Discussions
Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma
Mark asks…
where is wind energy used?
where is wind energy used?
admin answers:
There are areas around the world that are famous for their strong winds.
Wind turbines tend to not be economically competitive unless they are located in these strong wind areas.
With wind energy if you double the speed of the wind you square the amount of energy available
The areas in United States are well documented by the National weather service and other government agencies. The wind maps provided by these agencies show an average watts/ sq meter of wind power available on an yearly average power basis.
Most of the wind areas lie in the flat plain areas of central united states like texas, oklahoma and kansas. There is also great wind areas off the atlantic coast in the new england states areas. There is also great areas in mountainous areas of all our ranges, the sierra nevadas, the rockies and the appalachians.
Most strong winds are either close to big bodies of water or wide open expanses of range land. Trees and low foothills and cities tend to slow air current speeds.
Steven asks…
what is the best MBA program for Indutrail Engineers ?
admin answers:
Personally; I myself, with the economy like it is would go for Environmental Protection, Wind Energy, or other alternative fuels.
Here in Oklahoma, T Boone Pickens; a wealthy oil man, is investing millions in Wind Turbine Technology. I personally have worked with ex-military personal that was going into the Wind Energy field. It is a new thing around here & OG&E will be needing appx. 600 qualified people in the next 5-10 years.
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Your Questions About Wind Generators Cost
Chris asks…
Anyone have a formula for cost-benefit analysis of buying a windmill for power generation?
I live in an area where a power company uses wind generators successfully. I’d be looking at about a 1.8 kw generator in an area where electricity is expensive. Initial cost is $13K. Would I be better off waiting a couple of years for newer, better, cheaper wind generators?
admin answers:
1.8kW wind generator… Running at 25% load produces 1.8kW * 0.25 * 24hours/day * 365days = 3942kWh/year.
Let’s make that 4000kWh. You can probably sell that electricity for $0.07/kWh. Makes a total income of $280/year.
5% annual interest on $13000 is $650. Yep, you are going to lose roughly $370 per year… Not counting running cost for repairs etc.
Sounds like a great business proposition? I don’t think so.
If you are just offsetting your own consumption and electricity prices are around $0.15/kWh, you might just brake even. Barely…
In general I would not think that wind below 250kW is a good investment. Try 10MW+ wind parks and you are probably talking about a sound business model.
And some people simply want to do their share to improve global warming. They don’t need to be concerned about the financial downside. If you are one of them, go for it. It will make you feel a lot better.
Mary asks…
What type of boat incurs the lowest maintenance cost?
I would love to own a boat, but the more I talk to people who do, the more I get the impression that it is a frightfully expensive hobby to have. There must be boats that are very low maintenance though. What are they? Am I right in thinking that, theoretically, an aluminium launch with an electric motor and wind generators would be the least expensive kind of boat to own?
admin answers:
Boats are expensive to keep in good/safe working order. The smaller the boat, the lower the maintenance cost. The bigger the boat the higher the cost. Also, don’t forget about the “Property Tax” that’s paid every year on the boat too. On my 26′ Express Cruiser, annual maintenance is $600 and the tax is $550 per year.
The least expensive boat to own is an inflatable from Walmart with oars. See below.
I also own a 60′ Motor Yacht. It’s a great live aboard and I’m self sufficient in the event of a major earthquake here in CA. You don’t want to know my costs on that yacht! Plus I can travel to lots of places.
BTW, boating isn’t a hobby. It’s a LIFESTYLE!
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Your Questions About Wind Turbines Colorado
Paul asks…
Do you have an off-grid home in a cloudy, rainy climate? Would solar panels be worth it?
I’ve been doing a lot of research on places to live when I finish school, and I really think Oregon is the perfect place for me. Me and my boyfriend want to build an off-the-grid house. The thing is, he says we can’t live in Oregon because it’s not sunny enough, and if we relied on solar panels it wouldn’t work out. Is there some other off-grid solution besides solar panels we could use as backup? I don’t know much about wind turbines and how much they would cost. Does anyone living in a rainy, cloudy climate make much use of solar panels? Or should I move to a state that has more days of sunshine (I’ve been considering Colorado)? Suggestions? Thanks.
admin answers:
There are a lot of off-grid houses in Oregon, and many sell their power back during the sunny days to balance the rest of the time. Just do a search on green houses in Oregon to find some of the projects listed. There are also cob houses in Coquille that are quite interesting. But at present. It costs more to get these off grid houses built than they recover. Most folks just starting out can’t afford to do it.
I’m looking for ways and colaborators to take an existing house and pull it off the grid – affordably. Have lots of ideas, but little free time to play with doing them. Would love to share ideas.
Lisa asks…
Are there any government polices concerning wind energy?
I’m writing an essay for my college English class about wind energy and I’m required to include information about a government policy concerning wind, but I cannot seem to find anything. Any websites or helpful information would be greatly appreciated.
admin answers:
You can have a look and pick up some of the following points.
As the Obama administration creates the first U.S. Program to authorize offshore projects to generate electricity from wind and ocean currents, the President deployed the Clean Coal word yet again. We hope this is part of the Obama M.O. Of building bridges, getting buy-in and bailing our of a fool’s enterprise but with a new team of allies board. Link to the transcript below.
Obama said wind could generate as much as 20 percent of the U.S. Electricity demand by 2030 if its full potential is pursued on land and offshore.
“The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy — it’s a choice between prosperity and decline,” Obama said in his first post-election trip to Iowa, the state that launched him toward the White House. “The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy.”
The latest in the ongoing allocation of money coming out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: The Department of Energy has announced that $93 million has been made available to support wind power. Here’s how that money breaks down:
$43m for Turbine Drivetrain R&D
DOE will provide $45 million directed toward enhancing the federal government’s ability to support the wind industry through testing the performance and reliability of current and next generation wind turbine drivetrain systems. This investment will deliver dependable and cost effective hardware for utility scale wind turbines with over a 20 year design life. Overall, this project will help to improve the country’s competitiveness in wind energy technology, lower capital costs of wind systems, and maintain a high level of wind energy capacity growth.
$14m for ‘Technology Development’
To strengthen its support of the wind industry, DOE will make available $14 million to advance technology development in the private sector. This effort will aim to improve the quality and use of lighter weight, advanced materials for turbine blades, towers, and other components. Another area of emphasis will be process controls for lamination, blade finishing, trimming, grind, painting, materials handling and inspection.
$24m for Wind Power R&D
DOE will provide $24 million for the development of up to three consortia between universities and industry to focus on critical wind energy challenges. These partnerships will allow universities to establish research and development programs to advance material design, performance measurements, analytical models, and work with the industry to improve power systems operations, maintenance and repair, and component manufacturing.
$10m for National Wind Technology Center
DOE will invest $10 million at its own National Wind Technology Center in Colorado. This funding will enhance the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s ability to support the wind industry through testing current and next generation wind turbine drive train systems for better performance and reliability. Additionally, upgrades to the electrical distribution system will permit cost recovery of the power produced by two new utility-scale wind turbines being installed there for testing and evaluation.
Good luck with your essay!
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators Wiki
David asks…
Can I use electric fan motors as generator?
Here in the philippines air is very windy so i am planning to build a wind turbine.
admin answers:
Yes but you won’t get much current out of it. The wind turbines that you see on top of high poles are huge. They don’t look it from the ground but you could walk around inside them. Also, in order to be practical, you need to hook the generator up to a storage device (batteries) in order to store the electricity (otherwise, you’ll only get current when the wind is blowing). So, it’s not really practical but you should try just for the knowledge of it. Be careful though, you will be working with high voltage and you need to take precautions. The link below is to a wikipedia article on wind power that’s pretty good.
Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
John asks…
How does wind energy work? I know a little, but does anyone have a clearer idea?
I’ve tried some internet sites, but none of them have given me any real idea of how it works except “It turns the blades and generates electricity”
I am really interested in Wind energy, and how it works. Anyone have a somewhat clearer explanation for me? Thanks.
admin answers:
Wind spins turbines which powers a generator. That’s the easy way to explain it. But if you want to know more in detail:
“Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines. At the end of 2007, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 94.1 gigawatts.[1] Although wind currently produces about 1% of world-wide electricity use,[2] it accounts for approximately 19% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain and Portugal, and 6% in Germany and the Republic of Ireland (2007 data). Globally, wind power generation increased more than fivefold between 2000 and 2007.[1]
Most wind power is generated in the form of electricity. Large scale wind farms are connected to electrical grids. Individual turbines can provide electricity to isolated locations. In windmills, wind energy is used directly as mechanical energy for pumping water or grinding grain.
Wind energy is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it displaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems when using wind power to supply a low proportion of total demand. Where wind is to be used for a moderate fraction of demand, additional costs for compensation of intermittency are considered to be modest.[3]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
Hope that helps you. 🙂
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Your Questions About Wind Generators Home Use
Linda asks…
How to make a wind power generator at home?
I want to make a wind power generator to power things in my house. I want it to be able to power a small tv and DVD player.
admin answers:
To make this you will need a few things.
The generator, blades battery and inverter.
I have made three of them and I use them to power various things outside like lighting, pool pump and tv.
The best source of info for this is http://www.earth4energy.com. Thats where I got my blade designs from and learnt how to wire it up.. Its saving me some good money 🙂
William asks…
how would I make a wind generator?
I would like plans to make a wind generator for my home to run a few lights during a storm.
admin answers:
A motor is an electrical device that turns electrical energy into mechanical energy. I really don’t think that is what you’re after. You want to turn mechanical into electrical, right? Okay, in old cars, before they had alternators, they had generators. Snag one of these at a junk yard. It will charge a 12 volt DC battery. I have never done this, I am just theorizing as I type. Anywho, campers use 12 volt DC lighting as a back up. Heck even the fridges run on 12v, propane, NG, or AC. In theory, fabricate blades to this generator, with a voltage regulator and there you go. Actually, here is what I do. I used camping lighting that burns clean fuel and flashlights, but if you simply had an inverter, you could actually run a few things via you car. Another suggestion, a more serious one. Look at the way they make campers so self sufficient. 2 lighting systems, where one runs on AC and the other DC of 12 volt batteries. Not a bad idea for your house? They have there own battery charger, which you could put in your house, that keeps these batteries full whenever you are plugged into AC. Add a 12 volt light system to your storm center, add a camping stove with a small portable tank, vent the area. This stove could cook and serve as a source of heat. Get the fridge that runs on anything, what else do you need? Oh yeah, plans for a wind generator. Dragonfly Wind Generator. That’s what you are in need of. Perfect for residential.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Technician
Donald asks…
What is a good company to work for as a wind turbine technician?
I am currently in a tech school to become a wind turbine technician and was wondering where should i go after i graduate in December?
admin answers:
I’ll show you a turbine technician. Fućked right?
Mary asks…
Where is a good school in the US for Wind Turbine Technicians?
I am going to school for Electrical Engineering Technology, but am interested in specializing or being certified for working with Wind Turbines. I live in Pennsylvania, but am willing to look anywhere in the country
admin answers:
You can learn how to build wind turbine on your own (it’s not so complicated…)
There are great guides on the net + movies in youtube that you can learn from.
If you want higher level guide – I would recommend you on the “Earth4Energy” guide that include step by step video.
You can read detailed review on the “Earth4Energy” guide here:
http://recomended-prods.com/earth4energy/review
Good Luck!
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators For Sale
Joseph asks…
Can i convert a solar charge controller into a wind turbine charge controller?
I am building a wind generator and it turns out the system needs a charge controller. There a some on sale but I’d rather build or modify one myself. I pulled one out of a solar lamp. It has two ports, one for the input, whose input voltage range was 6-12v and and the other, output, with 6 volt output.The lamp used a 4 volt battery. However, the generator is a 30 volt ametek (capable of supplying up to 28 volts on a good windy day), and the battery am going to use as a bank is a 12 volt UPS one. Am just wondering if this controller will deliver on my wind turbine system, and where to connect the dummy load because I’ve heard solar controllers don’t use dummy loads yet they are essential on wind turbine systems. Thanks
admin answers:
A solar lamp will likely simply be a small voltage regulator, not a good choice. I would use a power FET, a zener diode, two transistors, a capacitor and maybe some resistors but then again, I’m an electrical engineer and actually know what I’m doing.
The UPS batteries are lead acid batteries which you can buy for about $12.
I think, you should stop and get an education before you hurt yourself.
Richard asks…
Where to find detailed info: Alternate Energy connection to National Electric Grid?
I am interested in locating detailed equipment & system information on how Alternate Energy producers (e.g. Windfarms, HydroElectric, private turbines, etc.) go about connecting their generating source to the US national Electric Power Grid, and sell off their excess electricity capacity. What current Federal and State (e.g. California) regulations exist that encourage or require the major energy companies to purchase that excess electricity if available and meeting Voltage specifications?
admin answers:
Suggest you look at the American Wind Energy Association web site: awea.org
Large renewable energy facilities, such as large wind power plants, must meet the same interconnection requirements as a large power plant. Additionally, due to the nature of most wind turbine generators, there are some other requirements defined in FERC 661-A, that impact wind farm interconnection.
Sale of produced electric power is a very complex process that is highly dependent on the grid operator and the electric power transaction processes for a given regional reliability organization or independent system operator.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma
Sandra asks…
how much electricity does a big wind generator create?
i have seen big wind generators in western Oklahoma and southern California and New Mexico just how much electricity does one of those make during the course of one day and would one be enough for just one house
admin answers:
Worlds largest wind turbines generate over 7 megawatt (some with power output of 10 megawatt are in development).
That is enough power for several hundred houses.
Ken asks…
OKLAHOMA REDNECK IN NEW YORK CITY…?
A Redneck from Oklahoma walked into a bank in New York City and
asked for the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was
going to Paris for an international redneck festival for two weeks
and needed to borrow $5,000 and that he was not a depositor of the
bank.
The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of
security for the loan, so the Redneck handed over the keys to a new
Ferrari.. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank.
The Redneck produced the title and everything checked out. The loan
officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan and
apologized for having to charge 12% annualized interest.
Later, the bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh
at the Redneck from the south for using a $250,000 Ferrari as
collateral for a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then drove the
Ferrari into the bank’s private underground garage and parked it.
Two weeks later, the Redneck returned, repaid the $5,000 and the
interest of $23.07. The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy
to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very
nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked
you out on Dunn & Bradstreet and found that you are a Distinguished
Alumni from the University of Oklahoma, a highly sophisticated
investor and multi-millionaire with real estate and financial
interests all over the world. Your investments include a large
number of wind turbines in the Oklahoama Panhandle. What puzzles us
is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”
The good ‘ole Okie replied, “Where else in New York City can
I park my car for two weeks for only $23..07 and expect it to be
there when I return?”
admin answers:
Bahahahaha… Love it… Southern people really know their way around the world (:
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Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma
William asks…
Setting up an extremly remote 3 part hybrid power system?
I’m in the planning stages. Nothing bought yet. This is a low budget system using common house tools. If needed I can rent. Town is 40 miles away. I’m really trying to avoid that.
The goal: set up a hybrid system using water, wind & solar. I’m planning on using 3 separate charge controllers. Plan to use shunt controllers for the hydro and wind.
Solar: I am planing on starting with a 60 watt kit w/ 7 amp controller to start with.
Wind: I’m planning on purchasing a small 400 watt turbine. The site is on the side of a mountain, next to a nice clear path that has been cut for a pipeline in Eastern Oklahoma. Wind is always there.
Battery bank: I’m currently planning on starting out with 2 or 4 – 105 Amp-hour batteries.
Hydro: The unknown part that I’m asking about is for the hydro. How do I know what size of controller I need for that?
Battery bank: I’m currently planning on starting out with 2 or 4 105 Amp-hour batteries. Need urls to cheapest reputable place on line to buy shunt controllers.
Thanks
admin answers:
I’m building solar panels from scrap cells and there working out really good i have 2 panels on my roof now and working on the 3rd it takes time though . I have pics in my blog how im doing them really really cheap and I’m using 30 ordinary car batteries and getting plenty of power out of them got them at the junk yard cheap . I’m starting on my wind mill my own design out of junk parts . As far as the hydro depending on how well it flows i would run a 3 inch pipe up stream as far as i could go and get a 220 generator with a turban and adjust the speed with a plane old shut off valve hydraulics are great. You would have all the power you need as long as the river runs
Joseph asks…
does anybody else wish they would win the lottery?
i do! so i could buy a broodmare from the colt company! and then get it bred to custom chrome!
admin answers:
I have very specific plans if I were to win the lottery.
First would be to retain a very good CPA, then a CPA to watch the first CPA.
I would try to keep my winnings private.
I would buy about 1,200 acres in Wyoming and 1,200 acres here in Oklahoma. Both would have horses, cattle and some alternative stock. Nice ranch homes on both with stables, corrals, arena, etc.
I would have a good wrangler to help manage both places.
I would invest in a few wind turbines to off set taxes and make a few dollars.
I would want to help troubled kids with equine type activities. This would be done on rescues and auction horses that would otherwise go on to the slaughter houses.
I’d give to a local church that deserves it and gives back to the community.
I’d have a Business Class Peterbuilt with a Western Hauler bed, a nice 4 horse Sundowner or Bloomer trailer with living quarters.
I’d have a nice Harley, probably a V-Rod, a fast sports car, would help a few true friends out.
I’d try to give back to the community without giving away my winnings.
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Your Questions About Wind Generators Alaska
Lisa asks…
If I lived in a cabin, 50+ miles from the closest electrical pole, how would I get electricity?
I am considering purchasing land in Alaska, a cabin off in the middle of the woods and was wondering how the tar would I get electricity, water and gas if needed to the land? Google was no help. Thanks!!
admin answers:
Electricity:
gas generator, solar power, wind power.
(gas gen and solar mix is my best bet)
Water- get a well dung)
gas- you buy a huge tank- a truck comes and fills it up a couple times a year, (lots of farmers do this)
Farmers usually have private wells and large natural gas tanks.. HOWEVER they still live on “The grid”
your electricity problem will most likely be solved by gas generator and solar power.
Good luck
Sandra asks…
How many kilowatt hours would I need to power a town of 1000 people plus businesses and a mine?
If i had a remote alaskan town of 1000 residents, how much power would I need to generate to run the whole town. Would a diesel generator work?
admin answers:
You didn’t give enough info.
1000 people and business plus mine isn’t specific.
What kind of people? Treehuggers? Hippies? Or the typical super-wasteful American stereotype?
What kind of business? Small things like the mom-n-pop stores? Small-town restaurants? Or a giant general motors automobile plant? Or what about a server farm (which requires lots and lots of power)?
For a mine, again, it depends of what kind of mine. How big is the operation? How updated is its facilities? Is it a pit/strip mine? A tunnel mine into the side of a mountain? Or a deep mine that goes way into the earth?
Then you have the climate. Alaska narrows it down some. Its cold there. But you forgot to say how is the town heated. Oil? Gas? Electric? Solar? Geo-thermal?
No matter the answer, I can tell you unless the town has tiny mom-n-pop businesses, tree huggers and hippies and an obsolete open pit mine, you’ll need a lot more than a diesel generator. You can try something green- like geo thermal, wind, tidal power. If you embrace the power of the future, nuclear power is the way to go. You can have an oil-fired or coal fired plant. It can run on natural gas or methane from composting waste. You can even have one burning trash to make power.
How much kW of power?
If each house had 4 people, then it would be about 250 households. Each household would consume about 15 kW a day of electricity.
So for homes you have 15×250 = 3,750 kW
business, say you got small ones and one Costco store.
Say 10kW electricity for 12 small businesses and 40kW for the Costco (they have lots of lights and fridges).
So business you have 12×10+40 = 160 kW
say you got the average open strip mine. A small operation that employs 350 people. Its not high-tech. It processes gypsum (different types of mines uses different amounts of electricity) for another plant in nearby Anchorage. That stuff is shipped by rail. I’d estimate 2000kW energy.
So subtotal:
homes: 3,750 kW
Stores: 160 kW
mine: 2000 kW
you need to generate at least 5,910 kW a day or you’ll have power issues. If all the homes are electric heated and not gas or oil, add another 1000kW a day.
In all, you needs at least 6,910 kW a day, but not more than 9,000 kW. The 2,000 kW a day difference allows some flex and deals with expansion of the town or unexpected high power consumption.
Remote Alaskan towns should not rely on diesel, or anything that needs to be shipped in. If the shipment is late or not coming, everyone could freeze to death. You’d want something that comes out of the earth reliably. Like geothermal. The earth won’t die for a very long time. If you place the plant near a volcano or place with thermal activity, you’ll get good, reliable high power output for the next couple thousand years or so.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Technician Salary
James asks…
What is the salary of a wind turbine technician with Siemens power generation?
admin answers:
Coming into the wind industry as a technician, you could expect a salary anywhere within the range of 14-25 per hour. This is dependent upon your locale. In California, the average is 14 whereas in Texas it is 25 or more.
Maria asks…
for all you wind turbine technicians out there? how much is an average salary for a year? ?
i am fixing to graduate high school and i want to make this a career? any help?
admin answers:
See if any of these will help you with ideas and links. Good Luck.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators How They Work
Jenny asks…
How to control the fluctuation of energy in wind turbine?
Due to the change in the wind speed, the speed of the wind turbine rotor changes, so at the output we get variable AC supply which means we do not get exactly constant voltage and frequency.
It can be control by controlling shaft speed and at the output by varying the load (Resistance).
I need to submit a case study about that so tell me about any site or e-book where I can find comprehensive details about that.
admin answers:
Basically there are two methods.
For small turbines (a few kilowatts) the turbine runs at whatever speed it likes, depending on the wind speed. There is a separate electrical converter to change the generated power into AC at mains frequency and synchronize it with the mains.
There may be a simple device to limit the max turbine speed just to prevent mechanical damage – for example a mechanical brake or lock, or spring-loaded turbine blades that spill the wind when the wind speed is high.
Large turbines (producing of the order of 1 MW or more per turbine) run at constant speed, generate power at mains frequency, and are directly coupled into the electricity grid when they are working. The speed is controlled the same way as for conventional power station generators. Without getting lost in the practical details, if the turbine tries to run at the wrong speed it is fighting against the whole of the rest of the power that is being generated in the electricity grid, so it loses the fight. As the wind speed changes, the amount of power generated changes. If the wind speed is too low, the generator acts in reverse as a motor to drive the turbine. (Of course in practice the turbine would be stopped completely, instead of doing that for a long period of time).
The rotational speed for large wind turbines is usually slow (10 or 20 rev/minute) with a gearbox to spin the generator at a higher speed. The blades are variable pitch so they can work efficiently at different average wind speeds.
Lisa asks…
Is there a forum for people who want to build their own wind turbines and generators and stuff?
I am looking for some website or forum where I can discuss the nitty-gritty of making wind turbines and building anything that enables people to go off the grid and build their own boats, heat sources, alternative fuels, all-natural materials, etc.
Would anyone know where to find that?
Thanks.
admin answers:
I’m putting together a small wind turbine. Check my web page for pictures, diagrams, and other information.
Http://members.rennlist.org/warren/wind.html
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Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma
Mary asks…
What are some negative effects of energy producing wind mills or solar panels?
admin answers:
The biggest problems are that the most well suited places to put them are not usually where the need for the power is greatest.
I live out in West Texas just below the pan-handle. There are “wind farms” all over here, because the wind blows all the time. Other than a small city (Midland/Odessa) there is very little industry nearby. It’s 250 miles to Dallas/Fort Worth or El Paso and farther still to Oklahoma City, Houston or Austin. , Transmission of the power over distances is an engineering problem that still doesn’t have a good solution.
Similarly, we have some sunshine almost every day of the year. Solar works here, but where do we send it? Areas like Chicago and Boston need the power, but don’t have the sunshine as reliably.
Still, on a local level, we get a lot of our power from alternative sources. I feel good about that.
Edit specifically for Johnnie B – There is blessed little that stops the wind in west Texas. It slows some at sundown, but rarely stops. Maybe in East Texas, but that’s 400 miles from here.
Edit for asker – I’m not sure if my original answer was what you meant by “negative effects,” though. There are reports of large numbers of birds being killed by collision with the blades of a wind turbine, but that hasn’t proven to be true here. Some find the towers unsightly. I think they are rather elegant. As far as the “not in my back yard” argument – well, I’ve heard that the power company pays rent on the land for each tower of about $10,000 per year. I could get to like the guaranteed income. 5 towers, and I’d make more than my full-time teaching job paid. There are few other “negative” effects. Solar and wind power generation do not cause noise or air pollution, no mystery radiation source, no ground water contamination. They are two of the “cleanest” sources of power available.
Richard asks…
What problems are happening now that we will have to face in the future in Kansas?
What problems in Kansas are occuring now, that we will have to face more into the future?
admin answers:
I know a big issue is related to the Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas is being drained by the central states faster than can be replenished and is an issue that will be critical in the future. If there is not enough water supported there, farm lands can not be water, homes will be without water and the balance of the earth can be lost. Water issues are critical to Kansas and when I took an enviornmental science course, my professor was also involved with the State Department of Agriculture, and said how Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska like to fight amongst themselves about water rights, pollution of water and so on.
I think also energy issues will be a major thing. With the increase in costs of energy, there might be a big push for wind turbines on the Plains. It will be a major issue in the future, even in the near future since wind can be good clean energy. Right now coal is being used in Kansas and people are getting upset at the pollution from it and so on.
Plus, Kansas being so close to agriculture, the problem of fertile soil will be a big issue. If they continue to overfarm, there could come a time when the ground doesn’t support agriculture, like with the Aquifer.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Cost
Sharon asks…
How much would a 3m Wind turbine cost?
How much would a 3m wind turbine cost?
For a school project in technology we have to create a model for an eco building and we’ve created one with a wind turbine but i cant find any 3m wind turbine prices. How much £££ would it cost? Including installment and if you cant get 3m then as neer as possible to that would be great. Thanks! Hope you can help!
admin answers:
What is 3 meters? The blade sweep? The height? The blade length?
Michael asks…
How much does a nuclear power plant cost to build?
How much does a nuclear power plant cost?
How much does a big wind turbine cost to build?
admin answers:
Nuclear power plant: $10-20B billion
Large wind turbine: $2-5 million.
In terms of the cost per kW, wind is cheaper. Recent estimates for nuclear put capital costs over $5000 per kW. Wind tends to be less than $3000 per kW.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators For Home
Jenny asks…
How hard is it to build a wind turbine for home?
For a 5 month project at school I have to build a wind turbine for my home. How many hours will it take, will I get an efficent gadget, and how much will it cost? I’m thinking of getting help from a small wind turbine manufacturer. And I would just like to say my motor skills are very poor and I am not used to building things. Can I do it?
admin answers:
You can get kits.
However you need permission of your zoning board before you can do this, if it is any size at all.
But you can get small 1-2 ft kits. First reference is a 12″ one, but a toy, for $40. Second one is a 46″ 400 watt one that looks real and has a generator. You still need a battery and inverter. $630.
Search for “wind turbine kit” for more.
.
Ruth asks…
How are different AC generators linked in a power grid?
I’ve often wondered this. When you have two or more AC generators (say two different power plants) produce power, it seems like it would be impossible to be sure the two are in phase with each other. So how can the two be linked into a power grid? Is the same technique used when hooking up a home generator (from a wind turbine, for example) to supply the grid?
admin answers:
No. It’s actually rather simple to keep them running synchronously on the power grid. All it takes is a simple phase comparator and a feedback control system to regulate the generator.
Doug
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Your Questions About Wind Generators For Home
Helen asks…
Is wind power generator at home really work ?
I heard about wind power generator and I want to make a wind power generator to power things in my house. Although I am not sure where to find good information. I want to save money. Is there any reliable information on how to make wind power generator at home?
admin answers:
I made mine wind power generator and its saving me some good money 🙂 I use it to power various things inside and outside my house. I found the best source of info for this at:
http://retirerichguide.com/WindGenerator.html
Good luck 🙂
James asks…
How do I make my own wind power generators?
I want to make my own wind power generator at home because I want to use it to power my laptop and a small portable TV. How do I go about building wind power generators?
admin answers:
I make my 2 wind power generators at home and you will need
a generator, blades battery and inverter.
I use them to power my lighting along my balcony.
Actually I got the infomation from http://www.makewindpowerathome.com. Thats where I got my blade designs from and learnt how to wire it up.. Its saving me some good money 🙂
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Your Questions About Wind Turbines Oklahoma
Nancy asks…
where on the web can i find reasonably priced windchargers?
i live in windy oklahoma, i know wind power would b a great option for power here, but the equipment is so dang expensive, ne 1 know of a cheap place to buy equip.?
admin answers:
You don’t mention what would be reasonable to you so ebay would be my first choice, but you wouldn’t get the warranties and such for a used unit. Your best bet would be to check out this site that has lots of information about wind turbines including cost factors.
Http://www.awea.org/faq/rsdntqa.html
Sharon asks…
Where can I find an app. for a federal grant?
I’m part of my school’s Key Club. in Northeast Oklahoma. I’m looking for an application to receive a federal grant to help pay, mostly, for a wind turbine we want to purchase for the school. If you know of where to get an app. for solar panels, hot water heaters, wind turbines, or recycling bins, please let me know! Just in case, the grant needs to be for a school.
admin answers:
Good luck with that. Be sure you ask for enough to cover the EPA studies you will require. A lot of alternative energy projects have been sunk because they can’t afford to do the studies on the impact on fish, fowl or other wildlife, even when they are trying to work on existing sites. Here in SC we have hundreds of old Mill Dams. They already exist, nothing new is being built. But nothing can be done with them because the costs of the studies are so ridiculously high.
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Your Questions About Wind Generators Indiana
James asks…
where can I go to find the rightinfo about installing solar or wind power where I live? State/federal credits?
I live on a farm in NW Indiana. I want lower my energy bill and put up solar panels or windmills. Does Indiana have a program to help walk me through this, and where do I go to get the information?
admin answers:
Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live completely, 100% “off of the grid and are completely self sufficient”
The house is built utilizing natures natural elements, in the shape of an octagon with 8ft wide arch doors on every wall to catch every angle of wind (typical 4 sided homes have half the chance as one with 8 sides. A circle being the most efficient design). Woodburning stoves, solar chimney, solar AC, solar heating, solar water heating (pool and home), solar stove, solar power, wind power, hydrogen powered back up generator, hydrogen back up water heater, hydrogen stove, 2 hydrogen powered trucks, 1 EV (electric vehicle) and satellite internet.
There are no utility lines, no water lines, no roads, tv, cell service, etc. On our ranch. EVERYTHING needed is produced here. All electricity comes from 27 solar panels, 2 main wind gens and a back hydrogen generator if needed (typically we can last 9 days with all luxuries of sunless windless weather, hasn’t happened yet). Water is caught and storaged from the rain. Hot water is made with solar batch water heaters with an on-demand hydrogen hot water heater as backup. Even our vehicles use alternative energy (2 hydrogen trucks, 1 EV electric vehicle converted). Because of this we have no bills, no debt and no mortgage.
The fallowing steps were taking directly out of a DIY guide I offer to those who would like to run their homes on solar power safely, reducing their monthly utility bills or even selling power back the the electrical companies. The entire guide is available at www agua-luna com. Its pretty simple but if you have any problems feel free to contact me directly I can walk you threw the process.
Materials you will need
A sheet of copper flashing from the hardware store. This normally costs about $5.00 per square foot. We will need about half a square foot.
Two alligator clip leads.
A sensitive micro-ammeter that can read currents between 10 and 50 microamperes. Radio Shack sells small LCD multimeters that will do, but I used a small surplus meter with a needle.
An electric stove. My kitchen stove is gas, so I bought a small one-burner electric hotplate for about $25. The little 700 watt burners probably won’t work — mine is 1100 watts, so the burner gets red hot.
A large clear plastic bottle off of which you can cut the top. I used a 2 liter spring water bottle. A large mouth glass jar will also work.
Table salt. We will want a couple tablespoons of salt.
Tap water.
Sand paper or a wire brush on an electric drill.
Sheet metal shears for cutting the copper sheet.
The first step is to cut a piece of the copper sheeting that is about the size of the burner on the stove. Wash your hands so they don’t have any grease or oil on them. Then wash the copper sheet with soap or cleanser to get any oil or grease off of it. Use the sandpaper or wire brush to thoroughly clean the copper sheeting, so that any sulphide or other light corrosion is removed.
Next, place the cleaned and dried copper sheet on the burner and turn the burner to its highest setting.
As the copper starts to heat up, you will see beautiful oxidation patterns begin to form. Oranges, purples, and reds will cover the copper.
As the copper gets hotter, the colors are replaced with a black coating of cupric oxide. This is not the oxide we want, but it will flake off later, showing the reds, oranges, pinks, and purples of the cuprous oxide layer underneath.
The last bits of color disappear as the burner starts to glow red.
When the burner is glowing red-hot, the sheet of copper will be coated with a black cupric oxide coat. Let it cook for a half an hour, so the black coating will be thick. This is important, since a thick coating will flake off nicely, while a thin coat will stay stuck to the copper.
After the half hour of cooking, turn off the burner. Leave the hot copper on the burner to cool slowly. If you cool it too quickly, the black oxide will stay stuck to the copper.
As the copper cools, it shrinks. The black cupric oxide also shrinks. But they shrink at different rates, which makes the black cupric oxide flake off.
The little black flakes pop off the copper with enough force to make them fly a few inches. This means a little more cleaning effort around the stove, but it is fun to watch.
When the copper has cooled to room temperature (this takes about 20 minutes), most of the black oxide will be gone. A light scrubbing with your hands under running water will remove most of the small bits. Resist the temptation to remove all of the black spots by hard scrubbing or by flexing the soft copper. This might damage the delicate red cuprous oxide layer we need to make to solar cell work.
Cut another sheet of copper about the same size as the first one. Bend both pieces gently, so they will fit into the plastic bottle or jar without touching one another. The cuprous oxide coating that was facing up on the burner is usually the best side to face outwards in the jar, because it has the smoothest, cleanest surface.
Attach the two alligator clip leads, one to the new copper plate, and one to the cuprous oxide coated plate. Connect the lead from the clean copper plate to the positive terminal of the meter. Connect the lead from the cuprous oxide plate to the negative terminal of the meter.
Now mix a couple tablespoons of salt into some hot tap water. Stir the saltwater until all the salt is dissolved. Then carefully pour the saltwater into the jar, being careful not to get the clip leads wet. The saltwater should not completely cover the plates — you should leave about an inch of plate above the water, so you can move the solar cell around without getting the clip leads wet.
Now place in the sun with the magnefied on top.
The solar cell is a battery, even in the dark, and will usually show a few microamps of current.
That’s it it’s that simple. If you’d a more detailed process and some pics (ouldn’t put them here) it’s available along with some other DIY alternative energy projects at www agua-luna com
Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.
Dan Martin
Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World… Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY… All With Just One Click of A Mouse…For more info Visit:
www AGUA-LUNA com
Stop Global Warming!!!
Sandy asks…
Will we survive if solar flares increase and power grids are shut down for 1-3mths?
admin answers:
Power companies power down their satellites now several days before Solar flares reach earth, that doesn’t mean the power grid Might NOT go out over a particular area because there’s is too much demand put on a power grid that is 80 years old. But the power outages will NOT be world wide, , Yes people will survive, but maybe not all people. People do have their own generators, and usually people with generators are good Samaritans. 3.8 million had power grid collapse for several days in July, 2012, One person with a generator provided ice and water to several hundred people for three to five days. That Power outage was caused boy a line of thunderstorms, severe weather.
“…On 29 June, a line of thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds swept from Iowa to the Mid-Atlantic coast and knocked out power to more than 3.8 million people in Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, Kentucky, and metropolitan Washington, DC.[104]…”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_outages#2010.E2.80.932013
“…HIDDEN PORTALS IN EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD: A NASA-sponsored researcher at the University of Iowa has developed a way for spacecraft to hunt down hidden magnetic portals in the vicinity of Earth. These gateways link the magnetic field of our planet to that of the sun, setting the stage for stormy space weather.
ACTIVE SUNSPOT: Sunspot AR1513 is crackling with impulsive M-class solar flares. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash from one of them at 0920 UT on June 29th: …”
http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=29&month=06&year=2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_outages#2010.E2.80.932013
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Manufacturers
Charles asks…
Does any one have any information about wind turbine manufacturers dresses in New Zealand?
I have a plan to live in New Zealand, as I work in a wind turbines I prefer to continue my work in this branch, so it would be most appreciative if you could give me email or address of main wind turbine manufacturer in New Zealand
admin answers:
I did a google search on: wind turbine manufacturer in New Zealand
A few hits
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_New_Zealand
http://www.windenergy.org.nz/
http://www.windflow.co.nz/
The wikipedia article has lots of links.
Richard asks…
Why not sell wind turbines by having an agreement to buy if certain amount of people sign-up to buy at price?
I’m thinking start a website for people to sign up saying they will buy a wind turbine at a set price if so many other people agree as well. That way the manufacturers can know how much they will be making, and the prices will come way down. Do it.
admin answers:
Better yet why not just build one! You can build a wind turbine for a 5th of a commercial one and you get better efficiencies.
Check out this blog. There is a ton of information on this. Plus some cool vid’s of homemade turbines.
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Your Questions About Wind Turbine Generators For Home Use
Sandy asks…
How can wind turbines tackle pollution problems?
Can you give me three points of how can wind turbines tackle pollution problems in the modern days?
admin answers:
They can’t and never will.
Since wind is unreliable and unpredictable, conventional generator plants have to be on constant standby for when the wind is calm. While on low efficient standby, they actually produce more CO2 than when in full high efficient operation.
Electricity can not be stored and has to be produced on demand. When the wind is calm, the coal and gas genertodrs have to be poised to power up in a minutes notice. Low power in the grid burns out motors and burns up equipment. Wind farms are being paid to shut down in Scottland and Germany, as well as other countries because wind urbines are unpredictable and are causing undervoltage and overvoltage problems since the wind is variable and unpredictable.
It only costs about $0.02 per KWH to generate (not including transmission and maintenance costs) for coal, and about $0.03 per KWH for gas. Wind turbines cost about $2.40 per KWH to generate power. We are already paying about 10% more for electricity to pay for the expensive wind turbines, and if more are used, electric rates will go even higher, like gasoline prices. We should only be paying about $1.80 per gallon for gasoline.
Since CO2 is now classified as a pollutant, we all need to stop breathing, and eliminate all animals on the planet, according to what the the ideologists are telling us.
Wind turbines have other flaws, as well as solar electric panels. I am a contractor and have turbines large enough to power 4500 homes or more, so I know all the problems with them that the government and ideologists are not telling us. It is all about eco-guilt and not much to do with real problems and solutions.
Sandra asks…
Would a wind generator trickle charge a couple of car batteries in 14 hours?
I’m just trying to get an idea of how long it takes a wind turbine to charge batteries with regular win, could you just provide some examples?
admin answers:
Hey Joesh, wind turbines come in all different sizes, but your biggest variable here is the rate at which those batteries will accept a charge. Typical car batteries will have a capacity of around 60 amp hours. If you had a 60 amp charger, or turbine, in theory you can completely charge that battery in one hour, but you can never get power into a battery that fast without damaging it. A good rule of thumb is not to charge your battery in less than 5 hours if it is completely discharged. A couple car batteries might hold 120 amp hours, which means anything that puts out more than 30 amps is oversized. You can take a larger than needed turbine and use a charge controller to keep from charging the batteries too fast, but that is like using an indy 500 race car to haul a camping trailer, most of the capability of your turbine would be wasted. The best thing is to get a turbine that is just big enough, or maybe a little undersized, to do the job. For 100 to 150 amp hours of 12 volt batteries, I would suggest something in the 200 to 300 watt range, like a Southwest Windpower Air 303. They cost just a few hundred dollars, are designed to work on a sailboat to keep the boat batteries charged, and they have their own internal charge controller. So you just mount one on top of a 1 and 1/2 inch diameter conduit pipe, then connect the two wires from the turbine straight to the batteries. We used one for a couple years here at our remote cabin, but later upgraded to a larger World Power Technologies 900 watt unit. There are lots of other turbines on the market that can do that job for you, just remember that even the best turbine will not pan out if you do not have good wind, or a tall enough tower to get to the wind above the tree tops.
There are some great places to learn more about this if you’re interested, but I’m curious, have you considered solar? Solar panels are so much easier to use, install and wire up, and they never need maintenance, you can take my word on this, I’ve had both for over 11 years now. A solar panel is basically a battery charger, they deliver their rated amperage when the sun shines, no more, so in a sense they are self regulating. If you really want to get up to speed on this stuff, get a sub to Home Power Magazine, we did 12 years ago, now our home is completely powered by the wind and sun.
If you get frustrated by all the numbers thrown around, remember that watts is voltage times amps. So a 300 watt wind turbine that runs at 12 volts will put out 25 amps at full power, 25 X 12 = 300. Solar panels are basically the same animal, but they are all usuallly set for 18 volts to charge a 12 volt battery, so a 36 watt panel will actually put out 2 amps in full sun, 36 divided by 18 volts is 2 amps. Hope this helps, take care, Rudydoo
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