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So my dream of a 1kW turbine ticking over nicely in the Welsh breeze, topping up the batteries is just that, a dream??

Depends on your definition of Breeze, Biff from the other place was a turnip flyer and had very good results with his Chinese branded unit (I want to say ying long but could be completely wrong, but it was an old style solid cast lump and not the modern light weight stuff offered now) it was much tinkered with and I know he cut the blades shorter, maybe someone else can provide more detail ?

The general consensus seems to be that solar is a lot less labour intensive but there is synergistic benefit from a wind turbine which runs at night or in bad weather when solar is most often at a minimum or not available at all.

Its like a discussion we had recently regards solar PV and solar HW, if you have the space and some spare cash, and the need for heat and power then both harvesting systems can contribute to your needs, the investment in each type is obviously specific to your needs and available space. Similarly a wind turbine may provide some background power when solar doesn't IF you have the space, the cash and the aptitude and fortitude to fly one but generally its going to be high input and expenditure for low returns (other than maybe fun and fear in equal measure).

Moxi

As mentioned earlier, there's a heavy dose of "it depends" - location location location. Needs to be well away from anything that can cause turbulence - ie the ground, buildings, trees etc. So if you can get a turbine up a tall pole, well distanced from anything else, you might, might, stand a chance.

NikoV6 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 7:50 am So my dream of a 1kW turbine ticking over nicely in the Welsh breeze, topping up the batteries is just that, a dream??

NikoV6 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 7:50 am So my dream of a 1kW turbine ticking over nicely in the Welsh breeze, topping up the batteries is just that, a dream??

It would be a beautiful thing if it it were possible. However it isn't. Not if there are buildings, trees, or anything else anywhere near the turbine. It also needs to be really high.

If you're the only house for miles around on top of a Scottish hill then: maybe. If you live in a town/village: no chance.

It's likely why so many of us invested in ripple, the longstanding fascination with wt, none of the land, hassles with the contractors are for them to resolve, no taking it down prior to a storm, likelihood of wt gone wild shedding of blades & burying itself inthe ground= negligible.

WT's are a tinkerer's delight (tweaking, maintaining) but the space demanded is not for an estate box nations gardens, & those with enough land have likely planted to be protected from the wind not stripped to revel in it.
& even less want the associated costs of footings, cabling, mounts & trench work for a unit half way down the property.

Nothing to stop you playing & trying to top up a battery in a shed or something with some way over rated (to sell it) chinese made junk (see joe's terry the chocolate orange pocket money turbine) ..nb wouldn't be classed as junk if the stated outputs were within 100 miles of the specs they flog it by)

First & foremost, get site data, for at least 1 year, a wind logger on a mount at a decent height.

Then either prove / disprove to yourself whether it is possibly viable & useful & go for it, OR, be unhappy a while but ready to flog kit on & bung in some more solar to keep the itch at bay. such as a solar roofed chook shed /woodshed / gazebo/ storage/ dry diy area..

If you were going to try regardless, then a small rutland bargey type wt would give you an idea if still going, serviceable parts costs allowing.

Welsh mountains are an option Nikov, it doesn't have to be Scottish

With regards to turbulence and its impact on power output -

https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/ho ... rformance/

The bigger impact of turbulence at low level is the tortional loading and stressing of the wind turbine components - we've all seen micro wind turbines twitching and yawing violently in gusty winds.

So as alluded to earlier there's energy to be harvested but the costs and complexities are only for the keen or geographically gifted amongst us.

I still have one on my bucket list as I live at 900ft above sea level with clear air to the west but before that I have more solar panels that I want to fit out on ground mounts.

Moxi

Wind is making trees move about Today.

Turnip is putting 24 milli amps into the 24 volt battery system. That is a lot more power than normal.

I have got the 150 ft free standing tower behind it. If any one wants to get involved in mounting the Turnip at the top to see if we can get as much as 26 milli amps out of it.
Worth a try. Y / N

chicken sheds Alan?

nb niko, there doth fly a "choc orange" ..alan has written of it here before

Only if you get a longer ladder Alan

I wonder what output you would have if that turnip was replaced by a Hugh Pigott turbine ?

Moxi

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 1:14 pm chicken sheds Alan?

nb niko, there doth fly a "choc orange" ..alan has written of it here before

If you keyword search "terry" you'll find most of the threads on these plastic turnips I reckon.