Residential Wind Turbines For Sale

SSimon · Jun 28, 2006

http://www.windenergy.com/index_wind.htm

You need quite a bit of land to facilitate, i.e. about an acre or more. There's a section that speaks to whether or not you have a suitable site. They run about $6,000.

Here's a site to see if there are any federal or state incentives.

http://www.dsireusa.org/

tripp · Jun 28, 2006

kewl. Don't have an acre of land to put one on though.

Combine this with a PV array and you could generate a lot of energy in a variety of conditions and with net metering could really cut energy costs for the end user. I wish the specs were more detailed. Like what are the cut out speeds etc. It's great to see the price/kWh falling for these technologies.

SSimon · Jun 28, 2006

I called them and if you don't have a lot of tall structures around your land, like very tall trees, and you have plenty of access to prevailing winds, you still may be in good shape to be a user. I have no clue what you mean when you reference cut out speeds!?!?!? I see the site has reference to kwh production per product, if that's what you're looking for.

jbarnhart · Jun 28, 2006

"Cut out speed" is a reference to the highest wind velocity the turbine can handle. Pretty much all horizontal-axis wind turbines have a max operating wind speed. Vertical-axis turbines like the Darrieus rotor are self-stalling at higher wind speeds and avoid the problem. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrieus_wind_turbine)

tochatihu · Jun 28, 2006

If you are thinking at all about wind power or solar, subscribe to Homepower magazine, or just read the free archives on their web site. Very sensible people.

SSimon · Jun 29, 2006

This is all handy info for me. We're building a house in 9-10 years on some vacant land that we purchased (that's the plan right now anyway) and we'd like to be as far off the grid as possible. Maybe all you folks will still be on Prius Chat and I can tap your minds! A lot of you seem technologically saavy.

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jun 29 2006, 10:37 AM) [snapback]278628[/snapback]</div>

This is all handy info for me. We're building a house in 9-10 years on some vacant land that we purchased (that's the plan right now anyway) and we'd like to be as far off the grid as possible. Maybe all you folks will still be on Prius Chat and I can tap your minds! A lot of you seem technologically saavy.
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I would recommend staying grid-tied. Put your excess production capability to use by selling it back to the local utility. It'll help with your ROI (if that's even important to you) or, thinking of it in a different way, help you finance other RE/efficiency projects around your house.

If you think that wind power is a viable power source on your property make sure that you characterize the wind resource. You could even do that now if you wanted. There are several places that rent wind monitors for extended periods of time. You might even be able to get university students to help out with the recording and analysis of the data.

efusco · Jun 29, 2006

I'd love to do this both at my home and my more rural lake house. Not sure the ROI is worth it for the lake place as our electric bill only runs about $50-$80/mo. Our main home, however, is closer to $250 in peak months.

Unfortunately I didn't see any incentives for MO for this type of project and the info on the web site linked doesn't really tell me how much wind energy I would be able to produce and how big of a turbine, etc. Says both the main house and lake house are in a wind area with a rating of 3...but it doesn't tell me what that means.

Seems like that site would be a lot more likely to sell their product to people like me if they had a nice step by step guide....
1)What's your avg. KW use/mo?
2)what's the peak kW use in a month over the past 2 years?
3)Where do you live (and have an algorythm that finds the likely wind 'production' in that area). Also would automatically link to federal and state incentives to display at the end.
4)What amount of space do you have available for a turbine (options include sq. ft, acres, etc)

Then it would spit out their recommended turbine, batteries needed, cost for the system, anticipated savings from the grid or feedback to the grid, ROI time, etc. Then a link to customize and order. Then a link to all the applications for the various loans and tax incentives and such so you just print those out in one easy step.

That's what would get someone like me who's too lazy to make a dozen or more phone calls.

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jun 29 2006, 10:52 AM) [snapback]278635[/snapback]</div>

Says both the main house and lake house are in a wind area with a rating of 3...but it doesn't tell me what that means.
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3 is a "good" resource. Eastern Colorado, where all of our wind farms are located, has class 3 resources. Class 3 is generally considered to be the minimum for utility scale power production. For a definition of the wind power classes check out http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/tables/A-8T.html

tochatihu · Jun 29, 2006

US wind energy overview map

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html

Evan, I like your idea and it could also assess the photovoltaic and hot water heating potential.

From 'heating degree days' it might suggest more thermal insulation on the house. It could be linked to local electricity, NG and fuel oil prices to help with fuel choices. It could grow to unwieldy proportions, but I still like the idea.

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Jun 29 2006, 11:13 AM) [snapback]278652[/snapback]</div>

US wind energy overview map

http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html

Evan, I like your idea and it could also assess the photovoltaic and hot water heating potential.

From 'heating degree days' it might suggest more thermal insulation on the house. It could be linked to local electricity, NG and fuel oil prices to help with fuel choices. It could grow to unwieldy proportions, but I still like the idea.
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Yeah, that would be a pretty cool tool for quickly evaluating options. The trick would be to figure out the best way to optimize energy consumption. Efficiency (ie negawatts) is the cheapest way to improve things and should always be the first step in planning a project. Unfortunately it takes some effort to identify ghost load, applicances to replace, etc. However, if you started with your current, non-optimized consumption you'd probably have a really good conservative estimate of the cost of the project. Optimizing energy consumption would just help you drive the cost down.

SSimon · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 29 2006, 11:47 AM) [snapback]278634[/snapback]</div>

I would recommend staying grid-tied. Put your excess production capability to use by selling it back to the local utility. It'll help with your ROI (if that's even important to you) or, thinking of it in a different way, help you finance other RE/efficiency projects around your house.

If you think that wind power is a viable power source on your property make sure that you characterize the wind resource. You could even do that now if you wanted. There are several places that rent wind monitors for extended periods of time. You might even be able to get university students to help out with the recording and analysis of the data.
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So if we remain grid tied, we don't necessarily have to be utilizing this power but rather selling the excess power that our solar or wind turbines generate? Awesome. I guess there's the extra bonus of having the grid if for some reason the alternate energy sources don't have enough output. I looked at the wind map of Illinois and it seems that the area where we purchased the land has wind quantities characterized as "good". We will implement your ideas as they will not only allow for the wind turbines to be sited correctly but you mentioned ROI and I like this part too! Thanks Tripp.

SSimon · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 29 2006, 11:47 AM) [snapback]278634[/snapback]</div>

I would recommend staying grid-tied. Put your excess production capability to use by selling it back to the local utility. It'll help with your ROI (if that's even important to you) or, thinking of it in a different way, help you finance other RE/efficiency projects around your house.

If you think that wind power is a viable power source on your property make sure that you characterize the wind resource. You could even do that now if you wanted. There are several places that rent wind monitors for extended periods of time. You might even be able to get university students to help out with the recording and analysis of the data.
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Tripp,
Can you comment as to the most important features one should look for in a wind turbine and also solar panels? I had a company come out and quote solar panels a few years ago and they were expensive for our small house. They wanted around $10,000, if I remember correctly. they said we'd save around 40% on our heating and that the technology doesn't yet exist for the solar panels to convert to electrical use. since our windows, insulation and furnace were old, we thought it better to invest in those things first. now that we have this land and will be building from ground up, we want to consider solar panels and wind energy in the design. i'm probably a little over kill about the environment even to the tiny insects that inhabit this earth so you can imagine that i want to consider all options for home construction. i'm also looking into a green roof. i don't need much help on this because one of the contractor's that i bond installs these and i'm sure i'm getting good advice. if you could assist on the solar and wind aspects, it would be greatly appreciated. hopefully, i'm not out of line. if so, just tell me to back off. i just have seen your posts and know you have a ton of information about energy and the dynamics of same. so maybe you'll be flattered......

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jun 29 2006, 12:41 PM) [snapback]278705[/snapback]</div>

Tripp,
Can you comment as to the most important features one should look for in a wind turbine and also solar panels? I had a company come out and quote solar panels a few years ago and they were expensive for our small house. They wanted around $10,000, if I remember correctly. they said we'd save around 40% on our heating and that the technology doesn't yet exist for the solar panels to convert to electrical use. since our windows, insulation and furnace were old, we thought it better to invest in those things first. now that we have this land and will be building from ground up, we want to consider solar panels and wind energy in the design. i'm probably a little over kill about the environment even to the tiny insects that inhabit this earth so you can imagine that i want to consider all options for home construction. i'm also looking into a green roof. i don't need much help on this because one of the contractor's that i bond installs these and i'm sure i'm getting good advice. if you could assist on the solar and wind aspects, it would be greatly appreciated. hopefully, i'm not out of line. if so, just tell me to back off. i just have seen your posts and know you have a ton of information about energy and the dynamics of same. so maybe you'll be flattered......
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Uh oh. I've fooled you into thinking that I actually know something. And yes, I'm flattered. :lol: I don't even know enough to be dangerous but I'll offer as much as I can. Just know that I'm not a professional and have never done any of this stuff. What I know comes from reading stuff on the web, so take it with a grain of salt.

That said...

Energy efficiency upgrades should come first. In your case you're building a new place which will help in your goal of having a small carbon foot print.

Here's what I can think of...

First, talk to an architect who specializes in green design. He or she will plan in things like passive heating and cooling and the proper orientation of the house and the most effective building materials. Radiant floor heating might work well for you. Geothermal heat pumps (not geothermal power production, you won't have that in IL) are definitely something else to consider. Obvisouly I'll want to use all of the latest energy star appliances to reduce your consumption. Since you're not planning to build for a while you have plenty of time to educate yourself. Many of the technologies are moving targets and over 10 years will change quite a bit (hopefully). If companies like Nanosolar and Konarka have their way PV will be considerably cheaper than at present. Current PV prices are not good because supply outstrips demand and there is, at present, a bit of a shortage of PV grade silicon. Most PV manufacturers are working hard to recduce the silicon content of their cells while keeping the efficiencies up. In 10 years I think there's a good chance that there will be several options available to you and you'll find that the cost/kWh will have come down a bit. Unfortunately, only time will tell on these issues.

Do you have flowing water on the property? If so you might be able to utilize micro-hydro power. It's the cheapest of the renewables for small scale use and, if you have a good supply of water, is very predicatable. Just another option to consider.

Given that you're looking down the road a ways I would recommend doing the following:

1.) Setup some Google alerts for phrases like "Photovoltaic Breakthrough" and the like. Google will send you a digest of relevant links as they come up. It's one way to stay on top of current trends.

2.) Seek out sites like RenewableEnergyAccess.com. These are nice because they give you the current news across a wide variety of industries. They also have a lot of Mfg press releases so you can see what products are out there. This will give you a sense for what things cost and what the capabilities are. You'll also see news about credits and RPS (renewable portfoloi standards) that may apply to you and help cover the cost your RE projects.

3.) Hit up the background sites like the American Wind Energy site (http://www.awea.org/). These sites will give you all of the background info about a particular technology that you'll need to understand the basics.

SSimon · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 29 2006, 02:59 PM) [snapback]278752[/snapback]</div>

Uh oh. I've fooled you into thinking that I actually know something. And yes, I'm flattered. :lol: I don't even know enough to be dangerous but I'll offer as much as I can. Just know that I'm not a professional and have never done any of this stuff. What I know comes from reading stuff on the web, so take it with a grain of salt.

That said...

Energy efficiency upgrades should come first. In your case you're building a new place which will help in your goal of having a small carbon foot print.

Here's what I can think of...

First, talk to an architect who specializes in green design. He or she will plan in things like passive heating and cooling and the proper orientation of the house and the most effective building materials. Radiant floor heating might work well for you. Geothermal heat pumps (not geothermal power production, you won't have that in IL) are definitely something else to consider. Obvisouly I'll want to use all of the latest energy star appliances to reduce your consumption. Since you're not planning to build for a while you have plenty of time to educate yourself. Many of the technologies are moving targets and over 10 years will change quite a bit (hopefully). If companies like Nanosolar and Konarka have their way PV will be considerably cheaper than at present. Current PV prices are not good because supply outstrips demand and there is, at present, a bit of a shortage of PV grade silicon. Most PV manufacturers are working hard to recduce the silicon content of their cells while keeping the efficiencies up. In 10 years I think there's a good chance that there will be several options available to you and you'll find that the cost/kWh will have come down a bit. Unfortunately, only time will tell on these issues.

Do you have flowing water on the property? If so you might be able to utilize micro-hydro power. It's the cheapest of the renewables for small scale use and, if you have a good supply of water, is very predicatable. Just another option to consider.

Given that you're looking down the road a ways I would recommend doing the following:

1.) Setup some Google alerts for phrases like "Photovoltaic Breakthrough" and the like. Google will send you a digest of relevant links as they come up. It's one way to stay on top of current trends.

2.) Seek out sites like RenewableEnergyAccess.com. These are nice because they give you the current news across a wide variety of industries. They also have a lot of Mfg press releases so you can see what products are out there. This will give you a sense for what things cost and what the capabilities are. You'll also see news about credits and RPS (renewable portfoloi standards) that may apply to you and help cover the cost your RE projects.

3.) Hit up the background sites like the American Wind Energy site (http://www.awea.org/). These sites will give you all of the background info about a particular technology that you'll need to understand the basics.
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All good. Thanks SO much. We have a stream that runs through the site but only a small section of it and it's a highly restored creek that I don't think they'll want us to tamper with so that's probably out. we cannot wait to build and move and 10 years seems so far away but i guess there are the benefits like researching all this to make sure we're happy when we get there and that the construction and energy practices are well thought out. I read your posts and it seems like you have a broad range of knowledge on a vast number of energy topics so i figured you would be a good source. i thought maybe you're employed in the field?!?!? you certainly must have a passion for the topic if you've learned everything from your internet research. i printed this and your other message for the file that i'm building. cheers to you!

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jun 29 2006, 02:39 PM) [snapback]278774[/snapback]</div>

All good. Thanks SO much. We have a stream that runs through the site but only a small section of it and it's a highly restored creek that I don't think they'll want us to tamper with so that's probably out. we cannot wait to build and move and 10 years seems so far away but i guess there are the benefits like researching all this to make sure we're happy when we get there and that the construction and energy practices are well thought out. I read your posts and it seems like you have a broad range of knowledge on a vast number of energy topics so i figured you would be a good source. i thought maybe you're employed in the field?!?!? you certainly must have a passion for the topic if you've learned everything from your internet research. i printed this and your other message for the file that i'm building. cheers to you!
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It'll probably be my second career. I'm very interested in energy topics. I just read a little everyday. Micro hydro doesn't necessarily tamper with the stream, though you would probably have to divert water out and then put it back in. If it's a small stream then you'd need a pretty good elevation drop to generate a usable amount of energy.

SSimon · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 29 2006, 03:52 PM) [snapback]278784[/snapback]</div>

It'll probably be my second career. I'm very interested in energy topics. I just read a little everyday. Micro hydro doesn't necessarily tamper with the stream, though you would probably have to divert water out and then put it back in. If it's a small stream then you'd need a pretty good elevation drop to generate a usable amount of energy.
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it's a small stream through the property but graduates into a larger stream. there is a good elevation drop on the property but not along the stream. i'll keep this aspect in mind because i'm sure i'm not educated enough in the area to be certain it wouldn't be a good alternate energy source.

isn't that something. you probably wound up in a career for which you have no passion. then you grow wiser, find yourself, your likes and dislikes and realize your in the wrong field. i think this has happened to me because i write construction bonds for a living and development is the anti-steph (my name). i'm a huge environmentalist and have broadened this into prarie restorations, etc. i started volunteering my time for the audubon society and just wrapped up a grassland audit last year (the report card didn't look so good). if i could do it all over again i'd have a career in this arena. well, you could always consider volunteering your time as a consultant and help me out with the construction planning

it was nice talking with you. have fun and thanks for your knowledge

tripp · Jun 29, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Jun 29 2006, 03:32 PM) [snapback]278805[/snapback]</div>

it's a small stream through the property but graduates into a larger stream. there is a good elevation drop on the property but not along the stream. i'll keep this aspect in mind because i'm sure i'm not educated enough in the area to be certain it wouldn't be a good alternate energy source.

isn't that something. you probably wound up in a career for which you have no passion. then you grow wiser, find yourself, your likes and dislikes and realize your in the wrong field. i think this has happened to me because i write construction bonds for a living and development is the anti-steph (my name). i'm a huge environmentalist and have broadened this into prarie restorations, etc. i started volunteering my time for the audubon society and just wrapped up a grassland audit last year (the report card didn't look so good). if i could do it all over again i'd have a career in this arena. well, you could always consider volunteering your time as a consultant and help me out with the construction planning

it was nice talking with you. have fun and thanks for your knowledge
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I'm a self-employed programmer. I like what I do and my job allows me ample time for my hobbies and family. I used to really enjoy programming but over time the enjoyment has waned. Don't know why, it just has. One of these days I want to get into installation and system design. I think it'd be fun and rewarding.

SSimon · Jun 30, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Jun 29 2006, 05:01 PM) [snapback]278818[/snapback]</div>

I'm a self-employed programmer. I like what I do and my job allows me ample time for my hobbies and family. I used to really enjoy programming but over time the enjoyment has waned. Don't know why, it just has. One of these days I want to get into installation and system design. I think it'd be fun and rewarding.
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you are not alone. my husband has been programming AS400 for almost 2 decades. he used to be so challenged by it and when we were cleaning out closets we saw tons of his research materials and notes. he was very self motivated and like you, this has now waned. i guess it's probably more normal than not to gradually loose interest. i'm self employed too. because it's a new company, i am still challenged enough to find the dynamic new and exciting. trying to make money is a big enough carrot to keep my interest! i don't need to get filthy rich because i don't require a whole lot of material possessions or a big house or lots of clothes, etc. but i do want to be comfortable with a comfortable nest egg on which to retire.

ElevenChen · May 8, 2013

Well ! Before buying a wind turbine generator, make sure you have the proper installation permits and that your homeowners’ association, if you have one, will allow the installation. Another efficient wind turbine provider Hummer Wind Turbine recommend.

Residential Wind Turbines For Sale

SSimon Active Member

tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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Residential Wind Turbines For Sale

SSimon Active Member

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tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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