Self sufficient power using wind turbine/generstor
Posted by Next-Juggernaut7404@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Hi, unfortunately I’m not issued with shore power at my marina, meaning I will have to make my own power. Which is fine because I like the idea of being self sufficient and it will come in handy while at anchor.
While in the marine I do t have a huge consumption. A single bilge pump, small fridge and my stereo.
I got 2x Victron 130w panels but I want to add the possibility to make power, when the sun isn’t out.
This is where I am coming short. I don’t have any previous experience with wind turbines.
I’ve been looking at the Vevor 500w turbine as a “test/entry level” turbine because I can afford it, and I won’t be needing much power anyways
Does any of you have any experience with this specific generator?
pdq_sailor@reddit
What do you do to run the air conditioner?
Next-Juggernaut7404@reddit (OP)
My “airconditioner” is opening a hatch or porthole
pdq_sailor@reddit
14KBTU AC, 15KBTU heat and dehumidifier...
Next-Juggernaut7404@reddit (OP)
I think your boat is equipped with way more gadgets and stuff, which requires energy, compared to my needs.
ccgarnaal@reddit
Do you have an inboard diesel? If yes, then an oversized alternator an belt system can be your emergency generator.
It makes a lot more sense then the portable gas generators. If you ever want to use it while sailing.
Look at Balmar or Zeus kits. I can charge 2kw on my main engine at min rpm of 700. And about 3kw at 1200 engine rpm
alex1033@reddit
It depends if you live in a sunny (high pressure) or windy (low pressure) area, I guess. AFAIK a wind generator requires a lot of wind - if your average is like 10 kts of wind, it will not be effective. Solar panels got a lot better lately. Direct sun is a lot better than ambient light, ofc. There was a very dark day last week, and my solar produced 20 Wh during that day; then is was super sunny and the output was 200 Wh. If your battery is good, the solar tech can make a good average.
PrizeAnnual2101@reddit
I had a 40 watt stern mounted panel with a genasun mmpt controller feeding a blue sea ACR to my two group 27 batteries
Never had and issue in years even in winter storage
IvorTheEngine@reddit
The thing with wind power is that it needs 15-20 knots of wind to generate useful power. The power output is related to the cube of the wind speed, so at low wind speeds there just isn't any power to harvest.
They work pretty well if you're on a mooring or out sailing, but marinas (and anchorages) tend to be too sheltered.
I'd see if you can find a chart of output vs wind speed. I can't see one in their spec, but it does say that the rated power is at 13m/s (30mph). If the typical wind is half that, following that cube law you should get 1/8th of the power (62W) and at 10mph you could expect just 13W
I found a chart for the Rutland 1200, which peaks at 500W at about 28 knots of wind. At 10 knots, it's only producing 40W
IME, they are good for running your auto-helm while sailing in weather when the solar isn't working, but have limited use in a marina.
Secret-Temperature71@reddit
From experience I agree with the above.
Noise: Practical Sailor did noise tests and found the larger 5 and 6 blade models are quieter, very important in a marina.
Survive-ability: We demount the blades for hurricane season, because we lost blades at 70 knots. may have been debris, does not matter.
Service ability: I have had the motor bearings replaced after they started to make some noise. Pretty simple on mine.
I have an Aero-Gen 6 400W unit. They were hugely popular and blades are still available but I don’t think they make the unit any more. It seems dime outfit in France has the production rights, and makes the blades.
The D 400 is a similar size unit that even shares the simple controller with an AeroGen. I have not mounted one but, having read the mounting instructions, it strikes me as less user friendly, hard to demount.
Output: for 400 W unit, close enough maths
40 knots 40 A
20 knots 10 A
10 knots 2-1/2 A
IvorTheEngine@reddit
That's a good point. We lost the entire generator in a storm. It just snapped off the top of the pole. That sounds dramatic, but the boat was laid up for the winter, in a boat yard. The solar panels were ripped off too.
And the new one ran much better, demonstrating that the bearings on the old one were due for replacement.
IndyBananaJones2@reddit
The thing with wind is that it isn't very effective until the turbines see above 15 knots, which you don't usually get in a marina and often don't get at anchor.
Adding another solar panel is the way to go if you have room.
youngrichyoung@reddit
Conventional wisdom is that wind doesn't add much and isn't worthwhile anymore, now that solar technology has gotten so good. But I'm in the US PNW, and there are people here who think it's smart to have a second source of power in a place where days get shorter in the off-season and it's often cloudy.
No particular experience with imthe Vevor, but I'll be interested in seeing what others have to say. I've been thinking about this too.
Secret-Temperature71@reddit
Depends upon location. In our experience this is true on the USA East Coast. But not true in the Eastern Caribbean.
raehn@reddit
I have a 400w wind Genny and 1800w of solar. The wind generator doesn't do in a year what solar does in a day. It's a trickle charger at best.
ataris121@reddit
Look into harmony wind turbines. They are a startup but may be willing to trade a low cost prototype for performance data.
planeray@reddit
Interested to hear too, though I think the overwhelming answer is going to be "don't bother" with wind.
Sounds like I've got much the same setup - granted, I get a fair bit more solar in Australia, though the starter of autumn has been pretty rainy. I'm thinking I might grab one of those power stations, take it down and charge the battery, then I can recharge the station at home at my convenience.