Hey guys, I took the time to do some research into the power and energy claims of the most popular micro-wind turbines. I noticed that nothing like this already exists on the internet and wanted to make it easier to compare options.

https://windpower.com.au/resources/micro-wind-turbine-performance-guide

I'd love to get feedback on the article. It doesn't attempt to answer every question you might have about buying a turbine, but focusses on one of the most important questions: "How much energy can I get out of this thing?".

In doing this research, I also uncovered some dubious claims by one manufacturer.

Nice page @Windpower it is very informative. 

I think it my be worth pointing out that 8m/s = 28.8km/hr is required to start making something approaching decent power and 13m/s = 46.8km/hr before most of them are at the specified production rating.   

If you live in a country with some sun, I think in most cases it makes more sense to purchase more panels and batteries. 

Thanks @Sc00bs. Yeah, that's right for the most part. Wind can still be useful in some cases. It's just a matter of people understanding what to expect.

On 2024/03/13 at 7:11 AM, Sc00bs said:

Nice page @Windpower it is very informative. 

I think it my be worth pointing out that 8m/s = 28.8km/hr is required to start making something approaching decent power and 13m/s = 46.8km/hr before most of them are at the specified production rating.   

If you live in a country with some sun, I think in most cases it makes more sense to purchase more panels and batteries. 

Got to agree with Scoobs on this one tbh. I looked at it a while back and quite frankly its doesnt make sense given that prices on Turbines are not cheap , also you need to mount fairly high to get past eddies etc near buildings. At the average speeds of wind where I am ( Johannesburg ) wind speeds are fairly low most of the time , so you will be getting cents on the rand as far as Turbine generation is concerned

Rather buy more panels and batteries.

 

Edited May 7, 20242 yr by Gary Waterworth

100% @Gary Waterworth only makes sense at the coast. With the cost of solar panels and batteries dropping constantly and wind turbines not getting any cheaper, it means that the financial argument for using wind becomes weaker all the time.

I think that we are going to see lithium batteries in SA being sold in the R1k/kwh range within the next two years (unless the rand goes down the toiled!)