Author Topic: Using my wind today  (Read 3573 times)

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SparWeb

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Using my wind today
« on: May 24, 2017, 11:39:03 PM »
OK
I have heard a few members mention that there aren't a lot of new wind turbine projects on the go.  True, I've noticed it too, but here's another point of view:
Some of us are using it now and still doing well!
Tonight I came home to no power from the grid, so no big deal... switched over to batteries and life goes on.  :)

So the beer in my fridge is still cold, all thanks to you guys, and you are all welcome to come by and share   ;D
No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
System spec: 135w BP multicrystalline panels, Xantrex C40, DIY 10ft (3m) diameter wind turbine, Tri-Star TS60, 800AH x 24V AGM Battery, Xantrex SW4024
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DamonHD

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2017, 02:03:20 AM »
OK, on my way.

Google will no longer give me estimated walking time across the ocean, so I may be a little while...

Rgds

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electrondady1

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2017, 07:40:01 AM »
but now, at least you can talk about a vertical mill without being insulted, called a Charlatan  or insane.

Bruce S

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2017, 01:19:15 PM »
but now, at least you can talk about a vertical mill without being insulted, called a Charlatan  or insane.

You are SOoooo correct on that point!!

SparWeb;
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kitestrings

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2017, 03:55:44 PM »
Beer?  And, my favorite kind  COLD  beer.  Count me in!

kitestrings

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2017, 04:05:04 PM »
We had a ~90 deg F day last week, where the temps then broke some 35+ degrees.  It was accompanied by high winds and a violent thunder storm.  It just missed our hill, but to the east we could see a black wall and outages as they happened.  Spooky, but it was nice to have power through it all.  I can't say with a  straight face that it is cost effective, but it is in many ways satisfying.

~ks

SparWeb

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2017, 11:44:08 PM »
Did you happen to look something like this Bruce?



No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
System spec: 135w BP multicrystalline panels, Xantrex C40, DIY 10ft (3m) diameter wind turbine, Tri-Star TS60, 800AH x 24V AGM Battery, Xantrex SW4024
www.sparweb.ca

tanner0441

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2017, 10:28:36 AM »
Hi

Putting wind or solar in will never be cost effective..... That is until the grid goes down, then it suddenly all makes sense, and for every hour it is down the value over cost changes in opposite directions at an exponential rate.

We have had two power outages so far this year, the first one was for two days after the old paper insulated underground cable failed. after 24 hours the power company put a 35Kwh generator feeding the affected houses, but until they did that I ran on a 2.5Kwh generator. I could have gone onto the solar but it is only wired into part of the house wiring.

The second one was when a local supermarket was having a new sign installed and a man with a big digger tested the mechanical strength of the cable,,, the cable failed the test. That was only about 18 hours but again I went onto the generator.

I am not one to normally gloat but it is very satisfying when you explain to a neighbour why your house is a little oasis of light in so much darkness..

So what ever your system cost when you take your cold beer out of your cold fridge and sit in front of your working TV it is worth every penny/cent......

Brian

kitestrings

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2017, 12:18:05 PM »
Quote
but now, at least you can talk about a vertical mill without being insulted, called a Charlatan  or insane.

Now you're treated equitably, crazy like the rest of us here Ed1  ;)

SparWeb

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2017, 02:05:05 PM »
The power goes out here fairly often.
We've had a good stretch of relatively few blips in the past few years, but before that I could count on about 3 days per year with no power.  Sometimes consecutively, sometimes a few hours here or there.
This year has already scored about 30 hours and it's not even high storm season.  This time it was strong winds knocking down trees knocking down power lines over a wide area.  Other times, direct lightning strikes (I saved the 1/2 of the insulator I found at the end of my driveway - never found the other half) or ice accumulation or accidents...  We live at the end of a long thin string.
No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
System spec: 135w BP multicrystalline panels, Xantrex C40, DIY 10ft (3m) diameter wind turbine, Tri-Star TS60, 800AH x 24V AGM Battery, Xantrex SW4024
www.sparweb.ca

george65

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2017, 09:28:09 PM »

I am not one to normally gloat but it is very satisfying when you explain to a neighbour why your house is a little oasis of light in so much darkness..

I have a load of generators here and the power is annoyingly reliable. Doesn't go out nearly often enough. It's far too long between outages to remind the Mrs why I had to buy another Diesel engine or generator.  The point is well made on the rare occasions when it does fail but then when it's a few years till the next blackout, she forgets why we need all these things around the place!  :0)

I remember one decent blackout about 12 years ago now.
Power went out at about 3 in the afternoon and stayed out till almost lunchtime the next day. Of course being the suspect type I am, I hooked to the genny and had more lights and things going than usual just to be a smart arse.  The effect was quite unexpected though.

Elderly Neighbor from up the road I do a LOT of odd jobs for and has been like a grandmother to my kids comes down at her usual ungodly early hour and wants to know how come I'm the only one with the electric on?  I tell her, You know all those machines up in my shed you are always telling me is rubbish and what for I need? well that's what they do, make power.  The next thing threw me a bit.  She got a bit upset and said if the power not come back on soon you have to run the wire to my house and give me power as well because it's not fair you have and I don't and I want as well.

Hmm.  She's not subtle at the best of times often due to English not being her  1st language but this was not accidental. This was pure and utter entitlement and for someone pretty much the opposite by nature, it was an eye opener.
When I explained the difficult of running a lead that far ( she is several houses up rather than next door) the thing then was I " Have" to get other machine and put in her place so she has power too "because is not fair I have and she does not".  I didn't even bother trying to explain that she could have a generator herself because she is a terminal Tight arse and is dismayed when I tell her I don't have a hinge for the cupboard and one will have to be bought. The mention of the cost of a genny of any size would have sent her into conniptions.

I have since read about other accounts of this sort of entitlement where prepared people in disaster prone areas like tornadoes loose power and then have a posse of Neighbors all demanding that person with Genny HAS to give them power as well but it never seemed quite real till this neighbour tried it on with me. Thing was I had already discussed with the Mrs that if the power was out too long I'd pull out a little Genny and take it up there to power her fridge and freezer and TV but the DEMAND from her was very unexpected.

I'll be moving soon to a semi Rural area and I was planning on setting up an over size Engine and gen head on a transfer switch so I could run whatever I liked during an outage but I am having 2nd thoughts.  Might have half the road wanting power in case of an outage and frankly, I'm not going to spend my money to provide what others are too tight/lazy to provide themselves. My CS Lister with a 3Kw head will be more than sufficient to provide Lights, power the refrigerators, TV and even give hot water when run through a PWM controller to back off the current a bit so that's all I'll need.
just won't let the mrs know that but of course it will be important to have the other 7 gennys in case one fails and to call on for backup!   :0)

While solar and wind has it's advantages, I think for emergency situations NOTHING beats a good old fashioned Genny. The very situations that are most likely to trigger the outage are the ones where other systems are most likely  to fail where a Genny doesn't really care what's going on.

tanner0441

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2017, 08:32:53 AM »
Hi

Set yourself up to sell generators. Sure you can have power, the prices start from £ $ R #### or what ever and your wiring has to be examined to make sure its up to code.....

Brian

george65

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2017, 12:20:09 PM »

"Code".... Pfffftt.

Friends and I don't bother with " Code" or regulations as it's called here. We do our own thing. I guess I got that from an uncle of mine that taught me a lot of what I know now. He always liked to do things his way as well.  I remember him wiring up his own house when I was a teenager and some council inspector coming out and giving him grief because he'd done it himself.  Uncle stood back and said you tell me whats wrong with it.
He'd wired the place way beyond what was required and had a load of overkill built in. Inspector could not fault it and even though it wasn't done by a qualified person, there was no reason not to pass it nd the guy actually complimented on how through it was.
 That was a long time ago and I doubt you'd get away without the right license codes in the boxes now thanks to the pedantic arse covering mentality that more worried about liability than the actual quality of the job. Uncle always told me that he had to live in that house so he didn't want to have to worry about anything he did not being adequate.  Guess that rubbed off.

Was talking to a mate last weekend whom is re wiring his place from putting in his own private pole back to the house through his own switchboard in the garage.  Regulation is 10mm2 wire.  He's putting in 35mm2. He also doesn't give a dam about regs. He wants it done to what he's happy with.
I rewired part of this place by putting in additional circuits. Technically illegal but I had said sparky mate check it out and it was overkill even for him and left regulations for dead. Last lot of extra power points I put in only had to have 2.5mm wire. I put in 4mm and gave it it's own breaker. Why not? Cost differential is bugger all but the peace of mind is priceless.

Regulations to me are the minimum requirement.  For little more you can do so much better and have a good margin in reserve.
That said, by the book, this place would also be non compliant. I have the circuits broken up and the wiring such that the capability of the house exceeds the ability of the pole to supply the current it's capable of drawing.  I could easily pull 120A without stressing anything in the house wiring, the regulation is a max of 80.  As my mate said, don't turn on everything at once here. The house will be fine, the pole will catch fire though.

 I think there are 18 Separate Circuits last count. The place was well wired by my father in law when he had it and all the improvements I have made in the last 20 odd years have had their own circuits added. I can pretty much isolate any part of the house on lighting or power to most every part.
Been great when the kids have had parties where they keep turning the music up. I can kill the power to wherever they are plugged in without affecting anything else. Garages are split light and power to each, Pool pump has it's own circuit, Cabana/ BBQ has it's own breaker, laundry is isolated, All the Ac's are separate, bathroom heater is on it's own, 3 power circuits to the house, 3 Light, plus the normal Hot water, stove etc.

My mate also believes in electrical overkill.  He will be able to pull 100A per phase from his setup and that will be conservative as well. Even with his distance from the pole, the wiring will handle about 120 A but he's putting in main service fuses at 100A ea.  More than enough for what he needs and about 4 times what the regs stipulate. He'll never get near the rated draw but that's kind of the point. If you are going to do it, bugger all trouble to do it better than need be and never have to worry again.

In the new place I already saw that the conduit to the garage is large enough I can run 40A per phase even though presently it only has single phase.  I'll use the existing wiring to attach the 3 phase cable and draw that through and put a new sub board in the garage and put 32A breakers in. Again, way more than I'll need, way over regs but I don't care.  Happy to spend the money for the peace of mind and not have to think about it.
I'm a tight arse at the best of times but some things you just don't skimp with. I'm not real happy because the house only has one lighting and 2 power circuits.  I'll break the lighting up and run another circuit for that and then look at how many outlets there are and go from there. I want to put in a larger patio with outdoor kitchen so I'll give that it's own separate light and power as well.  I also noticed only the power has an RCD. Bugger that! I'll put them in for the lighting , Biocycle, garage and hot water. Probably no need to worry about the 3 phase AC but I want them on everything else. I once saw mates young son jam a screwdriver into a light switch and short the thing out. Gave him a jolt but thankfully mate had gone overkill on regs and put the RCDS on the lights as well as the power. Probably the reason he has a son today.

The shed is on it's own circuit now so I'll put in a sub board when I run the 3 phase up there and have separate light and power on a combined and single outlet phases.
I want to run the Lister and my solar from the garage so I'll have the phases split for easy access so I can balance the generated feedback that way. An isolation switch will let me either back feed to the grid and supply the house or to disconnect and run standalone.

All our standard power circuits have to be rated at 3.6 Kw so a 3 KW genny would be no trouble on any normal power circuit here anyhow.  If I do go higher with a larger generator on one of my other engines I'll have the capacity with the heavier wiring. 

As far as Regs go, I pretty much laugh at them. Not enough margin in them for me and gaps in what they specify that I'm not myself comfortable with. I'm not a sparky but I know what I want to power, I know what it takes and I want to sleep comfortable at night.

No extra trouble and little extra expense to surpass the rules and have a lot more peace of mind.

Mary B

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2017, 09:53:15 PM »
When my town was without power for 5 days in 2008 he neighbor was begging me to run a cord to their house. They had to keep the fridge cold so their beer was cold. This was over the 4th of July and that set me off. I flatly told them the little generator I am using is barely keeping my fridge and freezer cold so NO I am not running a cord to your house.

I went out at 3AM to fuel it and caught him trying to plug a cord in and my cord to the house was unplugged. That did not go over well... I carry a pistol and he was bluntly told to leave. He got a nice visit from the sheriff 25 minutes later and got a trip to jail for 4 days until the holiday was over. Sheriff found meth on him when he smarted off and pushed the deputy. Yeah he was not a good neighbor, he moved the day he got out of jail, they tracked him down in WA state for the meth charge and he spent 5 years in jail. I was so glad to to lose that neighbor!

SparWeb

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2017, 01:20:13 AM »
I'm glad I have good neighbours!
Mine don't come bugging me about using power - but they do all have backup gen's of their own.

Just got another brown-out 1/2 hour ago.  It's stuff like this that makes me think about an automatic transfer switch...
No one believes the theory except the one who developed it. Everyone believes the experiment except the one who ran it.
System spec: 135w BP multicrystalline panels, Xantrex C40, DIY 10ft (3m) diameter wind turbine, Tri-Star TS60, 800AH x 24V AGM Battery, Xantrex SW4024
www.sparweb.ca

Bruce S

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Re: Using my wind today
« Reply #15 on: June 02, 2017, 08:16:42 PM »
Did you happen to look something like this Bruce?

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SpareWeb;
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Sorry for the delay, work got real serious this past week. Next week is looking just as bad.
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