Simple Wind Generator Setup

emzine · Post by **emzine** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:47 am

I'm looking to set up a small wind generator for my camp to keep an XPower charged and run a few other minor appliances. I've spent hours pouring over wind generator sites, but I guess I just don't understand the BASICS. Also, it seems like all the sites I go to sell generators with very high outputs, and I'm looking for one just to get me through the week. Does anyone have any good suggestions for models that would fit my needs or sites that SIMPLY explain how to set up an off-grid system like this?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:45 am

Wind generation for small needs is a waste..Couple of real good batteries and cheap solor panels..Or a peddled generater..

Wind would be nice to work with if you have the money and time..Some on this list have the knowlage to build.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:51 am

MAKE magazine, Volume 5, page 90.

...Even if it's NOT highly practical in my locale, I feel compelled to experiment with windpower for the simple reason that it's FREE. It's like stickin' it to The Man- No, the OTHER Man.

timburly · Post by **timburly** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:17 pm

http://www.windenergy.com/index_wind.htm

Goto the right side of the screen under product info and look up the AirX. Its cheap as wind geny's go around 500 clams. Its also fully automatic so all you have to do is connect it up to the batteries. It will start up in about 8mph winds with a peak output of 400 watts at 28mph.

With other wind geny's you have to have a large battery bank to absorb the energy put out as well as having a special controller that will divert any excess power to a diversion load. This gets expensive and complicated to somone not up on alternative energy systems.

Are you just going to use this for burningman? It's an expensive investment if its only getting used one week out of the year. Or do you have other camping/festivals/cabin type use for it also.

Also if your going to spend the dough on a wind geny be sure to get good batteries and know how to take care of them so they last years. Somthing like 2 or 4 Trojan T-105's are very common in the alternative energy world.

Good luck!

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:46 am

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03 ... _inven.php

This may not be available at the moment - a set of 20 10-inch gear wheels that spin in wind as low as 2 meters per second and recharge batteries. The cost for the set up is given as $25. The photo shows the set up on some guys apartment balcony.