Wind Energy Systems
If you live in a reliable wind area that is free from interference from trees and other obstacles, a wind turbine may prove a very valuable addition to your renewable energy system. We can calculate the power contribution that a wind turbine could add to your system, using available wind data. It is rare for a wind turbine to be the sole renewable source in a system as it is not always reliable. Most wind turbines are used to complement solar modules. Wind can be a great source of energy but all to often it is found that a great wind site is a terrible place to live.
To determine whether a site is suitable for a wind generator, the amount of wind over a long period (a year at least) must be known. To test the site using wind measuring devices over that length of time is too time consuming - you will need to know the suitability of the site much sooner. Use local knowledge as much as possible. The wind speed data from the nearest weather station will be of great help to you. Record wind data at your selected site over a shorter period (e.g. one month) and compare this to the data from the weather station for the same period. If your site has more wind than the weather station for that month then it will almost certainly have more wind all the time. Realise that an anemometer doesn't care about direction or turbulence when it's measuring average wind speed but your wind generator certainly will.
Determining the Postion
Another factor in determining the position of the wind generator is the height of the tower. Because of economic reasons the height of the tower should be kept to a minimum but you should be aware that the win speed increases with height off the ground.
After selection and sighting of the wind turbine, the tower height is the single most important item in success of a wind energy system. At 12 meters there is 350% more energy than at 1.5 meters, even though the wind speed is only 50% greater. This extra energy may not be of any us if your turbine is operating at cut out speed however.
The advantage of a taller tower is in the number of hour per year that rated wind speed will be obtained compared to a short tower. A tall tower will be more difficult to install, be more expensive and require a bigger clear area around it for guy wires and to raise and lower the tower to service the generator. Examine the cost benefit before selecting your tower.
