Category Archives: wind systems tutorial

Charge controllers – a brief introduction

Posted on 24/12/2017 by hugh

Why do we need charge controllers? To prevent batteries from being damaged by charging too hard.  As you charge a battery, its voltage rises, which is all good up to a point.  However if the voltage gets too high the … Continue reading →

Posted in Diversion load control, products/technical, wind systems tutorial | 8 Comments

Alex Burgos’ overvoltage clipper

Posted on 16/07/2016 by hugh

Alex sent me an email: I hope you are well I am writing to show my CLIPPER I tried it with my 12 volt turbine I have the Tristar ts-60 dc and ac Clipper The CLIPPER use it to control … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, People, products/technical, wind systems tutorial | Leave a comment

My electricity supply here

Posted on 24/11/2015 by hugh

I don’t write enough about what goes on here at home on Scoraig so here is a run down on where my electricity comes from. I have two windmills and a collection of solar PV panels.  800 Ah Rolls 4000-series … Continue reading →

Posted in my own projects, Scoraig, wind systems tutorial | 8 Comments

Battery storage on the grid

Posted on 07/07/2015 by hugh

My friend Ian Woofenden has this to say about using batteries on the grid: Tesla Battery Perspective There’s been a lot of buzz recently about the Tesla battery. My attitude and ideas toward it are tempered by 30+ years of … Continue reading →

Posted in People, products/technical, wind systems tutorial | 17 Comments

Wiring loss in 3 phase wind systems

Posted on 24/02/2015 by hugh

Here is a piece I did about AC and DC in 1999.  It explains why DC wiring is slightly more efficient than 3-phase AC wiring where the AC is feeding a rectifier (rather than grid AC which is at  higher … Continue reading →

Posted in products/technical, wind systems tutorial | 12 Comments

Missouri Wind and Solar video

Posted on 20/01/2015 by hugh

I mostly like everything that people do with small wind turbines, especially hands-on and do-it-yourself, so I got excited to discover Missouri Wind and Solar, and I watched this video that I found on the home page with interest. Unfortunately … Continue reading →

Posted in People, Video links, wind systems tutorial | 66 Comments

Some video of my presentation

Posted on 07/12/2014 by hugh

Here is footage from the presentation I made for the Windempowerment Conference in Athens last month. Actually this is a backup that was not used at the conference as I was able to make the same presentation live (and said … Continue reading →

Posted in construction, ferrite magnets, my own projects, People, products/technical, Scoraig, Video links, wind systems tutorial | 2 Comments

More good articles on Paul Gipe’s web site

Posted on 30/06/2013 by hugh

http://www.wind-works.org/ is Paul Gipe’s site and see more links below. Paul Gipe has published more good stuff on his web site recently about the ‘stuff that doesn’t work’ in the small wind industry today.  It’s a breath of fresh air … Continue reading →

Posted in People, products/technical, Rooftop madness, wind systems tutorial | 1 Comment

Radio masts

Posted on 27/06/2013 by hugh

Assessing a site for a wind turbine is easier these days with good, cheap, loggers available.  But the anemometer needs to be at a suitable height above buildings, trees etc, and not just mounted on a rooftop. Here are three … Continue reading →

Posted in Rooftop madness, UK small wind scene, wind systems tutorial | Leave a comment

Free Document downloads from Kragten Design

Posted on 12/11/2012 by hugh

Adriann Kragten has made available a number of his reports on small wind turbines for free download Here at www.bidnetwork.org/en/member/adriaankragten Adriaan writes very thorough reports with plenty of equations and clear drawings.  The reports cover both, electricity producing wind generators … Continue reading →

Posted in Adriaan Kragten, Books, construction, developing world, People, wind systems tutorial | 1 Comment