How can I estimate KwHr generated by a wind turbine?
Asked by
grrgold (
91
)
October 30th, 2013
I am considering installing a rooftop wind turbine on an apartment building I own. I have seen that the turbines are rated at 300W-500W each.
Considering that my electricity usage is 750kwH per month, how can I estimate what size and how many turbines will be sufficient to serve my electric needs?
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4 Answers
750 kWh per month = 750,000 Wh per month. Turbine 500 W x wind 24 hr a day x 30 days per month = 360,000 Wh per month. => You will need 2.1 big turbines if wind blows 24 hr per day.
Often vendors of such equipment are in the best position to help you choose what is right for your needs. Don’t be afraid to compare opinions and the solutions offered by other vendors.
On average (as a general “rule of thumb”) modern photovoltaics (PV) solar panels will produce 8 – 10 watts per square foot of solar panel area. For example, a roof area of 20 feet by 10 feet is 200 square-feet (20 ft x 10 ft). This would produce, roughly, 9 watts per sq-foot, or 200 sq-ft x 9 watts/sq-ft = 1,800 watts (1.8 kW) of electric power.You can find more details here
Oh, have you come to the right place…..
First you need to know if it is even worth trying to harvest wind power in your area. If you live in a windy location it might be worth it. How do we define “windy”? We use a Raleigh distribution to make a histogram of time vs wind velocity. There are maps that have the data for you and predict what you can expect for a certain area.
If you are living in the US (and paid taxes) you paid for a simulator. that will size a system exactly for your needs and location.
The US Department of Energy offers this for you at IMBY
Enjoy! And thank you for funding this worthwhile project.
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