We've always been interested in wind power, but we have too much wind here. It has never seemed worth the money and labor to put up a wind generator and then watch it whip merrily around with its props feathered, or even come down. However recently we got a surplus catalog that includes something called the Windseeker wind powered turbine. The claim is that it automatically adjusts for high winds and "maintains 85% output rather than completely cutting off like other designs." Sounds like what we need.

Does anyone know about this particular product? Or using wind power in high wind areas? It needs to stay as affordable and DIY as possible. Dealing with high wind seems to be an ignored subject in all the books and on all the internet sites I've read. It is not unusual for us to have sustained winds at 30 or 40 mph, gusting 60, even 70 mph. Storms have higher winds. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000

Answers

www.picoturbine.com is what your asking for, Gerbil. It is a windmill with a brakedrum system for windy areas. NEAT system, athough it is highly expensive(I wouldn't live long enough to pay it off). Although it is called a turbine it is in reality a 3 blade air plane prop. Hope this helps.

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), May 28, 2000.

Gerbil: Check out homepower.com. Their entire back issue collection is on line free/ There were a number of articles by Mick Sagrillo a couple of years back comparing the different machines. They have a search engine so search for Mick or windseeker.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 28, 2000.

Gerbil, I swear, you must live next door to us! We've also considered using wind power, but thought the winds were too high here in Eastern Colorado. Have an aunt and uncle who ranch near Livermore, CA, I think on or near Altamont Pass, and they have tons of windmills on their property, get all their power free and sell the rest to the city. People have come from all over the world to view them, and they sound like what Joel described, a three bladed type. I'll check out the websites, too. Jan

-- Jan B` (Janice12@aol.com), May 28, 2000.

Jan, I live near livermore[grew up there great place]they shut down some of the wind mills for awhile, they were killing to many hawks, then they came up with a new blade design and slowed the speed down and there back at work[no more hawk problems].There are miles and miles of them out there. They are neat to watch.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), May 29, 2000.

Gerbil and Jan B,

I'm jealous! Too much of any kind of power would be nice!

I'm no expert on wind power, having eliminated it as an option here due to inconsistent wind, but it seems to me that having "too much wind" should not be a problem. First of all, if the wind is so strong, you would not need to install a tall tower. Second, if you don't have to have a tall tower, I'd think you could build something strong enough to withstand the strong wind. The typical wind machine is built to be very light weigh,in order to get the most energy possible out of light winds, which is all most of us get.

With strong winds, you should be able to mount your blades on someting like a car differential, which would be incredibly strong. Make the blades strong as well. The extra weight and friction won't be as important in your strong wind situation.

The other benefit you have is that you can get a power from a smaller machine. In a low wind area, it pays to have long props, which (unfortunately) turn relatively slowly. Shorter props turn faster (in any given wind). The longer props are harder to build strong enough to withstand high winds, too.

My recommendation is to study the literature, and either buy some very strongly built, small diameter, wind turbine, or make your own. Build more than one, if necessary. If you put them between your home and the prevailing wind direction, they will double as windbreaks!

If only my wind wouldn't all arrive during a few big storms per year....

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), May 29, 2000.

Where do you live?

Of Course everyone knows I'm from North Dakota and we also have pretty good winds.

Keep the answers coming. I need them to.

-- Novina West (lamb@stellarnet.com), May 30, 2000.

Gerbil: Another thought. All of what JOJ said is correct as far as I know, also not an expert on wind power. Here in Wisconsin we have net metering. That translates to, when you sell power back to the power company or grid, the power co is required to pay you what they would normally charge you. With fairly consistant winds that could mean an additional income stream with a larger unit. Most states however don't have net metering so the power co will pay you whats called avoided cost---about half of what you pay them. Another wind generator that provides power in high winds is the whisper made by world power industries but the big issue is durability and dependability. Again I refer you to Homepower.com. Loads of info there. Good luck.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 30, 2000.

Joe: Too much wind is a good thing, huh? Never thought of it that way. Just know that it is extremely difficult to plant seeds in a sustained 30MPH wind! Or cover things with tarps, or uncover them, for that matter....Or, take a flake of hay out to feed horses with. (You have to start out with twice as much as you need, as half will blow away before you get to the feeder:)! Ever tried to till or mow with wind blowing dust and dirt into your eyes? FUN. I guess I just don't appreciate what we have. I'll have to reconsider and take another look. :) Fortunately, there are four or five days a year when the wind doesn't blow here. Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), May 31, 2000.

Jan, I actually find that I get exhausted by being outside in a high wind for too long a period of time, especially day after day.

But maybe you could use the wind for power to pump water out of the ground to water trees for a windbreak. There are some hybrid poplars being grown in this area which grow incredibly fast. There's a big plantation of them south of Portland I see when I go up that way every month or so, which has a big sign out front which says that they were planted in 1999. These beasts are around twelve to fifteen feet high already! Louisiana Pacific also has planted large acreages of them for use in their paper mill. I suspect they need lots of water, though, as the ones near LP are on a very low flood plain of the Columbia River.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), June 03, 2000.

Joe: I too, find it exhausting to be working, or trying to work in the wind all day. Some days here are a total "wash" as far as doing any chores outside, except feeding the animals. We definitely need to find some way to utilize all this wind, if we are going to stay here. Of course, as Gerbil stated, the way needs to be affordable, and do it yourself. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), June 03, 2000.

Hi, I would like info on the old fashioned kind of windmills you saw on some farms in the 70's and 80's. We have windy and calm days here and I want one that takes the edge off or completely takes away our REA bill. Thanks Linda

-- Linda (klinknerkl@juno.com), February 16, 2001.

I have something a lot better. I created a wind mill design that can be built from three 55 gallon drums and $50 in hardware, that turns in 3 mph wind and won't overspeed up to 120 mph, with a standard automobile alternator modified to produce up to 10 kilowatts. Not only that, but I have designed and built a microprocessor control which regulates the power produced by the alternator at any rpm so the the alternator can be directly coupled to the fan's shaft.

-- Paul Clint (smithja@sisna.com), April 03, 2001.