How Have The Wind Generators Performed?

[Theo]

Was it PaulsNulife who recently fitted a wind generator? I would love to know how it has been performing.

 

N

[KJT]

Isn't his primarily used in coastal waters? In which case its probabably worth fitting. In my experience, unless you have a permanent mooring in an exposed place, solar is better value for money.

Ken

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,

I've had a wind generator for 10 years or so now, I love it, it's always been a reliable source of pwr, and on average out performing my small solar installation. Not an entirely fair contest I suppose.

Ofcourse I would imagine it would be next to useless when cruising on some of the inland Rivers and canals (Bridges and stuff) only comming into it's own when moored but I don't have that problem so much with my chosen cruising grounds.

As far as performance goes, well Difficult one...

Because I use my boat a fair bit, my SOC is always fairly good, but I would say on average 30-40 A/Hrs day from Wind Gen Obviously it has the advantage of working 24/7, & is BRILLIANT in the winter months.

20-30 A/Hrs day from my 120w Solar. Obviously only works on the better brighter days in the summer months for say 10 hrs or so, and are not so good in the winter.

But it really does depend on so many variables.

I have said many times on here before, I like the idea of having as many ways to make power as

practicaly possible.

I certainly wouldn't be without a Wind Gen for my type of cruising life. Infact My next installation will be TWO Rutland 914i Wind Generators, and 6 x 100 watt Solar panels,

Edited June 22, 2015 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Ally]

We got a wind genny last year, and as we move around quite a bit, we've found it fairly useless. In one or two places it's been ok, but mostly there is too much environmental turmoil to let it work well. In exposed places it has given at most 15 amp, but mostly much less if any. Our solar is by far preferable and more reliable, without the hassle of putting it up and down all the time.

The 15 amp was a real one off, it generally gave us between one and three amp input.

We might just get rid!

[MtB]

"How Have The Wind Generators Performed?"

 

 

I'd say look at any VM and count the wind generators in use. This should help answer your question.

[Arthur Brown]

I have a friend with an off grid house which relies entirely on wind power and a Rutland generator. The key is free access to lots of steady wind, and his house is on the Norfolk side of the Wash so miles of uninterrupted flat all round.

[Ricco1]

I fitted one last autumn. I cruise on the Peak Forest and the Macc. The former is mostly sheltered, there's barely a spot where a wind generator would be of any use at all, even in a strong wind. The Macc is different though. Much of it is directly exposed to prevailing winds, it's good for a wind turbine.

 

I don't get massive amounts of power. A steady breeze gives me a couple of amps which might not sound much but as I only use around 40 ah daily it makes a good contribution.

 

My solar panels give me far more power but very little at the back end of the year.

 

I'd suggest that if you're looking for something that will give a decent return on your money look to solar every time. But if you spend much of your time in exposed areas why not get both? Particularly if you just like them, as I do.

[Neil Smith]

I will be fitting both as I already have them as they came up cheap, 300w solar and 600w wind but even on a 12 foot pole in good wind I don't expect to get near to 600w, but hoping the solar will do its job in spring/summer and the wind genny will contribute a bit when breezy and help a bit more in winter when windy.

 

Neil

[Ricco1]

I will be fitting both as I already have them as they came up cheap, 300w solar and 600w wind but even on a 12 foot pole in good wind I don't expect to get near to 600w, but hoping the solar will do its job in spring/summer and the wind genny will contribute a bit when breezy and help a bit more in winter when windy.

 

Neil

 

Good thinking but 600w wind, are you sure? Mine is rated at 300w it's a heavy beast, any heavier and I'd struggle to put it up and down without it ending up in the cut.

[Neil Smith]

Sorry misread it, actually 500w and its fairly heavy but not too bad, think blades are 1200mm across.

 

Neil

[larkshall]

Isn't his primarily used in coastal waters? In which case its probabably worth fitting. In my experience, unless you have a permanent mooring in an exposed place, solar is better value for money.

Ken

 

Correct. Not proven to be of much use on the canal network, as many canals spend there time wandering through at contour level, and often in the lea of any wind. According to everything I have read solar knocks them into a cocked tin hat.

Oh I hate the racket made by windvanes on lumpy water boats

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I'm not sure what make Neil has got Rocco, it may be a beast !, But from memory, my Rutland 913 is rated about 200/250 watts. Maybe that's why it's so quiet.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Arthur Brown]

It's all to do with the availability of wind! In a good windy area then a fan will generate easily night and day, summer and winter, in a wind shaded area (most places inland) then solar will outperform.

[Doodlebug]

Could have been us - I posted on here a few times about it.

 

To be honest I was so busy working this winter that whenever it was spinning it was a pain to go out and try and work out the current going in.

 

It was spinning quite a lot of the time - we moored in paddington basin and anyone who has been there knows how windy it can be! I almost got blown into the canal last year. Sorry that doesn't really answer the question!

 

It is not audible from inside the boat and the boat didn't blow over like people said it might though!

[Theo]

Could have been us - I posted on here a few times about it.

 

To be honest I was so busy working this winter that whenever it was spinning it was a pain to go out and try and work out the current going in.

 

It was spinning quite a lot of the time - we moored in paddington basin and anyone who has been there knows how windy it can be! I almost got blown into the canal last year. Sorry that doesn't really answer the question!

 

It is not audible from inside the boat and the boat didn't blow over like people said it might though!

 

Thanks for responding, Doodlebug. It was your installation that I was thinking of. I was just interested to know how you got on but couldn't remember who it was had posted!

 

N

[Doodlebug]

 

Thanks for responding, Doodlebug. It was your installation that I was thinking of. I was just interested to know how you got on but couldn't remember who it was had posted!

 

N

 

Did I ever post a photo?

 

It was deffo spinning for a good number of days however I could never really work out what it was doing. Plan to put an electric drill on the end to find out.

 

Its so hard to do a controlled test. The conditions change so much

 

[Theo]

Nice photo. Looks as if you have done a good strong job.

 

N