Wind query [RE-wrenches]

David Blecker blecker at seventhgenergy.org
Wed Feb 5 08:45:33 PST 2003


<x-flowed>
Allen,

I share Kurt's concerns about the tower height.  50 ft?  Yuck!  Unless his 
land is flat enough to watch the dog run away for 3-days, he should save 
his pennies til he can afford a taller tower.

IF he's committed to the existing tower (if he is, he should be committed) 
, you'd be best to stay with the H80 or consider the Bergey XL1.  While I 
really really like the AWP 3.6, its tower top weight is 250 lbs as compared 
to the 65 lb H80 and 75lb XL1.  Can the existing tower handle a 250lb head 
weight???  If there are doubts about the structural capability of the 
tower, stay light.

If SWWP won't sell an H80 without an controller, or if they will only sell 
the EZ-Wire II (is there a reason they won't sell the EZ-WireI??), then 
think about the Bergey XL1. Their 24V controller allows for up to 30A of PV 
and pricing is comparable.

Just my $0.02
Dave




At 09:12 PM 2/4/2003, you wrote:
>Wrenches, some wind advice, please,
>     In 1998 we designed and installed a PV/wind/diesel stand-alone system 
> for a rancher in the eastern plains of New Mexico. He brought to the 
> design a depression-era 32V "Wincharger" two-blade wind gennie with 
> original controller that he had bought at a ranch auction, I believe. 
> This was not a Jacobs, and early on Windy Dankoff advised me that it 
> wasn't the Jake's quality. So I designed the system around a World Power 
> 12-1600 EZ-Wire center for both wind and a small PV array. I did it this 
> way because 1) the controller and a governor adjustment allowed for 
> operation on a 24V system; 2) it provided a dump load; 3) I got rectified 
> DC out of 3-phase wild AC from the bird; and 4) I didn't believe that the 
> old bird would keep running for long, and I wanted to give the client an 
> easy way to replace the old bird with a modern unit without redoing the 
> rest of the system.
>
>     All happened as expected. The unbalanced blades started coming apart 
> in a couple of years and eventually I heard that a part or two blew over 
> to the east 40. The client has asked for a quote on a new gennie. We had 
> originally specified the controller for a Whisper 1000, which is more or 
> less the Southwest Windpower H80. World Power sold the EZ-Wire center 
> without the bird, but SWWP doesn't want to sell the bird without the 
> EZ-Wire II (wind only) controller at a reasonable price. So, my questions:
>1. Is the H80 the best choice for this particular application? (good 
>seasonal site, adequate ~50' 4-leg freestanding tower, a dozen 5-year-old 
>L16s showing signs of weakening) The client is on a pretty tight budget.
>2. If so, should we try to buy just the bird, haggling for the best price 
>we can get for the client, or should we use the EZ-Wire II controller and 
>a separate charge controller for the PV? (In other words, is the newer 
>wind regulator a major improvement?)
>3. Is there a better way?
>
>Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom, as usual.
>Allan at Positive Energy
>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>- - - -
>To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>
>Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/
>
>List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm
>
>Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html
>
>Hosted by Home Power magazine
>
>Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
>

----------------------------------------------------------
David Blecker, P.E., Director
Seventh Generation Energy Systems
608-424-1870 (ph)  424-1810 (fax)

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

==^================================================================
This email was sent to: michael_welch at sbcglobal.net

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
==^================================================================

</x-flowed>



More information about the RE-wrenches mailing list