Are the sub $300, 400w wind generator from china/ebay worth it?

Bicycle Bob · 10-15-13, 03:45 PM

Over at Airborne Wind Power, (kites) Dave Selsam is always telling horror stories about generators wrecked by high wind, but he's in Mohave. In general, cost per watt hour goes down as size goes up. If you are off-grid, and seriously simple in style, a small, high-quality could be enough, but you have to get it above the tree tops for good results, and the vibration is too much for a rooftop you live under. Then, you still need batteries, etc. If you can arrange for a water tower or some other 2-level water ponds, I'd be inclined to use wind to pump water up, and get electricity on demand from a hydro powered generator.

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10-15-13, 03:45 PM	#11
Bicycle Bob Suncatcher Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Spiritwood, Northern Saskatchewan Posts: 42 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Over at Airborne Wind Power, (kites) Dave Selsam is always telling horror stories about generators wrecked by high wind, but he's in Mohave. In general, cost per watt hour goes down as size goes up. If you are off-grid, and seriously simple in style, a small, high-quality could be enough, but you have to get it above the tree tops for good results, and the vibration is too much for a rooftop you live under. Then, you still need batteries, etc. If you can arrange for a water tower or some other 2-level water ponds, I'd be inclined to use wind to pump water up, and get electricity on demand from a hydro powered generator.