Small wind turbine, wind power, windmill, green energy,
renewable energy and alternative energy at Arends Brothers LLC,
Illinois.
Terms / FAQ
Small wind is defined as turbines 100 kilowatts
and smaller. These turbines are best suited for residential,
farm, school, or small business use. Having a small wind turbine
can help protect the environment and reduce energy bills. Popularity
has grown for such turbines over the last few years as the cost
of energy rises and the demand for energy increases.
“In designing the Endurance Wind Turbine we took the average
electricity usage of a household in North America and found
that it was somewhere between 9,000 and 12,000 KWH per/yr. We
then focused our design and engineering to create an affordable
yet efficient wind turbine that in a Class 2 or Class 3 wind
zone would generate this amount of energy for an American Household,
with the objective of essentially eliminating the costs of utility
power for a family.”
*endurance wind power web site
Terms:
Net Metering
For electric customers who generate their own electricity, net
metering allows for the flow of electricity both to and from
the customer – typically through a single, bi-directional meter.
With net metering, during times when a customer’s generation
exceeds the customer’s use, electricity from the customer flows
back to the grid, offsetting electricity consumed by the customer
at a different time. In effect, the customer uses excess generation
to offset electricity that the customer otherwise would have
to purchase at the utility’s full retail rate. Net metering
is required by law in most U.S. states, but some of these laws
only apply to investor-owned utilities – not to municipal utilities
or electric cooperatives.
Interconnection Standards
Interconnection standards govern the technical and procedural
process by which an electric customer connects an electric-generating
system to the grid. Interconnection standards specify the technical,
contractual, metering, and rate rules that system owners and
utilities must abide by. Standards for systems interconnected
at the distribution level are typically adopted by state public
utility commissions, while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) has adopted standards for systems interconnected at the
transmission level. Not all states have adopted interconnection
standards, and some states’ standards apply only to investor-owned
utilities – not to municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.
Kilowatt - a power unit consisting of 1000
watts -kW
Renewable energy - energy produced by a
naturally replenished source like wind, rain, sunlight and geothermal
heat
Wind Turbine - is a rotating machine which
converts wind energy into electrical power and is made up of
the following:
Rotor - Usually a set of 3 Blades at the front of
a Wind Turbine.
SHAFT - The Blade Assembly which is connected to
the ROTOR turns a SHAFT which is connected to the NACELLE
and transfers the motion into the housing unit that
is located at the top of the TOWER.
NACELLE - The housing unit that is at the top of
the tower holds the GEAR BOX and induction generator
- in the Endurance Turbine all the controls are at the
bottom of the tower to make is much easier for installation
and servicing.
GEAR BOX - the GEAR BOX increases the shaft speed
which is connected to a GENERATOR that converts the
rotational movement of the SHAFT into electricity.
INDUCTION GENERATOR - The endurance wind turbine
is unique in that it uses an induction generator which
produces grid compatible electricity eliminating the
need for costly, unreliable inverters that are used
in almost all other small wind turbines.
CONTROL BOX - the Controller and other components
that direct the flow of electricity produced by the
turbine and manages all other working aspects of the
Wind Turbine is situated at the bottom of the TOWER
- this is a unique design advantage of the Endurance
Wind Turbine over other units that house controls in
the NACELLE atop the TOWER.
TOWER - The tower height is extremely important.
Wind velocities are much greater at higher heights,
directly affecting power output.
FAQ:
Will it help the environment if I install a wind
turbine at my home?
Yes. Wind turbines produce no air, water, or thermal pollution
and emit no greenhouse or smog-causing gases. By using wind
power you will also be offsetting pollution that would have
been generated by your utility company. Over its life, a small
residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of
air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gas pollutants (carbon
dioxide and other gases which cause global warming).
How do residential wind turbines work?
A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects
kinetic (motion) energy from the wind and converts it to electricity
that is compatible with a home's electrical system.
In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously
by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds
are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph)
– the minimum speed to spin the blades - there will be no output
from the 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 house
needs, many utilities institute a policy called “net metering”
whereby the extra electricity is banked by the utility, for
later use. This banked energy will be available as credit over
a 12 month period. All of this is done automatically. There
are no batteries in a modern, grid-connected residential wind
system.
What is an Inverter?
All DC generating turbines require an inverter to transfer the
DC current that is produced by the turbine into usable AC current
that can be hooked up to your home. Having an inverter will
decrease the output of the turbine by 20-30% due to loss and
heat. The Endurance Wind Turbine produces AC “grid ready” current
that requires no inverter. This makes the 5kW unit more effective
and efficient then higher kW DC units.
Do I have enough wind where you live?
To determine your site’s wind potential please check out the
steps/process page. It will lead you to some links to help you
determine wind speed in your area.
Do I have the space for a wind turbine?
Our 105 foot, tilt down, tower requires a base foot print of
82 feet 4 inches in diameter. It is not recommended to place
the tower near homes and buildings and never should be installed
on rooftops or attached to buildings. The height of the tower
insures that obstacles such as trees do not cause turbulence.
By having the tower tilt proper maintenance can be done on a
yearly basis.
How safe are the wind turbines?
Most small wind turbines today have an excellent safety record.
An important factor is to consider how does your wind turbine
control itself and shut itself down.
Can you shut it off and stop the turbine when you want
or need to?
The Endurance turbine has a dual pneumatic brake calipers which
operate independently to ensure redundant, failsafe protection
against over-speed and a large 16" brake disk providing high
torque capacity close to the turbine rotor for maximum safety.
It also contains a manual shut off at the base of the unit.
Do wind turbines make noise or interfere with TV reception?
Small wind turbines do make some noise, but not enough to be
found objectionable by most people. A typical residential wind
system makes less noise than the average washing machine. Small
wind turbines do not interfere with TV reception.
