you will have chance to be paid for the excess electricity you supply to the grid up to 500kW. Individual wind turbines can range from as small as 50W to as large as 3 MW, depending on their purpose of use.
Individual wind turbines for domestic use
Unlike large industrial wind turbines, these turbines have smaller dimensions that make them appropriate for using in relatively smaller areas. Their capacities range from as small as 50 watts to as high as 50 kilowatts and their prices vary depending on their sizes, types and manufacturers.
What to do for installing a small wind generation system?
First of all you have to decide whether you really need a small scale wind turbine for your energy needs. Sometimes just saving some energy can lower your bills but if the reason for considering a small turbine is being in off-grid areas you can proceed to the other steps. Inspect your site or your building (for rooftop turbines) to see whether it is appropriate for installing a wind turbine. You should have enough space to install a turbine without the wind being blocked by other buildings or obstacles. Determine your energy needs. Your utility bills will probably be your best references. See if the place you will install your turbine is windy enough. You can always find wind measurement data in wind energy associations’ websites for your area. Depending on your energy requirement and the wind potential in your area, decide the capacity and type of the turbine you will need. Your small scale wind system is expected to have a ROI period of maximum fifteen years. Economic lifetime of a small wind turbine without changing the main elements is estimated to be about twenty years and proper maintenance will increase this. However, maintenance needs of small wind turbines are expected to be minimal. Get any permits required in your area. You will probably need a contractor for erection, assembly, electrical connections of your wind turbine. However, if your turbine is micro scale, you can do these jobs by yourself as well. You can find domestic scale wind turbines and also 400W or 1 kW self installed turbines and accessories on windturbines.ie.
Individual wind turbines for industrial uses, i.e. factory sites
Turbines for industrial uses have capacities between 500kW to 3 MW. You will be able to generate electricity for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 25 m/s. For times that the wind is not blowing, one can still get electricity from the grid. This will result in additional revenue in addition to your reduced electricity bills.
Steps towards a wind turbine installation in your factory site:
The steps that should be made for installing an industrial scale wind turbine are approximately the same as those for installing a domestic turbine. The only difference is that they require more expertise. So it would be a good idea to take a turnkey service from an expert company in order not to experience any problems. The stages for a turbine installation are outlined below:
Wind Measurement: As your annual electricity generation depends mainly on wind speed, this step is of vital importance to be able to forecast your energy production. You can never know what you will generate without knowing what you have in hand. Feasibility studies: This will be a detailed study to let you know whether your proposed system will be a feasible project or not. Grid connection studies: This step assesses grid connection possibilities for your proposed wind turbine. Permission: Planning and installation of your wind turbine will require some permits on planning stage and during installation. Failure to get these permits may result in legal enforcement. Project budget planning: What you will need to spend for your wind turbine project from beginning to the end is an important item in any kind of planning for business. Procurement, commissioning and installation: All your equipment and staff needs for a turnkey project. Post-sales services: Issues like warranty, technical service, and maintenance.
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January 16, 2010
Rooftop wind turbines offer a relatively inexpensive way to participate in the rush to renewable energy. The principle allure is low installation cost. Typically, tower installations for larger turbines add 50-80% to the cost of the system. With a rooftop turbine, an $800 tower is replaced by a $39 roof mounted tripod, or a length of pipe attached to the side of the house.
According to Ron Stimmel of the American Wind Energy Association, “…rooftop turbines still account for only 1 percent or so of the 10,000 small wind turbines that are sold each year in the country.” For this reason, few performance statistics are available from actual owners.
It’s possible, however, to get an idea of the estimated power output of a rooftop turbine from the manufacturer’s website. For example, the Energy Performance chart for Southwest Wind power’s 200W Air Breeze predicts 20-30 kWh (kilowatt hours) per month from 10-12 mph winds occurring 6 hours per day.
To put this in perspective, 30 kWh is less than 5% of the power consumed each month by the average household. Overall, the payback from a single, roof mounted turbine in tangible financial terms leaves a lot to be desired; especially in light of the fact that unlike solar, there is no Federal tax credit for residential wind power.
But anyone thinking about installing a rooftop turbine(s) is probably aware of this already. The rooftop wind enthusiast is not motivated by financial relief, but rather the intangible rewards of pride of ownership, walking the walk, or simple satisfaction as a hobbyist.
Motivation aside, it doesn’t make sense on any level to proceed with a wind powered project unless the three following requirements are met:
1. Higher than average cost per kWh. The more you pay per kWh for electricity, the more economical wind power becomes. A rule of thumb in the wind turbine industry states a residential wind powered system shouldn’t be considered unless you pay $0.10 or more per kWh for electricity.
The easiest way to determine your cost per kWh is divide the current monthly balance on your electric bill by kWh usage (also plainly stated on your bill).
2. Building codes. Visit your building department to find out if there are any zoning restrictions for roof top turbines. Don’t build your rooftop system first and ask questions later – only to be told it violates zoning laws and must come down.
3. Minimum wind speed. Wind speed of 7 mph, or 3 m/s (meters per second) is the start up speed for just about every wind turbine. However, in order to get any “juice” out of the turbine, minimum wind speeds of 10-12 mph for 6 hours per day are necessary.
Although wind speed charts for the United States and Canada are available to help site larger turbines, they’re of little use for rooftop systems because the data is collected at a minimum altitude of 30 meters (98.4 feet).
However, you can get a good idea of the wind speed at proposed turbine locations by purchasing an anemometer (wind speed meter) for around $150. The kit comes with a rooftop sensor, 60′ of cable and mounting hardware for the read out display. These are not data logging meters, so you’ll have to keep notes on your observations.
If you’re really serious about wind speed data collection, you can purchase a data logging anemometer kit with tracking software for $400.
Depending on where you live, wind speeds generally fluctuate with the seasons. Readings taken during the hot summer months of July and August, when you’re begging for a breeze, are not usually a reliable indicator of average yearly wind speed.
Also, rooftop turbines located at the edge of a long flat roof experience much more wind than those located on roof peaks.
If, after a month or two of collecting data you determine there just isn’t enough wind for a rooftop wind turbine, you can always resell the anemometer and turn your attention towards solar.
Home Improvement with Alternative Energy Heating Useful alternative energy and heating information since 2005.
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January 12, 2010
With the earth’s growing population and declining resources, the demand for energy is growing exponentially. To preserve our future, we need to take steps to save power. Utilizing alternative energy sources such as wind power, can not only this reduce the world’s dependence on ever decreasing fossil fuels, but it can also cut home energy cost by a signifigant degree. Wind power solutions are one of the most popular alternative energy sources. Smaller, home wind turbines are extremely efficient and decreasing in price all the time. Home wind turbines can now be built for around $200 dollars or less. These small wind turbines can cut your electricity bill by an average of 30 percent a month and drastically decrease your dependence on the power company, which decreases your dependence on fossil fuels. All these things not only benefit you, but the economy and dependence on foreign energy sources as well.
Most people can utilize these small home turbines but the are a few ideal situations, such as someone living on a farm, who can employ multiple turbines for increased output and efficiency. The ideal average windspeed for a residence should be at least 11mph. If it’s any lower, you may still be able to install a turbine but you may need to take special measures.
A home wind turbine can also be excellent for someone who would like an uninteruppted power supply. Random power outages can wreak havoc on certain home electronics such as computers, which can cause costly repairs and loss of saved information. Even if your normal power supply goes out, a wind powered system will provide electricity at all times. Not to mention saving you from resetting all the clocks in your house after loss of electricity.
A normal turbine is made up of a tower and 5 blades which turn to create the energy. The height of the tower depends on the location of your home. The less wind in your area, the taller the tower will be. If you live near somewhere like a beach, the tower doesn’t need to be very tall at all. As the wind blows, the blades spin, this energy is then turned into electricity which can be used to power appliances or anything else that uses electricity in your home. The electricity can even be stored up, so when wind dies down or your regular electricity cuts out, you won’t lose power.
I’m currently an environmental science student and after studying the state of the world’s resources, I’m doing my best to get people excited about alternate energy. If you’re interested in more information about wind power or how to build your own home wind turbine, visit my home wind turbine website.
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January 8, 2010
scratch. This is very similar to other designs we’ve built, just scaled up a bit. .. This book breaks new ground in the world of home-built wind power … Homebrew Wind Turbine Construction Seminar, Hugh Piggott – Scoraig Wind Electric Small wind turbines are useful in the right environment, but just now they are a playground for those who wish to … Breezy 5.5 home built wind turbine How To Build Wind Turbines Building A Wind Turbine At Home – Video Mar 11, 2009 … How To Build Wind …
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January 5, 2010
Save money and energy! These are pictures of home wind generators, residential wind turbines, and residential wind power turbine designs.
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