Home Wind Turbines: Does Wind Energy Work for Home Use?

[@piecetrain9767]

This guy provides an informative video with real-world results, and half the people want to crucify him. This was very helpful. From what I have seen there have been technological advancements and costs are down, but many of the same issues remain (e.g., auto shutoff at 30 mph or less, low power output at lower wind speeds). For those saying there is value to being independent, agreed but that is not quantifiable and anyone wanting a comparison must do so on a quantifiable basis. And most are not truly independent; rather, they produce part of their power. This is not a unique story.

[@ExtremePrepper]

The amazing thing is that I have three youtube channels, thousands of videos posted, hundreds of thousands of subscribers across multiple channels, and this my friend is the most hated video I have ever done. I have been accused of being a shill for big oil, even though I have property that has been leased by a wind company to put in a wind farm. Hence if I am getting money from anyone, it is the wind industry. People get so angry at me over this video. I challenge anyone to show me records showing that they have a wind system that has paid for itself when you really account for the cost. No one has come forth with records showing that they have a system that has genuinely ever paid for itself. For small home systems, they will wear out and break before they come close to paying for themselves. As I said in the video, solar will work in the right circumstances, and I powered my home on solar for 10 years (grid tied). So, appreciate your comment, and good to see some people can see the data, and not just believe the dream or the salesman's pitch.

[@piecetrain9767]

@@ExtremePrepper I think you’ve done a very good job discussing the realities. I’ve looked into wind several times over the years and cannot justify it even though I like the idea as it seems to “make sense” to diversify power. For whatever reason, many have an emotional response to this subject. I was quite surprised by the abuse, but one thing about online communities is they can be a cesspool. I see commenters complaining about height, distance from the house, or average winds, but those conditions for you look far more favorable than what most would have. I see complaints about the significant install costs but that addresses height and distance from tall objects and, regardless of costs, I don’t think it would justify a ROI with $0 installation cost. Until there is an inexpensive, reliable, and efficient turbine system for lower (height and speed) conditions, I’m not touching it and solar or fuel backup generator is the alternative power source. From real-world evaluations there appear to be too many impediments currently. If anyone disagrees, please provide a comprehensive discussion of experience (not just after install and with actual production data rather than rated power data) that others can verify as it would be helpful to many.

[@bernardeseonokohwemu7764]

Thanks for your helpfull video. Any criticism not withstanding. Your detailed analysis of your experiences has in a large way revealed factors that inexperienced persons may fail to take into consideration before making a decision.

[@lalyanasimkin5398]

The best study about domestic power wind I encountered! You are riveting the nail and clearly explaining why it doesn't work in homes and work in the industry. So it is extremely clear: more solar better than wind and solar. Thank you very much

[@ExtremePrepper]

And yet this is the most hated video I have ever put on youtube. It is like people want to believe it will work, then watch the video and want to kill the messenger. Thank you for the kind words.

[@BallyBoy95]

14:30 - Thank you for sharing your lessons so the rest of us may learn from your experience and reflection. So the basic conclusion is: Solar > Wind for home use according to the data provided in the table.

[@MrLasox]

Finally someone who are honest. Those are very few in these days. Almost everyone are trying to scam the youtubers with the lie about how effective the wind turbin, solar panels, water generator is especially about the wind turbin and water generator.

[@rediornot811]

they have variable speed turbines now and the cost is a lot lower than what you paid for them with better output

[@alphainfinitum3445]

Thank you for the details. It really helps. I still think these things should be used in conjunction with batteries.

[@yeesh2]

Thanks for sharing information and analysis. I was always curious about the return of those two systems, and you nailed it.

[@alastairmurray9539]

So safe to assume you have not shipped this unit to Africa Paul. Keeping you in prayer that you keep safe in your new home.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Thanks, Alastair. No, we are on hydro power here from a dam a few miles away, and use a good old fashioned diesel generator as a backup. Even solar is too high tech to be feasible here, but I can always get a jerry can of diesel. Thanks for your comment.

[@mathat5021]

Thank you for your honest help. I live in Spain, and I resort to old American videos when I need to find people with experience, people who have been “there” before. Here wind and solar are quite new and very much in fashion, and pushed by the government with money and discounts. Lots of videos from people who installed their panels a month ago, and they blindly recommend it. What you say about physics is absolutely clear and right. My final conclusion is neither wind nor solar. Why? Because we are talking about saving money, not about producing energy. In energy, the most efficient I know is a nuclear plant. In outer space, (satellites) only solar. Mass production is more efficient than individual systems, unless you live in a place not reached by suppliers. So, if you want your electricity bill to go down, it would be more efficient to make money in a different way, not producing electricity. For example, just teaching physics to your neighbour’s son for a few months would give you more money than your wind-mill. And, last but not least, the truth is you will never see your energy bills reduced, at least here in Europe. How comes led lamps consume less, the same with fridges and others, and you pay more and more? The answer is that governments use energy bills to collect taxes, and they are going to make sure they collect more and more even appliances consume less and less. When petrol cars are replaced with electrical ones, petrol taxes will go to “car electricity”, and when every roof has solar panels, those will be taxed. Time will tell.

[@jamiefox54]

thanks for sharing your experience with wind with data

[@brendanryan5437]

Honesty is much appreciated ,thank you.

[@Nbvgfbnvcjkubvcf]

I've got a 14kw solar system and it works great. It pays our electric bill almost every month except for maybe one or two months in the winter. In the summer we get checks for putting electricity on the grid.

[@cubic2011]

Finally someone who knows what he is talking about. Not like the super excited enthusiasts.

[@jimthvac100]

Where I live Romney Indiana the average wind speed is 18 to 20 mph. with my 13' turbine I can generate about 1,100 to 1,400 WATTS average my turbine does not shut off when when blows hard but furls and still produces power. I built it myself it cost about $1,000 to build It is a Axial flux generator design, there are lots of KZbin videos describing the technology and how it is built. It starts easy and produces power in low winds unlike the type they installed for you. The magnets were the most expensive part and the tower cost about $500 built it myself also. Grid tie inverter was 500 and various cables etc. It powers my house. I have net metering and my electric bill is the bare minimum most of the time. I have about 2,000 watt worth of solar panels on the roof on a separate grid tie inverter. The solar panel grid tie inverter is usually off most of the time because I would be sending more power than what I am using to the grid. They wont pay me for the extra. My tower is only 30' if It was taller I would produce more but I did not want guy wires running all over my yard. It was a compromise. I understand not everyone is handy when it comes to DIY projects. But for those that are this is the way to go. The wind generator I have is equivalent to about a 7 to 8 kw solar panel system (Grid Tied). I have occasionally seen Axial flux generator heads for sale on Ebay for those that don't want to build them.

[@cosascaseras1601]

Bravo! I love self sufficient people like you.

[@amarpreetsingh3096]

thats grete

[@amarpreetsingh3096]

i want to build asystem at my home can u help me

[@edcluff4692]

I think they are trying to sell solar power because wind turbine work and to say they shut off when it gets to windy doesn't make sense with todays technology

[@ExtremePrepper]

Ed, are you referring to me in your "They" comment? I am a missionary serving in a remote part of Africa, and I have nothing to sell. Back in the US, I owned a home for 10 years that had both solar and wind. I am also a Stanford trained engineer, so I know a little about things such as solar and wind. Hence, please pause and think before slandering.

[@sueleigh1018]

Paul, I am so grateful you shares these figures and facts. Your experience save us some expense, wtc. We will! We hope to put up a very good solar system for emergencies.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Glad you found the video useful. Run, while you still can from a wind turbine!

[@barrypoulson9800]

The numbers are the numbers, yet the sales folk post their spiels... Bottom line is that home wind turbines are a non-starter. Thank you Paul for evaluating the technology. In to solar!

[@RussellFineArt]

Great vid, thanks! I too have both wind and solar. I installed my Skystream 2.4kW system in Sep. 2008 and it averaged: 143kWh's/mo, first years and averages about: 150kWh's/mo., over the past 10 years, or: 1,800 kWh's/yr. which offsets about: $18.00/mo. @.12. ($216.00/yr.). I installed my turbine, myself and saved a ton of money and got a rebated from my utility so my turbine was paid off, years ago. My 5kW solar PV system produces: 640kWh's/mo or: 7,680kWh's/yr., which offsets about: $76.8/mo ($922.yr.). Again, I installed my own PV system, which I bought wholesale, and got the 30% ITC so my ROI is: 2.5 yrs. I agree, solar PV is MUCH, MUCH better for houses and most businesses. The only small wind turbine I would recommend is the: Britwind R9000, which never stops producing in high winds, as the blades furl, just like the largest turbine do and it has a tail, so it steers into the wind where the Raum and Skystream don't. And, the R9000 has proven to produce much more energy than the others.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Russell, thanks for your numbers, and your experience sounds like mine. You installed yourself, and I did not, so you in both cases have quicker pay out than I did. I agree that for wind to make sense, you have to keep running in high wind. I am concerned though on mechanical complexity, as you start making a more complex mechanical device, you could perhaps face more maintenance/repair issues. I find it curious of all the hundreds of youtube videos I have made for my various channels, this one has been the most hated, and has gotten the most hateful feedback (much of which I dissallowed because of vulgarity). I am simply reporting my results, Solar worked for me MUCH better than wind. I sometimes wonder if I am getting spam comments from those selling wind systems. Sounds like your results are very similar to mine. Thanks for your comment.

[@RussellFineArt]

No problem, I appreciate sharing and thanks for your reply back. Full disclosure, I have worked in the wind industry, the past 11 years now so I'm not fooled easily by people's opinions or estimations, from others, not yourself but as you mentioned, people who write hate posts. Unfortunately, most people base opinions of renewable energy by emotion or "what they heard" rather than facts. I've sold some: 2,000 Skystreams, most in Western Texas, which have done pretty good and have sold a couple of hundred Evance/Britwind R9000 turbines and know the differences. After installing a bunch of Evance/Britwind turbines, with the up-wind, blade-furling design, I would never, ever recommend someone buy a down-wind turbine, like yours and mine as the energy production is vastly different. And, Skystreams are really loud! I've helped install some Evance turbines in Scotland, West Texas and Costa Rica that have produced: ~2,000kWh's/mo. but these are the exceptions, in extremely high wind areas. The highest-producing Evance turbine, in N. Scotland, produced over: 25,000 kWh's a year. I'd say most of them produce: 700kWh's/mo. At an average install cost of: $40k, with 30% ITC, they have an ROI (return on investment) of: ~28 years. Not great. Solar PV will almost always have a much faster ROI, typically of: 12 years, unless you're in a high wind, very cloudy area, which some people are in, as you've mentioned. I've had many customers wanting a wind turbine give me their address (to run a wind analysis) and expectations, (some people could care less about ROI, they just want something spinnin' in their yard), and I tell them to go for solar, small wind doesn't make economic sense and they appreciate the honesty. I was at the small wind event, in Stevensville, WI, in 2008, when Raum introduced their turbine. I talked to the Raum guys, off to the side and practically begged them to change their design, put a tail on the turbine and push for lower pricing as solar PV was starting to really fall in price and I knew they wouldn't compete. Neither them nor most every other small wind mfc. would listen to me and they're all out of business except, Evance/Britwind, who's still actively selling turbines. I encourage everyone to do the math, and be conservative, without any emotion, and check their expectations and especially to do as much of the work as possible, as this shaves a ton of money off the installation and overall ROI. But, I'm a big DIY'er :) Sorry to hear about your poor-performing Raum, I don't think about my Skystream much as it was paid off, the month after I installed it so the production is all gravy. Once we installed our solar PV, last summer, our electric bill immediately went to zero (except the $14/mo. connection fee). Great assessment on your system though and appreciate your honesty. Cheers!

[@ExtremePrepper]

I installed my wind and solar systems in 2009, so I am coming up on ten years experience with them. Based on this, My plans for my bugout compound will have solar, but not wind. Given that you are in the industry . . . my Raum recently stopped spinning. Given Raum is out of business, what are my options. The unit no longer sits in the wind . . . as if the break is stuck on. Could the turbine be taken down and repaired? Or, what what would my option be given the tower and line to the house were really expensive. Is there something different I could replace it with at reasonable cost, given the tower is already in place.

[@RussellFineArt]

I agree on the solar, for your bugout. I'd call around to some solar companies, in your area, and see if one of them can come look at your inverter, for the turbine. This is where most of the problems happen. They can do a simple continuity test, Voltage test and a few other quick tests to see if the inverter is dead or has some life yet. I just went through this, last Fall, with my turbine. Had to lower it down (stupid inverter's in the nacelle for Skystreams, BAD design). I checked everything and after replacing the fuses and a signal wire, I found one of the main wires, from turbine to the production meter, had come loose. I re-attached it and it works fine now. Unfortunately, I got to know my turbine A LOT better, through this service. Raum's are pretty basic, I've worked on a couple of 'em. If the inverter is dead, it's not a big problem, you can buy virtually any 4kW solar inverter and hook it up. There's not much of anything in the nacelle of Raum turbines except a simple controller switch, which puts the turbine in electro-break, in high winds, which is done through a fuse Voltage sensor. Easy to replace. There's no difference between solar and wind inverters, they're identical. Wind inverters have just been programmed with a 6 to 7-set point program, called set-points, and solar with: 3-set points. This is to allow for the varying voltages through the stages of energy production. Solar only has: wake up/low Voltage, full power/high Voltage and evening, low-power Voltage, then shut down. Wind goes through stages of voltage parameters, to protect the inverter, just like solar but a couple of more but aren't overly important on the exact Voltages. You should be able to program the inverter with solar Voltage parameters and add a couple more, for a low-medium and high-medium, around the highest Voltage/Vmax (maximum Voltage) . I wouldn't recommend buying another turbine, unless you can find an Evance R9000 for super cheap as it's the only turbine I would recommend and I don't sell turbines, at all any more. I work for a company that monitors large wind farms. If you can't get your Raum fixed for cheap or find an Evance, cheap, I would look at having your tower and foundation taken out as Bergey turbines are SUPER expensive and problematic and no other turbine mfc. exists to replace with, that I'm aware of. Home-made wind turbines are a massive headache! Better to invest your money in more solar panels. You're 100% correct on the large, mW turbines, with their extremely high tower heights and massive rotor blades. Every large turbine mfc., Vestas, GE, Siemens, etc., are making incredibly massive turbines: 5mW - 12mW and larger, as the higher they go and the larger the rotors, the cheaper the energy. Most of those large turbines spin: 85% of the time and off-shore turbines spin over: 90% of the time, while small wind turbines spin around: 20-30% of the time. Wind speeds dramatically increase over 100' and at 300+ feet, where most of those large, multi-mW turbine are at, they have a near-constant wind speed of: 20-75 mph. However, with solar, it doesn't really matter much on where you put them, they produce pretty much the same amount. This is why wind power, on the commercial scale, is the cheapest form of energy now, with solar getting close and fossil fuels higher in cost and much higher, over the lifetime of the power plant. I'll be at the AWEA Windpower in Chicago, in May, talking about this. Good luck on your Raum and let me know if I can help any further.

[@ExtremePrepper]

You mention doing installs in West Texas . . . where are you based out of now? On your comments about inverts. The 5KW solar inverter is completely silent except when you hear it click to come on or off. The RAUM inverter was very loud, and made a very fast constant clicking sound, that sounded like relays opening and closing really fast. The Raum inverter is a three phase AC Wild type inverter. Hence, I am surprised by your comment that a solar inverter would work. They seem very different to me. This is the problem I have. I am getting ready to sell my house, and have a broken wind turbine from a defunct company. Hence, I need to do something so that this is not a net negative on house value. I dont want to take the tower down and haul it away. I would consider any low cost turbines out there. Given the wire is already run, and the tower is already there, looking for some way to salvage this situation.

[@JohnMorley1]

This is a good video for showing how not all wind turbines are viable. A valuable analysis of where and why it is going wrong. Smaller is a lot cheaper. I think 400 dollars would cover a one kilowatt turbine if you buy your own magnets and turbine blades and make it from parts.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Yet no one yet has shown me data that any home system is viable

[@JohnMorley1]

@@ExtremePrepper. I wimped out of what would have been a trivial investment by comparison to the massive investment that you have made in it. I think you should still not rule it out but not invest so much. The father of a freind built a wind turbine when I was a kid. It seemed to work for a while from what I can remember. That was 40 years ago. It was tiny and not high enough to avoid turbulence from the ground. Not sure how much power he got out of it.

[@jamest.5001]

I'm putting up a turbine to charge batteries, I know its not going to do that great on the daily, but when there is no sun its usually storming, so it will take over charging , there is usually wind storms about monthly , so it may not be optimal, but needed! I'm going with small units, 1 kw each, 4-6 of them, and capablt of 1800 watts each in higher wind speeds, it depends on if it's needed, and it depends on height, you have turbulence at ground levels around 30-40' and lower, *** you need smaller turbines that can easily handle 60 mph! And push out of the wind around 90mph. It depends on if you need the turbines or not!

[@alanyoshida45]

You are partially right. Lean heavier on solar and swap out the turbine you have to perhaps one from Missouri wind and solar

[@WTF_BBQ]

well for $ 35k, I would've imagined that you tested the system first on a temporary rig and see if it was worth it.....

[@ProgressiveVegan]

Great video, Paul. Informative. Thanks. Three comments. - The costs have come down significantly since 2009 for both wind and solar, and the cost of electricity has gone up. - Your extra costs for the wind installation is through the roof. DIY pays off (even if you did part of the project DIY and then let the professionals come in for the rest). - Net metering is very important as you explain, but now home batteries can compensate if the local utility steals (yes, steals -- if they don't give a fair price for net metering) your excess energy production.

[@adly4128]

I think that the key here is the nominal rated power. Wind turbine manufactures say this is a 3 kw turbine however this power is at very high wind speed which is quite rare add on that wind power varies with the cube of the wind velocity so a small decrease in wind velocity will lead to a very significant power drop which will lead to an inevitable disappointment. The way I see it wind turbines can be economical but $24,500 for a 3.5kw is very very expensive.

[@EverydayDean]

I do like the way you superimpose yourself, it works well :)

[@t.c.5770]

Thanks for sharing this. This analysis is valuable and quite useful

[@therealsparkman]

Thanks for sharing your findings over this period of time. I, at one point, was thinking seriously of purchasing a smaller version of wind turbine. I even got a response from a solar/wind company where the owner kind of dissuaded me from investing in a small version of wind turbine (especially Chinese made) as they don't produce what one might think they do. He advised me to rather invest into more solar panels. I appreciated his honesty. That being said, how is it some videos on KZbin have people who swear by them? John Daniels for example is touting how great these Chinese made turbines are where he is located in the mid west. Missouri Wind and Solar pushing for their turbines. Something smells and it's not Teen Spirit! Until such time that wind turbines have been refined to actually produce decent amounts of energy, I am no longer looking for one. Cheers!

[@ExtremePrepper]

I dont know the specific examples you cite, but my experience is that there are those who have a financial stake in small wind, just like ten years ago. Ten years ago, many consumers were duped into buying a turbine, they learned that they would never pay for themselves, people learned, and all the small wind turbine companies went out of business. Now, ten years later we are repeating the same thing. Many who are touting them have a financial interest. Then some, just are zealots, and believe they are doing great, without knowing really how to technically and economically evaluate their performance. Many will say, but the technology has advanced in the last ten years. Really, how, specifically? A lot of the problem comes down to physics. The turbines will only produce their rated energy, at best, if the wind is EXACTLY the right speed. Energy production drops with the cube of the wind speed. That is physics. If you in real time adapt the pitch of the blades you can try and overcome this, but now you have a mechanically very complex machine, which will be expensive, and no doubt generate maintenance requirements. I still wait for one of the salesmen or zealots to provide me clear data that they have a wind turbine that has paid for itself.

[@carlossousa3285]

Hi there, I do agree with you while being the owner of a less sophisticated system. I own a 1500w Ista Breeze and overall much better results than your experience. 35000 usd is just crazy to spend on something as this (less than 1000 euro on mine, I installed it). Two issues I find with these small turbines. I need it especially at night and many, many nights no wind. Also, you need to have a solid safety for it when the winds are strong. Ex. water heater element on a solid relay system, backed up with a second contactor that can handle high amps to short the phases, if something goes wrong with the first safety system. They will not run your house, only solar with do 98% of the time. If you have 35000 usd to spend, buy yourself a massive battery bank and you´re good to go. Good luck! Carlos

[@rizwansuleman6339]

This was excellent I learnt so much

[@MrBorceivanovski]

The most important is independence of the grid and no billing letter in the post box #

[@cwrobinson6363]

OMG! I am happy that I found this KZbin video because I design and build my own wind turbines. I was wondering if I should actually install my largest wind turbine on my property or go with solar. Recently I noticed that there is a totally new solar roof "Tesla/SolarCity solar panel roof" now on the market. This system replaces your entire roof with a solar-powered roof. Now, I will be looking futher into this alternative more closely. Thank You.

[@ExtremePrepper]

I have been utterly completely disappointed by wind turbines. Solar works. I would be careful about getting too far out on the bleeding edge with solar. I would not be buying new systems that do not have some years of service under their belts.

[@montgomeryhomes09]

you will always get more power from a vawt and twice as much power if you channel the wind in the right direction to it

[@montgomeryhomes09]

it also depends on the wind and your weather patterns

[@SOCALPRINTER]

Sounds to me like someone forgot to buy a weather station before throwing that much into a restricted system. Buy with intended use, the weather station would have helped you buy the best system for maximum power generation for your area. Extreme wind requires extreme generator.

[@ExtremePrepper]

And yet I still wait for someone to show me real data that a home wind generator has EVER paid for itself.

[@fairadvice3639]

Paul, Thank you for the very informative video. You said the solar system will pay for itself in 13 years. Doesn't the solar system use batteries? What is the lifetime and replacement cost of the batteries? Wouldn't this offset the return on investment time driving it over 13 years? Thanks.

[@randyyoung3332]

Thank you for sharing this. People , now you can "whisper to the wind" good bye !

[@RobertHarrisMIB]

And if the wind speed sensor is inside the actual unit of a turbine itself? Is there a way to eliminate that sensor all together? I would risk burning the thing out in order to generate massive amounts of power when you do get those gusts over 30 miles an hour

[@Alrukitaf]

Rooftop turbine would be better - lower installation cost - no foundation required, lower height required. Vertical Axis with an amplifier box, grid connected with electrical load resistance to prevent could be a possible option. Wind power is a viable option - vertical axis turbines on every street lamppost, battery storage. But your explanation about the solar production is excellent. Thank you for making this video

[@frankgiancola7]

Vawt is the the way to go especially in winds that change direction and speed like in the city. What if a vawt spun faster than 1X then a gearing or pulley system to increase the generator speed won't be needed. And what if the efficiency is increased in multiples. Here's an example of a really fast Savonius turbine kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3SylGd8hK6YqpI here's an example of a somewhat efficient darieus turbine with its internal speed set at around 16X. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH7Of4Zuqaumnqc

[@SeattlePioneer]

> Turbulence near the house and the low elevation greatly reduces power produced, while noise and vibration will annoy building occupants. Do more research.

[@Coyot0xx0]

I'll make my own one day, but I would prefer one with a group of several little vertical axis type of turbines.

[@closertothetruth9209]

sounds about right, solar is very good, we easily make 30kwh a day in summer and 10 kwh a day in winter from a 5kw solar system in a sunny country, Australia. wind turbines need real clean non turbulent winds to perform at there best and thats going to mean putting it up fairly high to get the best bang for your buck. turbines do work but the wind is not as consistant as the sun is for most of us on this earth, i prefer diy turbines but theyre for battery banks really , not grid tied, you may want to checkout the Genesis Breeze , supprising output for a diy.

[@Fedroy90]

Hi sir, i wanted to know the method or process of calculating the no of turbines(preferably large size onshore wind turbines as it is based on a consortium or for a company) required for a wind farm site, if u have been given 100 million euros(as mentioned in one of the numerical problems) and how to go about it.I would be very grateful if u could help me out with this by giving an example for this type of problem.

[@warbanzi]

I use wind an solar and my 2 1000 watt turbines both cost under 2k including my 2 25 foot towers, cables, controller, heat dumps and what not. I live totally off the grid and my battery bank is topped off 24/7 with these on cloudy and nights. You paid to much.

[@ExtremePrepper]

You really can not say that without more information. For example, to bury the electric line, a rock saw had to be used, and it was a long run from the house. The trench for the burried line itself was extremely expensive. Installs depend on location. You could not have been able to do what you say where I live at that cost. Thanks for the comment and interest.

[@warbanzi]

I choose to do my own install and that is were you save. It seems multiple smaller units work better then one big one. My units are only 15 feet from my power shed and the cables are 2 feet down. I also went with AC generators as the cables do not need to be huge.

[@ExtremePrepper]

DIY offers lots of savings. I dont feel comfortable doing work on live main voltages, so hence did not feel like I had the expertise to do this safely myself.

[@najdawi1001]

what kind of wind turbines do you have?

[@ryangsxr1300]

Dingo Kitt where can you buy all that for under 2k

[@smallvillefarm687]

How about solar in summer,,, then in winter 6” snow and wind almost every day ALL DAY AND NIGHT to charge batteries?

[@michaelblock4397]

What you explained is why I never push commercial turbines. Off grid is the only way, I tell people to consider a turbine then they are axle flux. Solar is by far the best for people. On top of that you are speaking of small systems all the arrays we have are 20k arrays.

[@melvinhunt6976]

The initial COST will pay my electric bill for 20 years! I thought it would be OVER in 11 years?

[@mjdurack]

We are designing a generator that will address this issue of overspeed. Basically a way of operating very efficiently from very low power (100W) up to very high power 10kW - a spread of 100:1 because that is what wind is all about 100W at 20kph (12mph) windspeed and 10kW at 92kph (55mph) . By designing the generator to be able to absorb this high power it can control the rotor speed and using our EFLUX Transmission design it can operate very efficiently (>95%) at very low power and at very high power. We are experts in the generator and transmission aspects but would like to find someone with expertise in the blade design.

[@SeattlePioneer]

It's not the generator that is the problem. Is is the very high stresses placed upon the physical turbine that will defeat you.

[@lirydasmaz9595]

Back in the days, investment in wind turbines was kinda too costy. However, nowadays they cost much lesser than that with big improvements in performance.

[@ExtremePrepper]

I keep hearing people see this, but yet to see data. Can you give a supplier, brand, and model number, and say year long energy production data? Give me a year's data on a currently available home wind turbine. Some of the chinese made ones, if you look up reviews on amazon, they are terrible reviews. People want to believe in wind, yet no one will provide me with data.

[@danielmace406]

That turbine reminds me of the video where the guy showed the blades of a 300 watt, a 500 watt, and a 1500 watt turbine kit, and all the blades were the same size. I think you were taken, I think you were sold a 200w turbine for 3500watt prices. When turbines get into the kilowatts, the individual blades are taller than you.

[@ExtremePrepper]

"You Think" does not mean you are correct, given you have no data to base your comment on. I keep waiting for ANYONE to send me data showing that a home wind turbine has EVER paid for itself. I have been waiting for several years, but get lots of opinion, but never get any data showing home wind will ever pay for itself.

[@pzk22195]

most outstanding that none of you mentioned any unpleasant side effects like noise inc. at night, like flickering light? Is that because home turbines are less than 60m? response is appreciated.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Mine was fairly far from the house. It did make a noise. It did not bother me, but could see how it might bother some.

[@rediornot811]

the price of solar is way down now too, you need to look at the costs right now

[@nemonemo3129]

Great video and thanks for sharing. The essence of "extreme prepper" is self reliance and conserving the resources you have, is it not? You seem very capable indeed, so why didn't you make your own home power generation units at a tiny fraction of $52.5K?? Still, I enjoyed your video. Thank you.

[@ExtremePrepper]

When it comes to home power units there are very important issues associated with legality and safety. For example, it is illigal to make a home generating system and connect it to the grid without an interconnect agreement with the power company, and that requires licensed and bonded electricians to do the work. If it is done wrong, you can actually injure or kill utility workers who are working on electric lines in your area. Hence, it is not a project for DIY.

[@bmsfx]

I would make my own controller for this, specially for the breaking. Using variable short on the magnet braking mechanism (not knowing if yours has this) and perhaps a external wind speed measure equitment, even at insane winds, it would still run, but no more maximum allowed, (lets say it adds 40% breaking power to keep this rotor speed), so it would not shut down, but of course wind dying down is kind of out of your hands. At 10 cent a day maybe its not worth it, here electric cost around 40 cent (Denmark) pr kwh, calculating in prices are down, and more efficient wind mills, maybe its viable, specially the more work you can do yourself, or you know some constructors who can help you for free or low cost to put up. Only problem here, if you live in or near a city, its impossible to get a permit to put one up :D

[@ExtremePrepper]

Even still . . . why not just get solar and net metering? Still much better roi.

[@bmsfx]

@@ExtremePrepper true, but I do have a hybrid solar, issue is you generate nothing half the day, and the battery don't last that long. Also we probably have bad weather for solar half the year, would be sweet to top up with some wind.

[@dansshop]

This is good stuff, and I believe your data. Your particular story doesn't apply to every system though ~ I've seen much better. You have a small turbine, and you are grid tied so I'd say solar is the ticket for you. (or, a much larger wind turbine on a much taller tower) Even though you have a good wind site, you have a short tower ~ I expect that's hurting you badly. You opted for a free standing tower. (why it's short, and why it's expensive) You claim you have the latest/greatest state of the art turbine. (a Rom something I think you said) I wish you would post information about your particular turbine. Generally I would agree with you, it's difficult for small wind to compete with $0.10/kWh (one reason the small wind industry is in shambles right now) but it can. It requires a larger machine, a good machine, a good site, and a tall tower. In off grid situations where homeowners use more energy in the winter and want to keep their expensive battery bank smaller, small wind can make a lot of sense.

[@christophermoawad2598]

This video says that when you do something like these turbine you gotta do it yourself.. i love wind and solar. i still feel your pain man. i hope both wind(which you paid for so much) and solar gives you a certain relief.

[@thomasdrummondgoodall8179]

You did not try to compare the wind turbine with the KINGSPAN 3.5 or 6Kw wind system as is used in many farms on the Falkland Islands have been tested with wind up to 254 MPH

[@koltinparker2323]

I got 3KW system for only $3,000 that's install and everything and now I sell them it saves me $110 on average a month!

[@kassiedreaneai7459]

I have to wonder; since you have to operate in this narrow wind range you mentioned for peak efficiency and of course you cannot increase low wind speeds; but why can you not operate a system which shrouds the wind a little to lessen turbine speeds above maximum effectively acting as a governor system to take full advantage of any winds short of cyclonic or what might literally rip the system out of the ground or otherwise damage it. I find it difficult to conceive of a wind dependent system not being able to take advantage of the wind when it blows. I do not have one of these by the way; just observations.

[@SeattlePioneer]

> Remember that the power of the wind increases by a cubic function. Let's suppose you get two watts at 2 MPH. As wind increases you get: 2 2 4 64 8 512 16 4096 32 32768 64 262,144 That starts getting to be a lot of POWER! Wind turbines shut themselves down to avoid being physically torn apart by that power. There are videos on You Tube of exactly that happening when the load shedding function fails to work. They are worth viewing. Similarly, notice how little power is produced at low wind speeds. The turbine blades may be turning, but the power output may well be trivial. Frustrating, isn't it?

[@ollivierbissiere8148]

Hello and thank you for sharing this video.Good analysis.Solar wins!!

[@ExtremePrepper]

Interesting that this was probably the most hated video I ever made. It is like people want to believe home wind works, independent of the data. I have had both. Solar works, wind doesnt.

[@davidcagle4735]

You have a late 1990s tech wind turbine at best, remember home use wind turbines have been in continuous production and use since the early 1900's. Every home wind turbine I have seen since 1998 has vanes that feather themselves in higher wind, and increase there attack in lower winds, thus allowing a much wider range of wind speed for good production. A small $500 wind turbine rated at 1000 watts (same price, same features since about 2006) will produce at least 7KW/h per day at my location, and I am in a valley where most of the wind is blocked. Low cost 1000 watt rated wind turbines will very often see more than 10KW/h per day where I am located. If you go to vertical axis wind turbines, the production rate improves even more, many vertical axis wind turbines have a startup wind speed of less than 5MPH, and a linear power curve to maximum production, with the ability to maintain maximum production at much higher wind speeds do to vanes designed to limit the maximum speed of the wind turbine, often all the way into hurricane force winds. And you got taken on the price. A $500 high quality wind turbine rated at 1000 watts that will outproduce yours, as it can handle a wider range of wind conditions, was still $500 every year since 2006, then a wind charge controller was about $200 in 2008, a decent off grid pure sine inverter was about $3000 in 2008 (not going into grid tie, bad idea in my book), add in about $50 of material for roof top mounting, about $200 for all the wiring, and you have less than $4000 (about $3950), even if you add in the 3 hours of labor for someone with the experience you are looking at a total of $4500 plus $1000 in storage batteries. So a total cost of no more than $5500 installed, with everything you need. You save on the power bill by moving usage off the on grid system to the off grid system, at the rate the off grid system is consistently able to keep up. Then you add to the off grid system a little, move more things to the off grid system, repeat as needed until you exceed 100% production of your power. PS: If you are a prepper: Why are you counting the usefulness of the system on the cost? It seems to me that it makes more since to count the usefulness of the system in the terms of having power in a grid down situation (hence my opposition to grid tie, keep the solar and wind off grid).

[@ExtremePrepper]

You are saying these things, and speaking authoritatively, but giving no data. Can you provide company and model info, and independent reviews from customers that are happy with the turbines? As far as vanes that feather to allow operation over a wider range of wind, that itself introduces a new level of mechanical complexity, and then reliability concerns associated with that mechanical complexity. Can you provide data showing that over a time scale like a year, you are producing 7KWH per day at your house with a turbine that cost $500.

[@davidcagle4735]

Yes I could give a small number out of thousands of examples. I was intending to give you enough data to search for that many many examples for yourself, as you claim research was part of it. Also a lot of the pricing is based on my system, that works great. If you would still like me to point to a few limited specific examples I will gladly do so, just reply.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Yes, you should say what turbine you use, and show production charts that you are getting at least 7KWH per day. Show your production records for extended time and the name and model number of your unit. As I peruse Amazon and ebay and other vendors which have legitimate customer review sections, I still do not see a model emerging that customers are pleased with.

[@flowerchild777]

Maybe if you could make your own, and diy wind turbine. I'd consider a diy.

[@eklectiktoni]

It seems like you just rode the wave a bit too early. 😉 Solar panels were overly expensive and not very efficient either only a couple of decades ago. But the tech has improved by leaps and bounds. I suspect that small home-use wind turbines will improve in a similar fashion given enough time. But yeah, as of right now, it might not be the best investment.

[@larryhaney6608]

so u got took . what brand of wind turbine did you buy ? Do you work for the power company's ?

[@ExtremePrepper]

I do not work for the power company. My wind turbine is a Raum, which was a state of the art system. Raum is no longer in business.

[@smoothsilk47]

Very helpful video, Thanks.

[@ramonbs6075]

Great video 👌 thx for sharing

[@LifeOnHoth]

Here in my neighborhood privately owned wind turbine parks are popping up everywhere in the heights. They are supposed to be the new big local renewable power supply. I call this bs out together with a lot of others, incl. people I know who has worked on planning these projects, taking care of the politics involved etc. The projects are subsidized by gov. here to the point of having them cover about 30% of the costs, because some smart people has told them it pays off in the long run both for enviornment and pricetag. I don't know the exact numbers, but the guys I know involved in this tells me the truth is that even when they are left with 70% of the cost, it is not profitable, it doesn't even break even. Ever. For as long as the turbines stand there. And this in a country where there is an abundance of hydroelectric plants, no nuclear plants, and no coal/gas plants worth mentioning. In some ways it's nice that some people want to develop a enviornment friendly renewable source of power. But in the end, the facts are on the table even before construction starts - The whole idea and model is and will always be a castle in the air, if that's a way to describe it. I firmly believe that there are better long term options. Molten salt thorium reactors for example. This is a relatively cheap nuclear option. And it is, if constructed correctly, extremely safe. There are more than enough fuel on the planet for it, a lot of places it is very accessable. The waste from these are also relatively easy to dispose of and store away compared to current fission reactors. Now imagine this - Pop up TONS of these plants around the planet. This would mean that where you can build infrastructure, there would be low cost power available - not just a little bit, but as much as you can use and then some. This would mean the end of droughts, since both running and building costs of desalination plants would decrease a LOT! - Run this setup for say - 500 years. In the meantime - put serious efforts into solar and battery tech. Heck, throw in fusion there as well - it may be possible to replace everything with cheap and safe fusion plants within that time. But what I'm sure of, is that within those 500 years, the planet would not ever need another source than solar power, because we made it so effective and cheap. For now, I have a normal home, only electricity I get is from the grid. And I can't afford right now in the nearest future to do anything about that, but I think the first thing I do, is to have a tied to grid battery bank. Also, I live in a relatively cold climate, and we use relatively much firewood to heat the house in the winters. And sunshine is not like arizona :P. But besides heating the house itself, most of the electric bill is heating the water. Heating water and some heating cables in the concrete floors are most of the electrical bill. I have a large old chimney that is easily converted to a more modern one, with water heat exchange coil built in. I have a couple of friends who do this, and it's a very effective and cheap way to heat the water - since you are already heating the house with the firewood, why not heat the water also. A very nice idea. I also have a couple of friends who are believers in extracting heat from exchangers around gray water pipes - from the shower etc. But that's also cost WAY more than it gives back. Nah. I'm gonna get a battery bank and chimney heat exchanger as the first things. Especially since the electricity price (not now but is going to be soon) is different in low consumtion time of day, so charging the batteries by night and using them by day is a smart move as I can see it. anyway - gonna shut up now. I appreciate the nice spreadsheets that show the truth (at least part of it) where you are. :).

[@ExtremePrepper]

Yea, I am all for alternative energy, but it has to make sense. I have heard it takes a farmer more than one gallon of diesel to grow the bag of corn that you could turn into one gallon of ethanol . . . meaning you would have been better off just eating the corn, and burning the diesel, since you have to burn the diesel anyway in the tractor.

[@Krogsh]

I have been in business most of my life so look at the "big picture". If you want an emergency electrical energy supply and the price is of small concern you can make that argument. The problem with that argument is that if it DOES NOT produce enough power to fulfill your needs then it is a waste of time and resources NO MATTER WHAT the cost was. It must provide utilitarian value or it is worthless.

[@martinparkyn2206]

realise, it is a great way to be prepared.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Yet I am not really convinced. My primary "prep" is to have a lifestyle that does not depend on electricity. One of the toughest things would be trying to independently keep your own generation system working. If you configure around not needing electricity, those resources could be better used elsewhere. I consider electricity a nice thing to have, not a necessity.

[@jamest.5001]

Having things done for you, is a great way to pay out the arse for almost anything!!

[@ExtremePrepper]

Nothing more expensive than a do it yourself job if not done correctly. To me it is a tradeoff between time and money. Could I do it myself . . . yes, do I have more productive things to do with my time . . . also yes.

[@jamest.5001]

@@ExtremePrepper I guess having worked in every field , I see things differently, my problem is having to do it all my self!!

[@patfal1514]

Make your own with simple plastic drum,vehicle alternator, golf cart batteries(most economical deep cycle) inverter whole system under $2,000. Also consider hydro if in a suitable location basically same set up.You're only trying to create trickle charge for your batteries so don't have to have a lot of generation, don't fall for one of the super expensive installations

[@wesa665]

Good data. Thanks.

[@ryangsxr1300]

How tall is your tower? Have you thought of going taller? They say you should go as high as possible. I think you buy towers up 150 feet.

[@ryangsxr1300]

Also i think you should have priced out a bigger turbine like 10kw for your house. Find one that produces power at as little as 5mph.

[@utkarsh0072005]

You are a very Good Kind Lovely persone...... God loves you...... Good day sir.....

[@ExtremePrepper]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@howardsway782]

Electronics, wind turbine design and batteries have moved on a long way in 8 years. New wind turbines, even quite small ones like yours, can now feather the blades or use other techniques, to allow maximum power output at very high or low wind speeds, these are capable of exceeding the daily output of comparable cost solar systems, but working together and maybe including Lithium Ion batteries or similar, would make your situation potentially, totally independant of the power grid and able to sell excess output to the power company.

[@ExtremePrepper]

How could you be "Totally Independent of the power grid", and "sell excess output to the power company"? These two are mutually exclusive. To sell to the grid, you have to be connected to the grid.

[@howardsway782]

Extreme Prepper : In an ideal hybrid system you could generate and store more power than your needs but to sell power (Improve your ROI), yes, you must of course be connected to the grid. But another benefit of connection to the grid is that if your system is unable to generate power for whatever reason, you could buy power from the grid. I'm in the UK, where a grid tied system must be installed by a certified electrician/technician using approved equipment, for safety, to sell excess power and to claim various government subsidies etc. I wonder what your area rules are? The slight down side of a grid tie in the UK is that in the event of a grid failure or shutdown for maintenance (both rare), you can not use your own power sysytem. The main 'excuse' given is that your system could feed power to the grid and electrocute a remote worker. Although this is possible, it is also possible to design a system where the electronics would not allow this situation to occur. I believe the real reason is to maintain corporate power over the right of the individual. The power companies and government are frightened that they may be brought down or unable to make massive profits forever. I believe that day will come ( May be even in my lifetime, Approx. 20yrs to go!) - Extreme Prepper, what do you think?

[@lupofroi]

Do you know if this has changed in the past few years? I don't understand why your system costs so much money.

[@josephjohn907]

How many Kwh did your Solar pv produce last year. Thanks

[@ExtremePrepper]

I average about 9MWh/year. That would be average per year over the last nine years. For me that is a savings in electric bill of about a thousand USD per year.

[@josephjohn907]

@@ExtremePrepper . West Texas has the most wind turbines in this country. I thought that west Texas won't be viable for Solar panels but your 5kw of Solar panels have shown that west Texas can successfully power the whole Texas at all times if Solar panels and Wind Turbines are well utilized. Thanks for your response

[@ExtremePrepper]

Yes, there is a large commercial wind farm across the highway from me. Wind can work at the large commercial scale. They are installing a large solar farm about 10 miles from my home. Solar works for small home systems, but small home wind systems are not viable in my mind.

[@dansshop]

9 min in ~ you say cubic, which means if you half the wind speed, you have 1/8 the energy available. Again it would be interesting to know what sort of turbine you have. I've seen some reallly bad systems where teh 'pay off' would take well over 1000 years assuming no maintenance. I've also seen installations that could easily pay off in 10 years so... Then you go on to say 'if the wind speed is a little bit too fast, it shuts down completely' (what sort of wind turbine do you have???) 'If it's a little bit too slow, it goes down by a factor of 10' ~ you design a wind system based on your average wind speed *not* the often bogus rated output. Rated output of a wind turbine is always in a fairly stiff wind, you almost never see that. Lots of companies rate their stuff in very stiff winds. (it's about marketing) Lots of small wind systems get sold by enthusiastic companies/installers and lots (maybe most) of customers are disappointed. I'm sorry that's the case for you. Wind can work but it's tricky. Being grid tied, I think you should've stuck with solar unless you could've afforded a larger turbine ~ or... unless you just love to have a wind turbine! (some folks just want a wind turbine ~ kinda like, some folks want a bass boat! ~ the bass boat people rarely talk about the cost/pound of the food they bring home :) )

[@massatube]

You didn't factor in the changing price of electricity? Was the cost 10c/KwH back in 2009 all the way through to 2017? If it was, that's pretty good. Also not everyone could have made use of the tax credits if they didn't have a high salary? But then again, if they didn't earn a big salary they probably wouldn't have forked out $35,000?

[@passantgardant]

I think you're judging it by the wrong criteria. It's like saying how many years will it take to pay off a car by comparing it to train fare. Well it might never by that metric, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't buy a car. And it doesn't mean you shouldn't install a wind turbine. The fact is that we're preppers because we don't think that $0.10/kWh grid energy is always going to be available. And if it's not available, then having a wind turbine that puts out 4.15 kWh/day is invaluable. It's not worth $0.41/day, it's worth whatever you would pay to continue to live a comfortable lifestyle no matter what else is happening in the world. It's worth the reduction in stress over paying the monthly bills or worrying whether it will always be available. My wind turbine probably fares worse than yours. I only paid about $8,000 for mine, a 1 kW Bergey XL.1. On average, I probably generate only a few hundred watts per day with it. Some days none at all. But I'm off the grid. I have no $0.10/kWh alternative. I have solar, I have wind, and I have propane. Typically, when the wind isn't blowing, the sun is shining and vice versa. This creates a level, predictable output between day and night, and between the seasons. If a storm rolls in and shades my solar panels, the wind picks up. So my batteries generally remain charged without having to run the propane generator. So was my wind turbine worth it? By the measure of being able to live sustainably off-grid, absolutely! It doesn't matter what the dollar value of equivalent grid power would cost. My measure of value is whether it saves me from having to install additional batteries and solar panels to ride out the cloudy times or whether it saves me from running an inefficient and costly propane generator. And by that measure, a wind turbine is an excellent investment for a hybrid off-grid system.

[@MarkNorman_NXTLVL]

This is my idea - its more windy here than sunny but still similar solution I think would fit best.

[@mfblowfish4671]

Finally, someone that gets it. It’s not about the money. It’s about the power. Also $35000 sounds a bit steep. You can’t spend 10 bucks per watt and expect pay back

[@joshpollack5936]

but you would be better off buying a battery system for your solar panels than investing in personal wind. It just doesn't produce enough power to be economically, or sufficiently viable.

[@JohninTucson]

@@joshpollack5936 That is the route I will be taking, full Tesla pack from a vehicle repurposed as a poor man's Tesla power wall, but for far less and on my property in SE Arizona I do NOT have to be grid tied. I will have 30, 350w panels out in the lovely AZ sunshine and will have plenty of battery backup to get through several days at least with a 85 kwh battery, in the cradle with a fully functioning tesla BMS unit in it using software that does exactly what Tesla's car computer does. It's a beautiful thing. I was thinking about adding some wind turbines to assist for night time juice, but it's not worth the hassle when the batteries will keep me going a long time. Cheers mates !

[@josepharmstrong2610]

Man you need to go to 2kw turbines iv got two and I have a automatically applied brake as they produce far to much electricity than what I use in my home they cost me 3000 pounds installed . And don't get the ones like you have pitching blades steal power from your end harvest.

[@dramida]

If you halve the wind speed, you get 8 times less power. (the cube of 2 is 8 not 10) Your turbine works badly mainly from three factors: The real power of the turbine is overestimated, you have turbulent wind, you need laminar, your turbine stays near ground, so the wind speed is only 60% to 70% from its speed due to boundary layer to ground. The shutdown speed should be more than 15m/s

[@ExtremePrepper]

You say this having never seen my system . . . it was professionally installed, and the best available when purchased. It is on a 50 foot tower with no obstructions nearby. Hence, you can not say I have turbulent wind. You are correct, 2 cubed is 8 . . . I was giving an approximation, and driving home the point that a home wind turbine with fixed pitch blades will virtually never produce advertised KW for more than a few seconds as a time. You appear to be a believer in home wind power. Can you provide long term data on a presently commercially available home wind turbine that could even remotely come close to ever paying for itself. There is a reason most all of these home wind turbine companies (and the installers) all went bankrupt. Word got out that the technology does not work.

[@TheJunkyardgenius]

or the turbine you got wasn't as good as you thought. I have several smaller units and they all produce more than what your big fancy one does.

[@TheSkillkeeper]

Makes perfect sense if like me, $120,000 Canadian to have electric company run service to property.

[@MrBlueDevil93]

And if you had invested the money?

[@ilaser4064]

So you're actually realising around 5% of the systems maximum capacity. Wow, that's insane! How does tax credit work in the US? If it's like it is here, you negate the credit from your taxable income. Therefore you can't just subtract the full value of the credit from the total cost. Going off the tax brackets here you'd be looking closer to an actual 10% saving, so your system would have cost about $32,000. :( Great video none the less!

[@RobertHarrisMIB]

You spent $24,000 on that turbine?!!! Wow, you could have taken a ceiling fan and modified it!

[@ExtremePrepper]

The point is, as much as we would like for home wind units to work they do not. If you modified a ceiling fan, it would at best under perfect conditions be able to maybe power one light bulb. A fan might be able to generate 100 watts or so. These home wind units are trying to generate more like 5,000 watts. A typical western home probably has peak energy draw of 5,000 to 10,000 watts. You car not going to get there with ceiling fans.

[@0077alfie]

For a 3500 watt generator you have to have at least a 15 foot diameter turbine.

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

Hunh. Thanks for the cautionary tale.

[@MrRandallleeeubank]

ty very much

[@Edgardocelectric007]

I really hate to say it that contractor really took you to the cleaners. One system 35k way too much. As a 35 year electrician I was able to save 2 thirds of what you paid for one system. I was able to do a 4000 watt solar with 2500 watt wind turbine at 48v with 1000 amp hour lifepo4 batteries. Most of my materials were left over from other jobs. The batteries are 5 years old but after testing they were only cycle once a year for five years they have 99% life in them. Sorry but you were taken

[@ExtremePrepper]

This is a matter of time vs. money. For me, I would rather pay someone else, and focus my time on things I am good at. I really do not think I overpaid . . . I live on a solid rock, and laying the underground electric line required a large rock saw, and days of labor to cut through the solid rock. Also, it is a significant tower and the foundation is a good one. Hence, the prices I quote would represent what you have to pay for an experienced contractor. I got bids, considered my different options, and went with the guy that had experience in this type of work. It was not the cheapest bid, and not the most expensive. I do still remain by my conclusion that solar works better than wind. If I had it to do over, I would have doubled my solar capacity and not do wind. I think my experience is not unusual since almost all the small wind generator companies have gone out of business.

[@StickyBit7777]

You live on solid rock, which is not what many of us have to deal with. It sounds like that alone drove your wind ROI to such a long time frame. Yet you categorically condemned wind. power

[@jackfenn7524]

Hey Edgar, you are a smart man. But did clipper sailing ships have small sails? Why not? No, they had LARGE sails, and that is why they were so successful. Try using much larger sails on your windmill. Notice the difference.

[@petertomas3665]

You cant expect to have a decent amount of power with just one wind turbine because of all the reasons mentioned in video. Would you do that with solar panels ? How much would you expect to get from just one solar panel ? Its obvious you need more than one wind turbine and posssible more diferent sizes of them depending on your needs and the purpose you have. I really dont get the logic " oh im getting a wind turbine and im expecting wonders". Wind like sun is unpredictable so you need to put some more thought on that and how you gonna set up a wind turbine system.

[@ExtremePrepper]

Your comment is nonsense. First, I am an electrical engineer. The issue has nothing to do with how many wind turbines you have. One huge commercial one can power a small city. Whether you are talking about solar panels, or wind turbines the total performance is the energy production of each unit, multiplied by the number of units. For solar panels, I installed 6.5 KW of solar panels. The 6.5 KW as an array of 24 individual 270 watt solar panels. At peak sun, I got over 6 KW production from the installation as expected. For the wind turbine, it was rated at 4.5 KW, and was advertised that it would produce that level of energy. In practice, it would produce .3-.4 KW. So the issue is, the wind turbines NEVER produce the amount of energy advertised, or what is represented by those selling these systems. The purpose of this video is for consumers to NOT BELIEVE the deceptive numbers promised by the manufacturers and salesmen. It is a very simple math and engineering calculation. My return on investment in solar was 10X what I got on solar.

[@timkim999]

BUT your wind&solar system is way too old from 2009? technology already much more changed!!! do you think 2009 system and 2017 system function as same, everything has changed greatly!

[@ExtremePrepper]

Tim, unfortunately Physics has not changed, and in many respects, it is the physics working against you. Believe me, I wanted home wind to work more than anyone, but yet I still maintain my conclusion . . . if you are interested in alternative home energy, solar is the way to go

[@nathandtanner]

Sure doesn't seem worth it. Especially considering that it's 3.5kw and only produces an average of 4.15kwh per day. Do you ever see it pumping out around 3.5kw?

[@RobertHarrisMIB]

You should be allowed to Sue that company for fraud. And since you're still using it there should be no statute of limitations. That's complete BS and I feel bad for you

[@aquabilly]

I feel your pain...although not on the same scale...I am having it out with Primus over my air30 at the moment. It too brakes at 30 and I live in a windy area. It sits doing nothing most of the time..embarrassing more than anything else. However, my problem with them is false advertising, it shows the unit braking but only to limit output down to a 100 watts. That would have suited me fine but of course the power curve chart is bogus. It shuts off at 30 and has a peek now and then to see if the wind is under 30. The bandwidth of the air30 is incredibly narrow too..probably between 22 and 30. Great if you live in the perfect spot on the planet where that might happen. Shame, its a well built unit...just inherently flawed and false claims on the specs.

[@ExtremePrepper]

There are a lot of claims made by the salesmen of home wind turbines, but I would hope that folks would find someone who has purchased one, and see if they feel like they are getting any meaningful production. Like I say, really with I had purchased twice as much solar capacity and not gotten the Raum wind turbine. The solar really does work, the wind has not for me.

[@grahamflowers]

Betz limit has been smashed and debunked regards Graham S Flower's

[@scottmcintosh2988]

Test with anonanometer for at least one year or more do the math .

[@jackfenn7524]

"Home wind turbines" are NOT profitable. But homemade windmills, with large cloth sails, are VERY profitable, for the same reason that dutch windmills were so successful, and "modern" windmills are not. No matter how fast those blades turn, they do not produce torque, (or foot pounds of push). So they cannot even pay for themselves. And that is by design, NOT accident!

[@blenderNOOb69]

Your calculation is wrong. Put in the numbers you would pay for electricity. 1,110MW*0,36=399,600,00. Per day 4,150*0,36=1494. Your turbine paid itself already

[@timhallas4275]

The truly shocking thing about this is not that this man has only gotten back $1,100 of his investment over 8 years, but that we, the taxpayers were fleeced out of $10,400 that went into HIS bank account, and for which there is ZERO return on investment for US, his silent partner. Only a government can find the worst investment in history.

[@EverydayDean]

Turbans or Turbines?

[@muzzledwon1845]

I noticed Work with the tax credit you added the deduction in taxes rather than the actual monetary savings In other words if you're allowed to deduct $5000 off your income what you're saving Ashley is the taxes you didn't pay on the $5000. You seem like a smart guy but somethings a little skewed with your analysis

[@jackortez4534]

WHY DONT YOU DESIGN ARE MORE EFFICIENT TURBINE ONE THAT HAS A PITCH AA MORE DURABLE MORE STURDIER

[@treborupp]

Good data....you just paid way to much. Definitely a cheaper game today. My elec cost .08 cent in 2000 today cost is .08 cent. Lol