Wind Energy System

Small Wind Turbine Systems can actually be fairly large. However, generally, they are considered to be turbines whose instantaneous power output at rated wind speeds is less than 100,000 watts.  For most residential and small commercial situations turbines of 10000 watts or less are considered adequate for installation in those applications. For illustration purposes, the Xzeres 442 10000watt wind turbine weighs 2200 lbs and has a blade span of 23 feet.   A more typical small wind turbine might be the Skystream 3.7 with a rated power of 2400watts at 25 mph and a blade span of 12 feet.

Wind turbine energy production is a function of two primary factors and many secondary factors.

The primary factors are the swept area of the turbine (PI*Radius^2) and the speed of the wind. Swept area yields power output as a function of the square of the radius of the swept area so if you double the radius of the turbine swept area you quadruple the power output.

(There are some parasitic losses which make doubling the radius yield not quite 4 times the power but theoretically this is a true statement.)
The speed of the wind is a cubed contributor to power. In other words, if you double the wind speed for a given size turbine, you will increase instantaneous power produced by 8 times.

Solar or Wind; which one to choose or a combination of both?

Selecting  a wind  or solar solution: Some considerations….

1. Solar is typically a more ‘baseline’ energy source, meaning that solar will be more predictable as a resource than wind power will be. In Colorado, the sun will typically shine up to 300 days per year. Wind production is more difficult to predict or count on when you need it.
2. Predicting wind energy production at a particular location is also more difficult than predicting solar production. McDOnald Solar and Wind Inc. will normally recommend some sort of site specific wind data collection to accurately predict wind energy production. McDonald Solar and Wind Inc. has access to sophisticated wind power prediction software and databases to give you the best information on your site specific wind and energy production.
3.  Solar PV works well as a ‘baseline’ energy source with wind energy as a good compliment to the solar production. This is because the two technologies are complimentary; when the sun is not shining (bad weather) the wind will many times be blowing.
4. McDonald Solar and Wind Inc. has installed wind turbines in very remote locations and at altitudes up to 11,500 feet. In many situations, a wind only solution can be the best choice for a client, however, good wind data is necessary to make such a determination.
5. Siting a wind turbine on a particular property is process which must be carefully done in order to maximize energy harvest. Trees, terrain features, buildings and other vegetation can cause significant reduction in energy production by disrupting laminar wind flow over turbine blade surfaces, thus reducing energy harvest.
6. McDonald Solar and Wind Inc. is a dealer for several wind turbines; we put our engineering expertise and knowledge to work for you to match your needs, your site, and our wide selection of technologies to select a cost effective solution for your energy needs.