Will a Wind Turbine Work for You?

Wind turbines are very popular among the items that off-

grid customers will ask about, especially when setting up a new system. Let’s

discuss the three major factors when considering a wind turbine system:

financial, power production, and a complete system package, or what I would call

“Peace of Mind”.

First financial. One of the most common sizes of a wind turbine would be a 1KW.

A 1KW turbine plus the tower and the controller would cost approximately $4,000

based on the tower being used. This would include everything needed to charge

either a 24- or 48-volt battery system. For the same power value in solar

modules, rack and charge controller, the cost would be approximately $2,000 –

roughly half. Remember that neither of these take in to consideration labor or

concrete which would vary based on the site and distance from the control room.

But, as you can see, the wind turbine is much more costly than solar in today’s

market. This has not always been the case and may change again in the future.

But if you were to compare just the cost today of these two scenarios, the solar

comes out way ahead.

Next power production. Solar modules will produce power whenever they have

full sun. However, their peak production is only about 6.5 hours per day average

throughout the year (see previous articles for more info on this subject). Wind

turbines, on the other hand, require a constant wind of 15 mph or greater for

them to produce at full power. Unfortunately, this is not the norm in this part of

AZ. And even when we do have 15 mph winds (or greater), they are not

constant, fluctuating up and down greatly. Based on national weather data, the

average wind speed in Ash Fork is 10 mph. So, on most days even with wind, we

would not be producing at full power. The upside is that the wind can blow 24/7,

which does not tie us down to the “sun up only” issues faced with solar modules.

This comparison really comes down to a draw this time of year. But for overall

year-end production, on average, solar modules will produce more total power

then their wind counterpart. Remember that this is based on average wind data.

If your property is higher up or in a wind tunnel, that would change this scenario

significantly.

Lastly, complete system or “Peace of Mind” This is where wind turbines shine! To

have a complete system and not have to fire up that old gas guzzling generator,

wind turbines are the way to go. They will help you all night long on those cold,

stormy nights when the wind is blowing like it is going to take your roof off. When

it is cloudy and overcast, there is usually a wind with it that will produce at least

some turbine power. To give your system its most rounded, true green footprint,

a wind turbine is a great, added feature.

At the end of the day, it really comes down to one thing, customer preference.

Strong arguments can be made on both sides for whether or not to have a wind

turbine. And each customer’s particular location, situation, and budget really play

a part in this decision. Just like everything else having to do with your solar

system, no one package fits every customer. They all need to be designed

around the particular customer’s needs, location, and budget.

Please let us know if you would like more information on this subject or if you

have ideas for future articles.