Wind & Solar Power

These were all stored in a shed with fire extinguisher and alarm well away from the house as I had already had a small fire when experimenting various wiring configurations. I might add here that there was several advantages in buying the jump-starters if the price is right! and anyone toying with blazing the green trail for themselves might appreciate this.  Each of the jump starters had a red and black heavy duty cable with connectors, which I used to join up the battery bank, a quite accurate volt meter, an electric motor that powered a tyre pump and several switches in addition to a regulator circuit and thermal cutoff.  So you can see the savings to be made here.  The good news was that I managed to sell some of the bits I did not use to a local shop in Yarmouth for £50 regaining some of my outlay. (Some bits like volt meters and switches available on request).

Over the last year I have added several more solar panels which I have managed to purchase at very reasonable prices and to date stand at a solar panel input of 900w with a storage capacity of 680Ah and growing. Driving an inverter at a maximum 1800W. (This is enough to boil a 1500w kettle) The latest acquisition is of a 200w wind generator which in a good wind gives me about 9 Amps @ 13.8V.  But this is intermittent as the site is subject to gusts.  A word of warning here to anyone considering the purchase of a wind turbine over 200w.  Check that you have the ability to erect it because it seemed to weigh a ton, in my opinion needing at least two people! Quite a change from the 80Ma from my first efforts at wind generating. This has turned out to be both an interesting and profitable hobby! providing both development and profit.

I would be interested to know how others have progressed along Green Street and problems they have encountered and perhaps solved along the way!!  Any comment should try to bear the beginner in mind.

On the next page I have listed a few links to the very valuable sites that have helped me with my teething problems.