Wind Generator

Wind Generator

Things to think about:

• Great when combined with solar. Wind can blow at night!
• Obviously, wind is needed..
• On the other end of the spectrum, too much wind can tear a unit apart. A unit may need to be taken down if gale force winds or stronger are expected. Be aware of the limits of any unit you invest in!
• Can easily use a DC motor. (easier setup, but will most likely be a brushed motor. This means after so many rotations, the brushes will need to be changed. This applies to any/all DC brushed motors, however in this use-case of energy generation, one needs to be aware of this consumable part!)

A major point that should be considered is the concept of "cloud anchors"[1] and increased cloud cover during the GSM. This could potentially translate to decreasing winds.

Common units available for home use

Smaller turbines can be acquired below the $1,000 mark that are capable of producing 300w~900W (at 12v-24v).

Vertical spiral soft fin design	400w/12v traditional design	300w flag-pole turbine
Small 12v pipe-mount turbine	Micro-turbine for small toy motor

Recommended by IAF Community

• LE-V150
  • As written up here,
  • This model is built to survive 80mph winds
  • There is also an "LE-V150 Extreme" model that is built to function down to -40'C
• Charge Controller: DL-300 or Tristar 45A

Charge Controllers

Micro Wind Farm

any real-world examples of chaining the smaller home units? TODO: chaining toy turbines for small-battery charging.