Wind generator

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Not true at all! We see lots of boats under 40 with solar. We have a nonsuch that we know cruising with a 350 watt panel on his davits.

The problem with most ind gen's is that by the time they are making decent power the wind is up at 20knts+ and they are making noise and vibration. a wind gen screaming along in 25knts is great for power, scary for the crew!

wind gen's had their place. They used to be the best way to make charging current on a cruising sailboat 20+ years ago but solar is way better now. I used to prefer wind over solar but solar has advanced so much and wind really hasn't.

Never owned an Aerogen I presume.. the rigging generates more noise and vibrations than it could ever presume to achieve.
But I do know the type you mean... see them a lot in the Caribe on US boats, competing with the boat anchored next doors generator..
Now that's an area where wind works well most all the time.. just choose hook over berth.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Na Mara

Again you seem to equate the energy output of a device with its power at any particular instant. You need to integrate the power over time to get the energy produced. A wind generator producing 50W on average over 24 hours generates the same energy as 150W of solar on average over 8 hours. If the panels you have are producing at 50% of rated capacity on average under insolation then 300W of solar will generate about the same as a 350W superwind gen will in a location with average wind speeds of about 12kn and average insolation. This is a very rough calculation and very dependent on prevailing conditions but it serves to make the point that while 3 amps out of 350W wind generator looks disappointing it’s the equivalent of 9 amps out of a solar array in terms of daily energy production.

Not at all. I've lived with a wind gen trucking along in a 20knt breeze all day. You get power but the experience is unpleasant, and sleeping at night takes getting used to. I've done both. Initially favouring wind over solar. but switching to solar with 2x 160 panels. They make the same noise and vibration at 20knots as at 5 knts. (none) and with my loads I'm fully charged by just after lunch. When I switch to a 380 panel over my arch. the other 320 (2x160) will be bonus.

not saying wind is bad, just in most cases you can do better with other technologies. Its why you see lots of solar on boats and rarely see wind gen's any longer ( at least in the places I've been)

[Mike OReilly]

To answer the OP, I've never seen a vertical boat-based wind turbine. If they exist, they are exceedingly rare. On the other hand, there are many good quality three to six blades horizontal turbines that produce decent power, and are not the screaming banshees of old.

My setup on my smallish 37-foot traditional double-ender includes 400 watts of solar and a 400 watt Silentwind. My cruising ground has been the upper mid-lattitudes (45º to 50º), Great Lakes to Atlantic region.

In my experience (over a decade) with wind, and nearly as long with solar, wind is definitely the lesser producer. I've not specifically measured the numbers, but I estimate I generate about 85 to 90 percent of my power needs from the solar, and the remaining 10 to 15 percent from wind.

However, this is only part of the tale. Wind can produce 24/7 whereas solar is quite limited in time. At anchor, for example, wind is usually light overnight, which means small amp production. But that small amount can make a big difference where you start the morning charging cycle. And often when solar is lagging, conditions for wind are improving.

So I see wind as a great compliment to a good solar system. If you can install both, then do so. I would definitely maximize solar first, but if your energy budget requires more, then look to wind.

BTW, there is no reason to put up with noisy wind gens anymore. Noise is highly subjective, but there are many good windgens on the market that are pretty darn quiet. My Silentwind sits above our aft cockpit. It can be running full-bore and we can easily carry on normal conversation in the cockpit, taking no notice of the sound. There are many others, but this is probably where it's worth spending a bit more. And especially make sure the installation is vibration-free.

[windpoweroz]

Hey guys, I took the time to do some research into the power and energy claims of the most popular micro-wind turbines. This was driven by my frustration that nothing like this already exists on the internet.

https://windpower.com.au/resources/m...formance-guide

I'd love to get feedback on the article. It doesn't attempt to answer every question you might have about buying a turbine, but focusses on one of the most important questions: "How much energy can I get out of this thing?".

In doing this research, I also uncovered some dubious claims by one manufacturer.