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Wow. O.K. some good things to consider many I hadn't thought about.
The wind turbine I was looking at is fairly small, not much bigger that the typical farm windmill used for running systems to water stock.
I'll go out and find a turbine already installed and check on the noise issue. I sure wouldn't want to have that constantly in the background if it was truly irritating.
To be honest I'm looking at a variety of systems to heat and power the place, I don't have my heart set on any particular system. It seems that a more diversified power system would leave me more options but more cost.
Solar is a good option too but I'm concerned with the winds, (my place is near the top of a hill and windy) and also hail. Not to digress from the wind turbine thread but how do folks out there protect solar panels from hail and wind damage?
I think the OP isn't planning on putting a 10kW commercial wind turbine to power his place, which I understand could benefit from a 100' tower. However in the private market wind turbines are a compromise of increased output and height of mast. A 100' mast isn't cheap (although you can use it for more than just power), it might be more cost effective to have a 30'-50' mast and a higher output turbine.
These are residential windmills I am talking about, they even sell them at the local Lowes hardware store near me, they even have one on display out in front of the store. This is the most common windmill I see around here. 10 kW GridTek System -::- Bergey Windpower (http://www.bergey.com/pages/10kwgridteksystem - broken link)
Really do your research, and not from pro-environmental sites as they gloss over the problems with them for obvious reasons.
There are many factors to consider and each can have a drastic effect on the effectiveness of them.
If you have the "ideal" location and setting, it "may" be a good investment, but usually there are so many factors that are a negative that likely it will be impractical and not economical.
There is a reason the technology wasn't widely used before the "eco-fad boom".
Really do your research, and not from pro-environmental sites as they gloss over the problems with them for obvious reasons.
There are many factors to consider and each can have a drastic effect on the effectiveness of them.
If you have the "ideal" location and setting, it "may" be a good investment, but usually there are so many factors that are a negative that likely it will be impractical and not economical.
There is a reason the technology wasn't widely used before the "eco-fad boom".
I would certainly seek out unbiased opinions, as I would with any type of capital expense like this. but it's not like they are not viable in good locations. the utility one of my family members works at in PA sat on their hands on this on a range of land where the studies showed that windmills would do well, and FPL group came in and put them up instead. the quantity of substations the PA utility was able to shut down because of the power FPL's windmills are producing was pretty significant.
But the OP has to carefully evaluate if his property is an ideal location. If it is, then it should be a worthwhile investment.
As for the issue on birds, building anything can harm birds. The question is with windmills if you're concerned would be something along the lines of...if i use renewable power, am i helping out the environment and maybe saving more birds than my windmill may be killing? with coal mining now blowing off mountain peaks, transportation of coal, burning of natural gas and drilling for it, etc etc...i'd bet that you're a net positive on the bird effect.
But yes...it is possible that birds will fly into your windmill and die. Just like i've seen birds fly into my picture window at my house and meet the same fate. i'm not taking down my walls though.
Really do your research, and not from pro-environmental sites as they gloss over the problems with them for obvious reasons.
There are many factors to consider and each can have a drastic effect on the effectiveness of them.
If you have the "ideal" location and setting, it "may" be a good investment, but usually there are so many factors that are a negative that likely it will be impractical and not economical.
There is a reason the technology wasn't widely used before the "eco-fad boom".
Hello?! What do you think people used for power before Edison came along and they started to string wire all over the landscape? No, I'm not talking about electricity per se, but power. Power to pump water out of a hole in the ground; power to grind grain into meal.
I have done considerable reading on the wind turbine situation for several years, preparing to build my own grid for power requirements at the farm. The commercial 3 blade horizontal turbines have various problems that go with their design. The three blade prop is invisible at higher rpm's, creating the problem with bird deaths. I understand that vibration is an offshoot of their size and creates difficulty for people who are sensitive to their environment. I have not checked the noise situation out first hand, but various articles have said it can be more than folks nearby want to deal with.
If I were to consider a horizontal axis machine, my hope would be to find an old Jacobs wind generator that the current owners are willing to part with. That is the standard "farm windmill" that worked so well until the TVA and REMC brought lights to the country.
My needs can probably be served with a VAWT, however. They aren't as efficient as the commercial jobs, but I'm not trying to power a city or sell power to the light company. {IMO, if you have the ability to sell power to them, they have the ability to take your power, whether you want them to or not} The cost of inverters is coming down daily. I can put up three VAWTs and have power to spare, for less than the price of one commercial turbine.
These are residential windmills I am talking about, they even sell them at the local Lowes hardware store near me, they even have one on display out in front of the store. This is the most common windmill I see around here. 10 kW GridTek System -::- Bergey Windpower (http://www.bergey.com/pages/10kwgridteksystem - broken link)
Wow at $50k a pop, these aren't cheap and I'd hate to even think what the permitting costs are for a 100' mast (probably the same or more than the cost of the turbine/mast combo).
Are people in SoCal installing these things without doing some basic economizing on power utilization or something? Even so given the climate there for $50K you can install a decent sized solar array and a whole mess of batteries for that, and probably be mostly energy independent.
Hello?! What do you think people used for power before Edison came along and they started to string wire all over the landscape? No, I'm not talking about electricity per se, but power. Power to pump water out of a hole in the ground; power to grind grain into meal.
There is a massive difference between the production and distribution of electricity and that of pumping water. We weren't talking about pumping water, we were talking about using it as a form of electricity to which there are many limitations and issues concerning it. I simply pointed out those issues and wind for electricity has always been a very tricky and finicky application since its conception. It may have certain uses and advantages, but it has a lot of limitations that many promoting it fail to recognize or accept when they speak of it generally. A spoon works well for eating cereal, but it is a terrible shovel. The same is with wind power, it may have some uses, but its ability as a main provider can not compete with current methods.
A spoon works well for eating cereal, but it is a terrible shovel. The same is with wind power, it may have some uses, but its ability as a main provider can not compete with current methods.
I suppose that depends on the size hole you are trying to dig, Nomander.
Wow at $50k a pop, these aren't cheap and I'd hate to even think what the permitting costs are for a 100' mast (probably the same or more than the cost of the turbine/mast combo).
Are people in SoCal installing these things without doing some basic economizing on power utilization or something? Even so given the climate there for $50K you can install a decent sized solar array and a whole mess of batteries for that, and probably be mostly energy independent.
I went on a Solar Home Tour a couple of years ago and I went to one house in my town that had both a 10kw windmill and a 12 kw solar array.
This house was not even that big and he was paying a little more than a dollar a month to be hooked to the grid, he thought he was getting a good deal, he would be getting paid for the extra power now but back then he wasn't. I would have started with solar first myself, there are 10kw windmills all over the place around me, I can see seven from my house but driving around i know of a lot more.
Interesting article, Wayneb. I am heartened by how well it was working for them. Nearly four years later the savings are even bigger and more important, I'm sure.
I recently discovered that the local electric utility has a minimum charge. The going rate is about $.10 per kWh. My rental house has been vacant and used less than 300 kWh last month to keep the GFA furnace running. The electric charge is $43.48, before tax. That is here in town where the infrastructure is old enough to have been paid for a dozen times.
I plan to build at the farm later this year. REMC wants $15 a foot for wire they will drop in a hole I trench. It's at least 1000 feet from the road to the house site, even as the crow flies. Tree roots are in the way, however which means the path for running power lines would be closer to 1300 feet. Of course I can spread that cost out over the first few years that I pay a monthly bill.
For $15,000 I can buy a couple of house sized VAWT's and become my own power company.
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No, I'm not talking about electricity per se, but power. Power to pump water out of a hole in the ground; power to grind grain into meal.
