Questions about how to

[sregit]

I am looking into building and getting some electric from a turbine and solar panels. What I want to know is for my uses what size I should build. I own my own company so I do not have a lot of time during the warm months to build the turbine so I would like to build one now. I would like suggestions on what size to build, the more I could use it the better becuase I have lived in the country for 14 years and being forced to use the grid my bill has more than doubled since I have been here, also I do believe in global warming and would like to do my part in helping not to produce any more pollution than I have to. I Have wind all the time and I would like to know the most workable  turbine I could build that would work well in low winds and in high winds and run the electric things I have and last. We sometimes get winds up to between 50 - 80 MPH here becuase of tornado like wheather, and yes we have tornado,s here on occasion.

Furthermore I would like to know once a turbine is produced what is the most effective way to utilize it and how to utilize it. Also you use battiers, what are the most effective battiers and how do you effectively use the dump loads? Last but not least is it necessary to have a invertor to utilize the turbine, if so how large does it need to be? If not how do you connect the turbine up to run your home from it?  I have been looking on ebay at how to books and read the information for the one that is for sale by FORCEFIELD and it seemed like the only one I read that was truthfull about the time and effort and cost to build one that would work and last, I would like to know how many agree and if you have designed your turbine from these books or from the person who wrote it. Thanks!

[harrie]

Hi, Alot of your questions can be answered by searching the board, but I will put my two cents in, At one time, I had the same questions, and because I was not and still not a electonic wisard, had a high expectation of being able to run most of my home off the wind turbine that I could build. WRONG. I started out small, and kept building bigger ones, learning alot along the way, and also finding out that I had to be satified with using the power for some things, but never all. As far as me thinking I would ever beable to go off the grid, will not happen. Yes, if you are willing to change your lifestyle and really conserve power,and using wind and solar,( depending on where you live) than you may be able to do it. I have found getting into this, has been alot of fun, and a learning experiance. I have just now completed a 24 foot dia turbine, that Im building a tower for, that will be 48 volts, and using a inverter from the battery bank, am hoping and be satisfied with it running a resistant heater to help heat the house in the winter, and use it for maybe hot water in the summer. I think if you could afford an hugh battery bank with very high Amp hour rateing, you may be able to run most things in your house other than high voltage stuff, but you have to be able to figure pay back time for your investment. In other words is it worth it? To me, its a fun hobby, and something I have never did before, so I get a kick out of it. Good luck, Harrie

[Capt Slog]

As a fellow newbie I thought I'd throw in my two cents worth as well (actually, I'm in the UK, so over here it's "my tuppence worth").

I've been reading this site for about 4 months and I found this from links on other sites that I've been following since around May last year. Only now do I consider myself to be ready to start building; its a long process.

As the other gentleman said, you have to read a lot of stuff, and basically sort out what will suit you from the masses of information out there which can sometimes conflict.  You're lucky if you've found this site early, as there's a lot of clever people who will help.  But do read as well

I'd say that if you want a quick solution then your best bet is to find a kit to build it from.  I've found that most of us are trying to build at the lowest cost, which often means sourcing from scrap and having to make everything fit.  There are some good plans available, but these only build smoothly if you can find all the pieces.

[wooferhound]

If you build your wind turbine, make a small one first. You will learn from enough mistakes to be much more serious and successful with your second machine. Look over this page to get the basic methods and assembly.

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_experiments.html

[Experimental]

   Hello and welcome to all the fun and games !!!

   Putting in my two cents worth -- If you are serious, then don,t build small,and right off the bat, I would recommend buying Hugh Piggot,s book !

   Simply click on the "otherpower heading" at the top of the page -- click on Scourag wind -- Buy Hugh,s book on building wind gens and build the biggest one you can afford and have room on your property for -- there is never enough power nor anything more irritating , than not enough...

   Haveing built a few, and all for different purposes, the one thing I feel is -- it,s no more difficult to build a 12 foot gen, than a 4 foot, but the benefits of the larger are tremendous!!

   Between Hugh,s book and the info you can obtain right here from past efforts by Dan B -- you should be able to build a reliable and truely usable mill and everything you need is available from the same sourse, at the top of the page, if not, they will tell you where to get it!!

   BUT, I strongly suggest you buy Hugh,s book, I feel its the best info you can get for 20 bucks !!

   Some of the folks here, just want to experiment, others are hobbled by local restrictions, room or proximity to neighbors -- if you have none of these problems, go for the larger mill , next comes a substantial tower -- then all of this is wasted, without sufficent storage capacity -- that converts to batteries !!

   Hope to see pictures of your project soon,Happy building, Bill H