Maybe a Wind Turbine is a better idea.

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ColdHouse
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Post by ColdHouse »

I was thinking that since I have limited place to put any more solar panels, maybe a wind turbine would be the way to go.


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Post by StokerDon »

Wind turbine is a great idea. One big problem is that any maintenance or repair requires climbing a tower. It's not for everyone.

-Don

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Post by warminmn »

With hills around you, or just the trees that are blocking your panels you'd have to get it in the air a ways. Im in one of the windier areas of the country and I still see a lot more panels than private windmills. There must be a reason. Before panels got popular there were still a few windmills here as long as I can remember. Some I notice not in use as often as they are using them so they must require quite a bit of upkeep.

Im sure some are better than others and Im no help with that.

Did you ever consider cutting back on your usage a little? You seem to have electric everything and big users with all your refrigeration, dryer, and cook stove specifically. I understand if you dont want to cut back too. You could get to netzero a lot cheaper with a little conservation.

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Post by mozz »

Conserving is not part of the green agenda. That would take intelligence and thought. Also have fun with your neighbors complaining of your wind tower noise. $63 electric bill last month, probably the highest i have ever seen.

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Post by ColdHouse »

warminmn wrote: Sat. May. 18, 2024 10:38 am With hills around you, or just the trees that are blocking your panels you'd have to get it in the air a ways. Im in one of the windier areas of the country and I still see a lot more panels than private windmills. There must be a reason. Before panels got popular there were still a few windmills here as long as I can remember. Some I notice not in use as often as they are using them so they must require quite a bit of upkeep.

Im sure some are better than others and Im no help with that.

Did you ever consider cutting back on your usage a little? You seem to have electric everything and big users with all your refrigeration, dryer, and cook stove specifically. I understand if you dont want to cut back too. You could get to netzero a lot cheaper with a little conservation.
It seems the wind is always coming from the NE the trees and hill are on the south.
I watched a video of a guy that built a tilting tower where you can lower it to service.
Obviously would need to be thought out.

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Post by warminmn »

If you havent seen a water pump windmill go up find a video online. I watched the Amish do it once. lots of people, lots of ropes. Not that that is what you'd do but it might give you ideas.

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Post by Rob R. »

Wind power does better in winter…with the disadvantage of mechanical parts that need service.

Before adding means of alternate power I would make sure you have done what you can to curb consumption.


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Post by ColdHouse »

Rob R. wrote: Sat. May. 18, 2024 6:39 pm Wind power does better in winter…with the disadvantage of mechanical parts that need service.

Before adding means of alternate power I would make sure you have done what you can to curb consumption.
As you know consumption is not that easy to cut. We were gone away for a couple of weeks with nothing running but dehumidifier and whatever runs and were using over 30kwh per day. As discussed at the time and more than once a dehumidifier is expensive to run. So far this Spring, I have not as of yet turned it on. I have one of my heat pumps heating the basement and to this point the humidity is under control. I don't think it is healthy to have excessive humidity in an area where a person lives.

Another consideration is we have my wifes parents living here. She is incontinent and has plenty of laundry. He was burned badly in a fire when he was younger and cannot tolerate cold so he has a space heater in his room that he uses for many cooler/colder months. At one point we were doing a load of laundry every day for the mother but we have cut that back to every couple of days. If I had to guess we do 10 loads of laundry per week. Another factor is before the laundry would get washed and put in the drier in the morning and my wife would come home and turn the drier back on before removing and folding the laundry. Now I don't put it in the drier until she is headed home so it is still warm when she gets home.

I do not think refrigerators consume that much energy. Another thing is the father has his TV running all the time. All night. If you shut it off, he wakes up and turns it back on. The stove and or oven are a necessity. If you don't cook at home, you are paying to eat out.

Let's not forget about charging the EV.

If I had to guess, without any one awake using any major appliances, we average 1.25kw per hour. That is 30 per day. So if we were not home and the house was shut down, except basement humidity and what runs all the time, that is 900 kwh per month.
I think basement humidity accounts for 0.75 kw per hour or 18kwh per day. So everything else that runs like lights and fridges and freezer and computer... is about 12kwh per day or .5 per hour.

This is actually pretty objective data since I have record of consumption on 15 minute intervals for almost the last year.

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Post by Rob R. »

I am not being critical of how much power you use, just pointing out something that is often overlooked.

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Post by ColdHouse »

Rob R. wrote: Sun. May. 19, 2024 7:47 am I am not being critical of how much power you use, just pointing out something that is often overlooked.
I am not taking it as a criticism just pointing out what the situation is.

Larger homes with basements and more occupants require more energy than a small cabin.

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Post by waytomany?s »

Bladeless wind energy innovation aims to compete with rooftop solar

https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/05/23/bladeless- ... top-solar/

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Post by BigBarney »

For residential use I believe solar panels are better...

Large wind is really good but doesn't scale down well...

BigBarney

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Post by ColdHouse »

BigBarney wrote: Tue. May. 28, 2024 5:12 pm For residential use I believe solar panels are better...

Large wind is really good but doesn't scale down well...

BigBarney
If there is no more assessable solar, maybe wind is worth a consideration.
One would have to consider the performance of a less than optimal windmill with decent wind over a great solar panel with little sun.
The funny thing is I look at it like I am only trying to achieve another 5kw annually. Some people install a 5kw solar system.

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Post by BrokenGrate »

My uncle had a residential windmill and it did not work well.

It cost more to install then he would ever get for a return. Part of it was the cold temp cut out that quit making power at 15 degrees. In Maine it gets below 15 degrees a lot.

He ultimately went to solar though.

He died a year ago though

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Post by BrokenGrate »

I live on a river between two commercial hydro dams. It gives me a flow of over 6 mph making it viable. Electricity for me is very cheap but making hot water for heat or domestic hot water is another story.

I designed a hydrokinetic turbine but not sure if it’s worth making. It would be interesting to do some experiments and see how many btu it might generate in a given hour.

I work at a 16 megawatt hydro dam so I know hydro power well enough.


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