mixing wind and solar power?

[SilverNodashi]

Hi, 

 

Is it advisable to mix wind and solar power? If so, which charge controller(s) would you recommend, if I already have an Axpert inverter? Would you simple put a wind charge controller directly on the batteries?

[leaves]

#pvlink

http://www.pegasus-systems.co.za/brochure/Pika%20Energy_Catalog_2015.pdf

[SilverNodashi]

#pvlink

http://www.pegasus-systems.co.za/brochure/Pika%20Energy_Catalog_2015.pdf

Thanx. I'll get in touch with them. I wonder if it will work with an Axpert, and a home-made wind generator (which I still need to build..)

[Chris Hobson]

Commercial wind generators are generally over-priced. The do fill a gap if you experience a lot of wind but not much sunlight but I would rather spend the money on more batteries or PVs which ever you chose. A home made wind generator is a completely different story since your costs are reduced. One has to be innovative since like a pelton wheel you cannot switch it off (not easily anyway) and you need to use that energy being generated.

[Chris Hobson]

There is a new 5kVA version of the Axpert that  does allow more than one MPPT input so maybe one could connect a turbine to it if it had the right controllers. 

 

I have copied and pasted from AEVA

 

"There is a little info up on the mppsolar site now; there they're calling it the PIP-MSD/MST series (D and T for Dual and Triple MPPT inputs):

http://www.mppsolar.com/v3/pip-msdmst-series/

The brochure (catalog) has a higher resolution image of the LCD screen:



As you can see, it's not very clear, but there are three changes that I have found:

1) This one has provision for two PV inputs. It doesn't look like it has room for 3 PV inputs.
2) There is a new module between the panels and the battery, on the LCD.
3) There are some new indicators to the right of the battery.

No user manual as yet, that I have found. "Available starting September, 2015 this series will be ready for mass production."

The comms input looks totally different. Maybe they just ran out of space for the usual sockets to plug into, and that's a cable gland, or a cover over where a gland would go.



There is also the "intelligent slot", which is presumably for paralleling and who knows what else."

[Guest]

My 2 cents. From the 5 wind power installations I have seen, none of the 5 are working anymore, and that is after many repairs.

 

Wind power seems to be under tremendous strain with too much wind (lots of stress on installation and power in) ... and then there is no wind.

 

Whomever guides you, ask them how many failures they have experienced and why. That should give you an idea.

[Regie]

TTT You nailed it! Wind turbines are problematic. Most of the problems actually comes from bad charge controllers. Wind charge controllers are way behind in technology. I wish that somebody can sometime soon make a good charge controller with multiple inputs, i.e rpm sensing, external wind speed meter to start with. The controllers currently, is like a "one size fits all". 

MPPT charge controllers does not work well with wind turbines, cause it takes time for the MPPT to sync and wind speed varies all the time. In my case I found that PWM controller works better then the MPPT, cause it grabs every bit of energy from the gust to the more stable winds. This past winter there were only a few days that the wind turbine played it's role in keeping the batteries above 70%. Currently i have a 600W turbine that's running with a 360W solar panel set-up, connected to a auxiliary battery bank (12X110amp *48V bank).I use the turbine to keep the auxiliary bank topped up, this is my emergency stash. If you were on an open plane and had a 15 meter or plus pole to mount a turbine, in a good wind area, then go for it.

 

From the turbines I've used, i would only vouch for the 600W Windmax/Pegasus turbine. If you know of a decent charge controller , pleas let me know.    

[SilverNodashi]

The thing is, here's plenty of wind which can generate free (to some degree - depends on cost of wind tower?) electricity throughout the day, and night and I think it would be great to be able to harvest this somehow. But this is at my house, in a suburban area. So if I go this route, I'll probably have to setup two smaller wind generators, which will hopefully generate less noise? I was thinking of a small vertical type turbine.

As a start, I want to build one on the farm and see how it goes. Then perhaps one here at home.

Those new Axpert inverters sure look like they could work, but I need a good wind charge controller inbetween.

Does anyone know where I can get a 48V alternator?

[___]

Re MPPT vs PWM... I wonder if there isn't another reason -- other than tracking speed -- why MPPT doesn't work so well. Solar Panels are Constant Current devices, on a V vs A chart the amps is more or less a straight line up to the optimum power point, then it just drops off a cliff. So the MPPT tries to find that edge on the cliff.

Wind Chargers, I wager, aren't constant current. So there is a fundamental mismatch in technology I'd say.

[leaves]

A great article of horizontal vs vertical axis Turbines.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/vertical-axis-wind-turbines-zmaz08fmzmcc.aspx