Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

DJ · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 22:46 Post subject: Wind turbine

Just in the process of installing a 900 watt wind turbine, 12v hybrid charge regulator with a 400kg 12 cell forklift battery, and a 3kw modified sine wave inverter.
The turbine is going on a 8mt scaffold pole attached to cut down poplar tree, this can be lowered on a pulley system, so can't be classed as a permanent structure.
This is to run lighting and mains to my paddock and summer house.
Was looking at a grid tie inverter, tooooooo expensive.
The kit has took about 6 months to cobble together, beg, steal, borrow etc.
So far tonight got the battery, regulator and inverter installed and wired, left the battery charging up tonight from mains.
Tested the inverter on a x2 500 watt flood light, works spot on.
Maybe erect the turbine before weekend, if time and weather permiting.
I'll up date as I go along.
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Bigcolbee · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 22:55 Post subject:

Guess you need some of these then:

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dxmedia · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 22:56 Post subject:

Cool.

I've heard too many stories of B&Q ones never paying for themselves in the long term, but for something off the grid and scrounged or found, that's ace Very Happy

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DJ · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 23:18 Post subject:

Apart from cost of the B&Q windsave turbines, ("Windsave")
The kit itself is spot on. the problem is completely the wrong application.
The data I've collected regarding siteing a wind turbine, if a turbine is mounted on a building or large structure, the height must be at least double the height of the structure, as the wind hits the blades the wind also hits the building deflecting to the turbine blades preventing the turbine from reaching it's optimum generating speed.
So mounting the wind save unit on a 1.5mt scaffoldon the side of your house is just about pointless.
Not to mention structural damage to the house caused by the turbine.
I looked at these units 2 years ago, A guy came round to check the suitability of my house for the windsave, the guy was clueless, total numptee.
Had no knowledge regarding buildings or wind turbines.

Just to be clear the Windsave turbine and grid tie inverter are a top piece of kit, just wrong application.
Also they won't "supply only" they must install, got to be an approved installer to get your grant etc.
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I DIDN'T TOUCH IT, HONEST!

Dmax single cab pick up 2.5 biturbo

AD · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 23:18 Post subject:

Yes i got one too it's a 1kw navitron had it nearly 2 years, nearly gale force up here, it's chucking out nearly 1200watt Very Happy

If u want advice ive got plenty of it, it not easy bieng green! (especially with a 3.1 troop Laughing

)

You can check out my system here
http://c-zero.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1849.0.html
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2011 3.0l Hilux Invincible
94, 3.1 duty
95, 3.1 commercial, Agricultural licence
04, 3.0 citation

DJ · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 23:29 Post subject:

Great post AD
I take it you've got a Grid tie inverter?
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I DIDN'T TOUCH IT, HONEST!

Dmax single cab pick up 2.5 biturbo

AD · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 23:41 Post subject:

No, can't afford one of them, they cost more than the turbine, have a 1000w sine wave inverter that powers the lighting circuit, (if you read through the posts on the link it explains better)

Would like a grid tie inverter but with this system i have tv, light's kettle ect in a power cut which can be frequent up here.

Would like a bigger inverter but it's hard to find one that runs on 48v.
_________________
2011 3.0l Hilux Invincible
94, 3.1 duty
95, 3.1 commercial, Agricultural licence
04, 3.0 citation

dxmedia · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 0:04 Post subject:

AD · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:06 Post subject:

No, the only way you can run in parrallel is to run two circuits and that wouldn't work on my system Sad

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2011 3.0l Hilux Invincible
94, 3.1 duty
95, 3.1 commercial, Agricultural licence
04, 3.0 citation

Philp · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 14:33 Post subject:

I want to do this if we get the house we're after, plenty of precedence for planning if we need it as several houses within sight have them and theres shedloads of wind as its up on the moors. Between that and the potential for mounting some decent sized solar heating panels on the barn roof I reckon we could cut a big chunk off the bills. For me this is the way forward, rather than massive schemes, allow lots of micro generation by cutting vat on the equipment, giving grants etc. Theres even a stream on the land with a decent fall that could possibly be used to run a water turbine of some sort (Anyone got *beep* strawbridges number!)
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

AD · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 18:39 Post subject:

If it's return on invetsment you are after go for water turbine first (depending upon flow and fall) then hot water solar panels.

The hot water panels are a good bet, they are very simple with little to go wrong with no energy conversion taking place (ie heat to heat as opposed to kenetic to electrical on wind & water)
_________________
2011 3.0l Hilux Invincible
94, 3.1 duty
95, 3.1 commercial, Agricultural licence
04, 3.0 citation

Philp · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 18:58 Post subject:

Yeah, thats what I thought, I could get a decent array of solar panels on a south facing barn roof. The stream is a fair way from the house and I've no idea of the flow rate but it certainly falls well. Theres a lot of wind up there though so a wind turbine would work well but I do understand they are pretty pricey. It seems all the grants out there insist on using an approved installer so DiY isn't an option so it ends up being just as pricey.
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Phil

96 or is it a 98 Isuzu Bighorn Lotus

AD · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 22:29 Post subject:

not easy been green

_________________
2011 3.0l Hilux Invincible
94, 3.1 duty
95, 3.1 commercial, Agricultural licence
04, 3.0 citation

dxmedia · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 22:31 Post subject:

Wow - that must have been some wind to do that Shocked

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For great insurance deals on 4x4s, imports and more, contact Adrian Flux :

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