The Wind is Free!

The advantage of generating power is that it can be generated in one place, and used in another, unlike the windpomp.

Good day all , just an update on the solar cells that I have bought from the states. The spec is 1.75w @ 0.5vdc. I built ... unit is only running at 52watts with the same load attached and setup for both panels the same. These cells are 150mm by 80mm sq. I sell them for the DIY person ...

Hi Jay, looks great! You can't use capacitors alone to increase voltage. You can make a circuit using a coil, a FET, and capacitor, which is called a DC boost converter. Or you can try increase the rpm to get more voltage. Once you get 13.5 voltage you are good to charge a 12V battery.

Hello Jacob. Solar is becoming more and more popular, and is certain to be very successful in the future. You can install it on your home, although its important to understand your consumption, and the other equipment needed in addition to the solar panels.

JTECH wrote:Yes and they don't rely on the sun to shine, so they work at night too provided the wind blows! Also, more power for your money compared to solar (PV).

Even I have got wind farm and I prefer wind energy over soolar.. It is easy to maintain and more efficient.

... also got blown out of the sky. I sort of gave up on wind energy. My solar geyser and PV panels have been eminently successful. I hate failure and I hate to give up. The broken turbine ...

The 300Watt with the 2m blades is based on the 3rd power average. The 50 Watt with the 1m blades is a mistake and should have been 70Watt.

A normal fridge compressor operates @

Yes, at that low wind speed there is not much power available. But remember, at double that speed, there is EIGHT times more power. Calculations based on average speed are only valid for a linear power-speed relationship. For a wind turbine, it is a cubed relationship. The advantage of generating po...

JTECH wrote: Also, more power for your money compared to solar (PV).

Now THAT remains to be seen !

I've given up of trying to get sustained power out of the wind. It can't be done, unless you go really BIG. At an average windspeed of 3.5m/s (=average in PE) a one meter blade will get you

... I need two batteries for my two computer UPSs and another for my solar PV panels - I keep my two Telkom batteries for the 24V wind turbine. I'm doing the same to the ...

... region and Northern Transvaal that had their whole farms runnig from solar in 1985 allready. in the mean time I also picked up clients that is in the solar geyser bussiness as well as selling PV panels. I drove out to Darling in December 2010 especially to have a look at that ...

... I started with the following steps allready: 1. Installed a 150 l solar geaser as a pre heating geaser for the normal 200l electric geaser. ... the power going into and out of the batteries. 5. 2x150 W 24V solar panels to charge the batteries. Total cost so far including a small DB board, ...

... my progress - I enjoy that. I'm also getting two more photovoltaic panels because my regulator is designed to handle six panels and at the moment ... not, I'm quite content with my life and it wasn't always that way. My solar geyser is a real winner and I'd do it again except this time I'd go ...

... of all kinds. I've built six wind generators ( 1KW & smaller), made solar panels from cells, solar heaters- water and air and other green gadgets. I've noticed questions ...

Good day all , just an update on the solar cells that I have bought from the states. The spec is 1.75w @ 0.5vdc. I built ... unit is only running at 52watts with the same load attached and setup for both panels the same. These cells are 150mm by 80mm sq. I sell them for the DIY person ...

I have already placed an order for 200 of these cells. Let me first look at these cells when they arrive. I have to test the claim by the supplier. At first I would build a 80 watt panel and compare to the 80 watt panels I have that was bought from local supplier. Will keep up to date.

Ever thought of building your own solar panels? We read on many web pages about how to build it. I found a company in the States that would supply ...

... ideas where I can get plans from. Wouldnt mid some reasonably priced solar voltaic panels either. The chinese ones dont live up to the spec's they advertise.

I can't use solar panels, because my geysers(2off) are all installed at window level. To use solar panels I'd be needing hot water ...

... mine were sensitive to wind. There's a guy here that has dense plastic solar panels. There are literally hundreds of small tubes molded into the sheets. The sheets are ...

... and the windmill. The only real reliable power I'm getting is from my solar panels. They too have long 16 gaugue wires (I'm losing about 12 watts the way I figure it). ...

... gas just don't apply and I was left to decide between photovoltaic panels and wind. Just as an aside my son works with nuclear in the USA and ... This all assumes that batteries etc would work out the same for wind or solar. I'd learnt my lesson with the under-specification panels that I have ...

... gas (which is a GREAT improvement in the cooking :D ) and I'm building solar panels for my two geysers (one is in the granny flat). The kitchen and bathroom taps are on ...

... haven't exactly been a roaring success. My biggest success has been my solar geyser. It is so successful that I'm surprised that every household ... adventure I consider a failure at this time. My four 14 watt 12 Volt panels are a joke - they deliver at best 2 amps (below their specs) which ...

Made a miscalculation there - my solar panels together deliver 56 / 12 = 4.67 amp not 1/5 of an amp. Still 56 watts at 230 V gives 56 / 230 = ...