Anyone out there into Wind Power?

I was looking at Clipper Wind Power's website. I'm into the whole alternative energy scene, it's a field I'm highly interested in. They seem to make some really high end turbines. http://www.clipperwind.com/pdf/liberty_brochure.pdf

Wind energy seems to make a whole lot of sense to me, because it's wasted energy that just blows right by every day. We've been harnessing wind power for millenniums.(I thought it was millenia, but spell check says no) Here in the US we could build more of these and reduce dependence on coil power and natty gas/oil and reduce c02 emissions.

Wind turbine projects are popping up all over the place and it seems like things are getting ramped up and hopefully this production tax credit can get approved for a long time, instead of just extensions every year, so that the wind energy business here in the US and really get the ball rolling.

I was just wondering if any of you guys have any insights... I'm open to anything.

-Michael LeCompte

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Michael LeCompte

I had a wind turban on my island cabin for a few years but found that my Solar Array is a hell of a lot better at making power even up here in the wet Northwest. The island home is about 70 miles north of Seattle.

If you can get the wind generator up well above the trees and other thing it may work better then mine did.

Solar is more money per KWH but solar is quite, no moving parts and works more often at peak power then the wind turban did.

Over all I have found I can run the place 100% of the time doing what ever I want including running my MIG welder off the solar system.

I did take my wind generator with me to Burning Man this year and it worked well there running our camp along with a single 170 watt panel at 24 volts.

Derek

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In the long run reality always wins.

My company's owner is seriously trying to get into the manufacturing end of wind turbines.

Here in Cleveland we have plenty of wind coming off of the lake, and there are a number of smaller turbines in downtown Cleveland (no shit!). There are plans for some huge ones several miles offshore.

One of my girlfriends used to live in a condo right on the lake, and visitor parking was next to the building. I can attest to the wind-tunnel effect of heavy winds being channeled through tall buildings. Coming out to a car covered in two inches of ice the next morning was also "fun"

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

they are all over here in the texas panhanlde.

we have 4 70+ 250' units within 40 miles of my house.

i did some fun figuring that a 800k full size unit

would make you around 5k a month here selling back.

it would be great to make money at it, you would love to

look out side and see the wind blowing.

here is there stats - http://www.eldora-np.k12.ia.us/enpdistrict/Turbine/TurbineProdStats.html


now on the small scale i like this unit, i want to copy it

and make my own. i like this design

http://www.solacity.com/MoreScirocco.htm

with a fixed pitch-angle blade you power drops of to 0 in hight

winds, we gust all the time around 30 here, i want something

that produces all the time.

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__________________________

i'm in texas panahndle,
full of gas and oil wells
to slalom.

http://bcdracing.com//pics/rally/rally.html



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2008 10:17PM by rallysmurf.

damn Derrick you must have quite a solar array at the cabin there. Is your system grid tied or are you storing in batteries?

That's killer that your wind turbine worked out so good at Burning Man, i bet people were loving it.

For providing electricity for yourself and family, I agree theres no better alternative right now than solar.

For commerical interest wind turbine developers are like prospectors. When they get the turbines that far in the sky, 1000ft up some real work can get done.

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Michael LeCompte

He wants to get into manufacture of components for wind turbines as a sub contractor for larger companies, or he wants to design and build his own turbines?

Man, you should strongly urge him to do it... I mean if you can make money at it and providing a clean alternative then it's win:win.

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Michael LeCompte

yeah I agree having the variable pitch blades is the way to go. You avoid a lot of the damage from harmonics and distortion as well as having the ability to keep producing in high winds.

Also having the anemometer to keep it pointed into the ideal wind with the yaw control is killer.

It must be a windy son of a bitch there where you live in Texas. Now if we could replace all those oil derricks with Wind Turbines we'd be all set.

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Michael LeCompte

pikespeakgtx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yeah I agree having the variable pitch blades is
> the way to go. You avoid a lot of the damage from
> harmonics and distortion as well as having the
> ability to keep producing in high winds.
>
> Also having the anemometer to keep it pointed into
> the ideal wind with the yaw control is killer.
>
> It must be a windy son of a bitch there where you
> live in Texas. Now if we could replace all those
> oil derricks with Wind Turbines we'd be all set.

yeah, no doubt! its always windy here, i get used to it
though. if i have a small wind turbine i would love it.

anyone watch invention nation. they had a good one from NM
with water catchment and great solar designs. i am going
to build my first and last house in the next 5 years.

its going to be gridtie but will have wind, water cathment
and solar warter heaters. sorda a modern earth ship.

cocreete WFT forms, split leval grass roofs, partial dug
into cliff and lots of glass.

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__________________________

i'm in texas panahndle,
full of gas and oil wells
to slalom.

http://bcdracing.com//pics/rally/rally.html

Call if you want help with this design. Been there, done that.

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RichardM

Richard Miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Call if you want help with this design. Been
> there, done that.
>
> RichardM

me? you have done a form house?

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__________________________

i'm in texas panahndle,
full of gas and oil wells
to slalom.

http://bcdracing.com//pics/rally/rally.html

Did the power design, i.e. solar cells, batteries and generator, for a friend who built a rammed earth home in the mountains of New Mexico.

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RichardM

One thing I've been told... wind energy is much more effective at pumping water than it is at generating electricity. On a large-scale installation, I wonder if wind-powered pumps could be used in small communities to pump city water. Have electric pumps as a backup, but use wind for the primary source.