A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects
kinetic energy from the
wind and converts it to electricity that is
compatible with a home's electrical system.
Small Scale Grid Connected Hybrid Wind System
In a normal residential hybrid / wind turbine application, a home is served simultaneously
by the wind turbine and alocal utility. If the wind speeds are below
cut-in speed (7-10 mph)
there will be no output fromthe turbine and all
of the needed power is purchased from the utility.
As wind speeds
increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased
from
the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces
more power than the
houseneeds, the extra electricity is sold tothe
utility. All of this is done automatically.
There are no batteries in a
modern residential hybrid / wind turbine system.
Small Scale Off Grid Wind System
Small wind systems for remote applications operate somewhat differently.
Most small turbines have very few moving parts and do not require any
regular maintenance.
They are designed for a long life (up to 20 years)
and operate completely automatically.
Typical off grid wind turbine system diagram:
Off Grid Wind Turbine Systems Include:
1. Wind turbine: which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects
kinetic energy from the wind
and converts it to electricity that is
compatible with a homes electrical system.
2. Wind controller:
3. Battery bank: can be a single battery or multiple batteries
connected together to create essentially one large battery of the
required voltage and amp-hour capacity. In some ways
the battery
configuration and capacity are the most important electrical power
decision to
make, and a wise choice can help guarantee a steady supply
of electrical power
as well as a system that is simple to operate and
maintain.
4. Inverter: A power converter that "inverts" the DC power from the
panels into AC power.
The characteristics of the output signal should
match the voltage, frequency and power
quality limits in the supply
network.
5. Loads: Stands for the network connected appliances in the building
that are fed from
the inverter (AC loads), or from the battery bank (DC
loads).