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Wind Power Education, WInD Energy, Training, Classes, DIY, Installer

Our online educational videos are a great value offering comprehensive information from the comfort of your own computer! Explore the world of Solar Power Mart today!

 Solar Education

You can learn about everything from home efficiency to how to install a wind turbine from our classes, articles and educational videos.  If you're looking to become a well informed consumer, a professional installer or just to explore wind energy, we have a resource that can help!

 


You'll find:

  • Hands-on workshops and classes for homeowners and professional installers
  • Educational Videos you can watch online and access in the future
  • Free wind energy video tips
  • A large library of articles on various topics about wind power, a thorough glossary and calculators to help you design your system.

 

Important Document:

  1. Wind Power Guide 



Overview 

Wind turbine systems for homes are one of the more cost effective forms of generating electricity from a renewable energy source if you have the right site.  In general terms, a site that has at least a half acre of open land and average of 10 mph (16km/h) or higher winds is a good candidate for a wind turbine installation.

It is possible to have a system that only gets its power from wind, however, many people combine getting power from a wind turbine with getting power from a solar electric system.  The two technologies are often complimentary: when there's little sun (e.g. during the winter or when it's overcast), there's often more wind and vice versa.

The most commonly used wind turbines for homes are usually not very large - ranging from 3 feet (~1 meter) to 6 feet (~2 meters) in diameter.  There are also some like the Bergey Excel which are as large as 22 feet (6.7 meters) in diameter and used for more energy consumptive homes or businesses.

Most of the small wind turbines that are available for use with individual homes and business produce no more noise than the wind would whispering through the leaves of a tree.  Small wind turbines have also been shown to hurt fewer birds than glass patio doors that are so common on many homes.


How it Work
Just like solar electric systems, wind powered systems can be used in two ways: off-grid or on-grid.  Off-grid is when your home or business is entirely disconnected from an electric utility company (TNB, SESCO, etc) and you generate absolutely all of the electricity you need.  Usually these systems cost about 30% more than an on-grid (or 'grid-tie' system).  A grid tie wind power system sends all of its electricity back into the public electrical network (grid) which the electric company gives you credits for (not for Malaysia).  At the month, the electric company sums up your credits with how much your home or business has consumed, and if you're lucky the electric company will owe you money!  Unfortunately, most electric companies only pay you a small fraction of what they charge you for those extra kilowatt-hours you've created.  So it's usually ideal to design a system that very closely offsets how much electricy you consume or just little less, than attempting to make money from the electric company.



Off Grid Wind Power System

A basic wind power system will consist of:
  • Wind turbine on top of a tower (1) that is wired down to a control box (2) that regulates the charging of a large deep cycle battery bank (3).
  • An inverter (4) which draws electricty from the battery bank and converts to normal household electricity (AC) and feeds the appliances in the home with power as needed.
  • Various safety devices like fuses, breakers and lightning arrestors (not shown in diagram).
Off-Grid Wind Turbine System: 1) wind turbine on a tower 2) wind turbine charge controlling system 3) battery bank to store a reserve of energy to be used by the home 4) inverter to convert battery electric to household power.



On Grid Wind Power System
A grid-tie wind power system can have almost exactly the same components as the off-grid system except that inverter is a special inverter which connects directly into the public utility grid.
Simplified Diagram of a Grid-tie Wind Turbine System with Battery Backup for Home: 1) wind turbine on tower 2) wind turbine controller 3) battery bank 4) grid-tie inverter 5) utility meter to track how much energy is fed into the electric grid (6.).
Increasingly, there are also systems which don't use a battery bank at all - the electricity flows directly from the wind turbine into the special 'grid-tie' inverter and then into the grid.  These batteryless grid-tie systems have the added advantages that they tend to be less expensive (no batteries to pay for) and more efficient (because the electricity doesn't have to pass through the battery bank first).  On the downside, if there's a blackout then your wind turbine system will also shutdown and not be able to provide power to your home or business.
Simplified Diagram of a Grid-tie Wind Turbine System (no battery backup): 1) wind turbine on tower 2) wind turbine controller 3) grid-tie inverter 4) utility meter to track how much energy is fed into the electric grid (5.).
 


How to Get Started? 

Be an educated consumer!  Chances are if you have read this far you are already an intelligent, product savvy person looking to optimize a renewable energy solution that has the right features and positive effects on your household or business that you want with cost.  Here's your itinerary for determining the right wind power solution for your needs:
  1. Energy Efficiency.  Energy efficiency is always the #1 step.  It's estimate that for every $1 you spend on making your home more electrically efficient you save $3-$5 on the cost of a wind or solar electric system.  By reducing your electrical demand you reduce the size of renewable energy system you'd need to purchase.  Start by reading our free article on energy efficiency to get some ideas on where to start. 

    Learn more about the basics of wind power in our How-To Basics Section.  
  • Energy 101: Wind Turbines
  • What's Inside a Wind Turbine?
  • Residential Wind Energy
  • What are the benefits to homeowners frin using wind turbines?

    Wind energy systems provide a cushion against electricity price increases.  Wind energy systems reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and they don't emit greenhouse gases.  If you are building a home in a remote location, a small wind energy system can help you avoid the high costs of extending utility power lines to your site.
    Although wind energy systems involve a significant initial investment, they can be competitive with conventional energy sources when you account for a lifetime of reduced or altogether avoided utility costs.  They length of the payback period the time before the savings resulting from your system equal the system cost depends on the system you choose, the wind resource in your site, electric utility rates in your area, and how you use your wind system.



    If wind power practical for you?

    Small wind energy systems can be used in connection with an electricity transmission and distribution system (called grid-connected systems), or in stand-alone applications that are not connected to the utility grid.  A grid-connected wind turbinecan reduce your consumption of utility-supplied electricity for lighting, appliances, and electric heat.  If the turbine cannot deliver the amount of energy you need, the utility makes up the difference. When the wind system produces more electricity than the household requires, the excess can be sold to the utility.  With the interconnections available today, switching takes place automatically.  Stand-alone wind energy systems can be appropriate for homes, farms, or even entire communities (a co-housing project, for example) that are far from the nearest utility lines.  Either type of system can be practical if the following conditions exist.

    Conditions for stand-alone systems

    • You live in an area with average annual wind speeds of at least 4.0 meters per second (9 miles per hour)
    • A grid connection is not available or can only be made through an expensive extension. The cost of running a power line to a remote site to connect with the utility grid can be prohibitive, ranging from RM50,000 to more than RM100,000 per mile, depending on terrain.
    • You have an interest in gaining energy independence from the utility
    • You would like to reduce the environmental impact of electricity production
    • You acknowledge the intermittent nature of wind power and have a strategy for using intermittent resources to meet your power needs


    Conditions for grid-connected systems (Not for Malaysia)

    • You live in an area with average annual wind speeds of at least 4.5 meters per second (10 miles per hour).
    • Utility-supplied electricity is expensive in your area (about 10 to 15 cents per kilowatt-hour).
    • The utility's requirements for connecting your system to its grid are not prohibitively expensive.
    • Local building codes or covenants allow you to legally erect a wind turbine on your property. You are comfortable with long-term investments.



    Wind Power Basic
    All wind systems consist of a wind turbine, a tower, wiring, and the "balance of system" components: controllers, inverters, and/or batteries.

    Wind Turbines
    Home wind turbines consist of a rotor, a generator mounted on a frame, and (usually) a tail. Through the spinning blades, the rotor captures the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into rotary motion to drive the generator.  Rotors can have two or three blades, with three being more common.  The best indication of how much energy a turbine will produce is the diameter of the rotor, which determines its "swept area," or the quantity of wind intercepted by the turbine. The frame is the strong central axis bar onto which the rotor, generator, and tail are attached. The tail keeps the turbine facing into the wind.

    A 1.5-kilowatt (kW) wind turbine will meet the needs of a home requiring 300 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, for a location with a 6.26-meters-per-second (14-mile-per-hour) annual average wind speed.  The manufacturer will provide you with the expected annual energy output of the turbine as a function of annual average wind speed.  The manufacturer will also provide information on the maximum wind speed in which the turbine is designed to operate safely.  Most turbines have automatic speed-governing systems to keep the rotor from spinning out of control in very high winds.  This information, along with your local wind speed distribution and your energy budget, is sufficient to allow you to specify turbine size.

    Towers
    To paraphrase a noted author on wind energy, "the good winds are up high."  Because wind speeds increase with height in flat terrain, the turbine is mounted on a tower.  Generally speaking, the higher the tower, the more power the wind system can produce.  The tower also raises the turbine above the air turbulence that can exist close to the ground.  A general rule of thumb is to install a wind turbine on a tower with the bottom of the rotor blades at least 9 meters (30 feet) above any obstacle that is within 90 meters (300 feet) of the tower.

    Experiments have shown that

    Wind tower height increase power output


    relatively small investments in increased tower height can yield very high rates of return in power production.  For instance, to raise a 10-kW generator from a 18-meter (60-foot) tower height to a 30-meter (100-foot) tower involves a 10% increase in overall system cost, but it can produce 25% more power.

    There are two basic types of towers: self-supporting (free standing) and guyed.  Most home wind power systems use a guyed tower.  Guyed-lattice towers are the least expensive option.  They consist of a simple, inexpensive framework of metal strips supported by guy cables and earth anchors.

    However, because the guy radius must be one-half to three-quarters of the tower height, guyed-lattice towers require enough space to accommodate them. Guyed towers can be hinged at the base so that they can be lowered to the ground for maintenance, repairs, or during hazardous weather such as hurricanes. Aluminum towers are prone to cracking and should be avoided.

    Balance of System
    Stand-alone systems require batteries to store excess power generated for use when the wind is calm.  They also need a charge controller to keep the batteries from overcharging. Deep-cycle batteries, such as those used to power golf carts, can discharge and recharge 80% of their capacity hundreds of times, which makes them a good option for remote renewable energy systems.  Automotive batteries are shallow-cycle batteries and should not be used in renewable energy systems because of their short life in deep cycling operations.

    In very small systems, direct current (DC) appliances operate directly off the batteries. If you want to use standard appliances that require conventional household alternating current (AC), however, you must install an inverter to convert DC electricity to AC.  Although the inverter slightly lowers the overall efficiency of the system, it allows the home to be wired for AC, a definite plus with lenders, electrical code officials, and future home buyers.

    For safety, batteries should be isolated from living areas and electronics because they contain corrosive and explosive substances. Lead-acid batteries also require protection from temperature extremes.

    In grid-connected systems, the only additional equipment is a power conditioning unit (inverter) that makes the turbine output electrically compatible with the utility grid. No batteries are needed. Work with the manufacturer and your local utility on this.


    Hybrid Wind Solar System
    According to many renewable energy experts, a stand-alone "hybrid" system that combines wind and photovoltaic (PV) technologies offers several advantages over either single system.

    In much of the Malaysia, wind speeds are low in the summer when the sun shines brightest and longest. The wind is strong in the November and December when there is less sunlight available.  Because the peak operating times for wind and PV occur at different times of the day and year, hybrid systems are more likely to produce power when you need it.

    For the times when neither the wind generator nor the PV modules are producing electricity (for example, at night when the wind is not blowing), most stand-alone systems provide power through batteries and/or an engine-generator powered by fossil fuels.



    If the batteries run low, the engine-generator can be run at full power until the batteries are charged. Adding a fossil-fuel-powered generator makes the system more complex, but modern electronic controllers can operate these complex systems automatically. Adding an engine-generator can also reduce the number of PV modules and batteries in the system. Keep in mind that the storage capability must be large enough to supply electrical needs during noncharging periods. Battery banks are typically sized for one to three days of windless operation.

    Summary
    By investing in a small wind system, you can reduce your exposure to future fuel shortages and price increases and reduce pollution. Deciding whether to purchase a wind system, however, is complicated; there are many factors to consider. But if you have the right set of circumstances, a well-designed wind energy system can provide you with many years of cost-effective, clean, and reliable electricity.






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Solar Panel, Charge Controller,
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ph: +603-8052-0078 (Sales)
fax: +603-2178-4468

sales@solarpower-mart.com