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I am a novice to wind turbines but want to know more.
I am looking to purchase a VAWT shortly and would like to have it connected to the power grid / mains. Can anyone provide me information on all of the equipment I will require to accomplish this with indicative costs. What is the smallest VAWT I could purchase that could generate power all year round depending obviously on wind availability. I will not be using any power generated for personal use. The conundrum for me is sizing a unit that will produce sufficient power generation, and $ return, that will allow my return on investment to be realised within 6-12 months or shortly thereafter.
I live in a remote area, generally windy, though somewhat inconsistent in speed. How does this affect inverters and a grid connection, particularly from a electrical supplier / regulatory perspective.
I have no intention of using a HAWT and only wish to use a VAWT. From a structure support perspective, a VAWT will require a minimal foundation size as it spins vertically and has minimal overturning moments. I will fix this to an existing high post near an existing power line.
I am sure my intention has flaws but am hoping there is nothing too much insurmountable.
If there are other considerations I need to consider, please highlight these. I am kindly looking for any assistance you all can provide.
Best wishes.
T
mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412
Posted: 02:14am 03 Jul 2011
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Hello Ynot,
and welcome to the forum...
You have just posted questions about everyone's dream machine, any hope of recouping you'r investment in 6 to 12 mounths is ludacrist...won't happen/can't happen. Pay back will be somewhere in the 6 to 10 year time frame if at all.
May I gently suggest futher study and reading is in order.
Thanks for posting.
...Mac46I'm just a farmer
Ynot Newbie Joined: 03/07/2011 Location: Posts: 2
Posted: 02:48am 03 Jul 2011
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Thanks for the prompt response Mac46.
Take 2. Ludacris is somewhat harsh though I knew it was not likely.
Then forget the 6-12 months comment. The reason for posting a query on a forum like this was to get some discussion and answers from well versed people on the topic and/or who have skills for others who wish to learn.
A proactive and constructive response to all the queries would have been great.
How about responding to the other points in the original post?
Cheers.
Ynot
smithy Regular Member Joined: 30/01/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 52
Posted: 10:50am 03 Jul 2011
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First question you need to ask is what do I want to do and how much power do you need to do it.
This will then send you on a more focused search.
If you want to power your house then its gunna be big, if you just want to suppliment some solar panels then slightly different.
BUT the most important question you need to ask yourself, is what is the wind strength and consistency in your area.
Smithy"The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind" Bob Dylan
Tinker Guru Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904
Posted: 03:01pm 03 Jul 2011
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Don't underestimate the wind loading of *any* type of wind generator. That loading has more to do with the effective area presented to the wind and not the axis on which it spins.
To get any useful power out of a VAWT it needs to be bigger than perhaps you had estimated. You can fit it on an existing high post but in that case do fit at least 3 guy wires which in turn are fixed to beefy ground attachments.
Then your post only needs sufficient foundation to resist the downward loading, the overturning load is taken by the guy wires.Klaus
mac46 Guru Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 412
Posted: 01:16am 04 Jul 2011
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Hello Ynot,
I retract my wording, ludacrist was/is to harsh a word and was uncalled for. My appoligies.
If you'r looking for a machine to purchase ready to go right out of the crate, then you will be spending some money. Hopeing to achive a 6 to 12 mounth pay back on investment will most likely not happen. Its very hard to estimate what size unit you are needing/wanting , sounds like you'r interested on only makeing money off this adventure.
You have'nt said what country you'r from...but you'r power supplier should have the information, electrical codes, ect. needed to complete the grid tie.
As Tinker has said, even a vawt will generate tremendous lateral and rotational forces and so needs a very good and solid base, especially for the larger units.
It would be best if you can record the wind speed and direction before construction begins, for atleast 6 mounths to a year...this will help you understand how much "power" in available at you'r site. and thus how big of a unit to purchase as well as what manufacture...as they differ from one to another.
Hope this is enough info to get you started in the right direction, or atleast understand things alittle better. I'm looking forward to seeing you'r project on the forum. We will try to help you, but we need accurate info...and lots of it.
These are my esitamated costs for a 5M HAWT, with a hydraulic tower from china. I'm looking to put the thing 220 meters away from the house, thats why the cable costs are so high. Most of the prices are actual prices, but some are estimates. I also need to alter the RECS as a negative cost line, as that has changed.
I expect that this turbinre would generate somewhere around 10,000kWh/year I use about 5000 kWh/year. So I'd be able to export to the grid. Depending on how much the turbine actually produces, I'm looking at somewhere between 5 and 10 years until I have a 100% ROI.
A VAWT will generate signifcantly less power, for the same surface area.
So, $20,000AUD or there abouts.
Turbine 5kW $2,050.00
10 kW controller & dump load $1,297.00
shipping $120.00
Total to ExMork $3,467.00
Duty & GST $520.05
Turbine total $3,987
Tower $2,880
Hydraulic rams $1,880
electric pump $625
shipping $156
total for tower $5,541
GST, customs, duty $831.15
Tower total $6,372
Concrete for tower foundation $1,500
Inverter (1x 6kW Aurora) $4,950
cable (2x 210m of 35mm XLPE) cost / meter 6.60 $2,772
Cable (210m of 16mm earth) cost / meter $3.30 $693
Cable (25m of 4c 16mm XLPE) cost / meter $12 $300
Conduit 32mm (55 * 4 meter) $165
RECS (as a negative cost) -$4,160
fudge factor for unknown expenses $2,000
Total $18,579
Total repayments @ B25% over B26 years $23,679.70
interest rate 9.99%
loan term in years 5
loan amount $18,579
total intrest is $5,100.50
Monthly repayments are 394.6616821
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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