How to Install a Home Wind Turbine | Ask This Old House

[@juanhigareda3810]

I'm still digging those 20 ft holes for the footings

[@philhode5104]

I fell in hole month ago,still trying to get out

[@randacnam7321]

Instructions unclear. Accidentally dug to China and died of smog poisoning.

[@madisonbrigman8186]

Lol dead

[@CashJohnston]

I’m trying to get my neighbors to help me lift the pole.

[@dawngosse667]

It only cost me 900,000$ this darn old house..

[@Pliskin44]

Today on this old house we show you how to sub out a wind turbine job

[@Davie272]

Hahaha

[@geoffgarrett5622]

Just completed the break-in period and so far the unit is operating perfectly kzbin.infoUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y . I was amazed by just how quiet this little guy is. I kept having to walk down the driveway to the generator to make sure it was still running. In fact, the most annoying noise coming from the set-up is a high-pitched chirping coming from the pressure regulator on the propane line. I suppose it's possible my other propane-powered generator's pressure regulator is making the same noise, but the generator itself is so loud I've never noticed it. Build quality so far is excellent. My only nit is the service panel is a little tricky to remove. I feel like I might break off one of the plastic tabs when bending it back. I probably just need to work out the technique, so will not hold it against Champion.Next week I intend to fully load the unit to charge a large battery pack and will update this review if there's any problem (3000W continuous load vs a rated 3100W capacity while using propane). Absent any trouble there, I'm 100% pleased with this purchase.

[@wattlebough]

One key ingredient is the battery. That way you store enough excess energy at your property for the rare occasion the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining and just top it up when needed before sending the power back in to the grid. Love this set up by the way. I’ll take two if them. Regards from Australia.

[@MrSummitville]

Batteries are a financial nightmare ...

[@wattlebough]

MrSummitville Expensive yes.

[@MrSummitville]

@@wattlebough If you can get a good Net Metering agreement with the Utility Company then it is always best to use the Grid as your "AC Battery" ...

[@AStanton1966]

Do they scare the dingos?

[@danielf.6059]

Being a MV-22 Osprey mechanic I laughed so hard when he pronounced nacelle ...😂😂😂🤣 Nasel 😉

[@ClaytonStone895]

Same.

[@kwisin1337]

Omfg. Im just shaking my head. Nasel. It is not, i repeat not a Nose. Lmao....

[@OneIdeaTooMany]

I learnt my pronunciation from star trek

[@AStanton1966]

Why is it those Ospreys seemed to always be crashing in the past?

[@marechuber]

Be nice to have included the name of the company plus products in a hyperlink too ? Since you didnt who sells it ,or where can it be found including the specifications ? Thanks !

[@leo2502]

So I just lift up my 60ft pole that’s already at my house, and I’ll have wind power?

[@asmmahfuz8569]

@@syaz4380 That's a generator. But yes you can use it as a motor.

[@10feethighermaga12]

Yea, dont forget to also use the solar panels, and inverter that is also there somewhere and the batteries that were missed in this step by step, diy how to useful video

[@MrSummitville]

@@asmmahfuz8569 You don't want to use a motor = too inefficient. Use an AC 3 Phase generator, that is designed for a wind turbine.

[@asmmahfuz8569]

@@MrSummitville That's a good advice.

[@MrSummitville]

@@asmmahfuz8569 Many Wind Turbines spin at only 400 RPM. Some up to 800 RPM. For a given Rotor Diameter, we should always use an alternator that creates the proper power (watts) that matches the RPM of the Blades at the "Rated Wind Speed" ...

[@ThePhillipnielsen]

Please don't say Nasal anymore... It's called a Nacelle... Like on an aircraft thingy...

[@steveritzel559]

Agreed. Check the pronunciation guide. Or watch some Star Trek.

[@brbubba]

Add turbine to that list.

[@SirFloofy001]

I couldn't figure out what he was talking about, Ive never heard of a Nasal on a wind turbine, thought it was some sort of name gimmick for that turbine company or something lol.

[@mtdewchallenger]

You got it ... na sell pronunciation. Stress second syllable.

[@Winlonghorn_iso]

brian sullivan Americans pronounce it like in the video

[@jorge31415927]

I would like to have seen some cost / savings details with simple payback information. Also, was there some government grant or utility company incentive for this rig?

[@zacharyadams6277]

At 1.5 kw I dont think this will pay for itself within the owners lifetime. Plus, I dont see the power company offering incentives. This means they are going to sell less electricity which hurts their bottom lines. Not that renewable energy isn't something to work towards, but It is not even close to being cost effective yet.

[@CameronCourts]

@@zacharyadams6277 The electric company actually takes the excess energy that you produce and they sell it to others. They have to pay you for that in the form of a lower bill. If you produce $50 of excess energy, they'll take that off of your bill.

[@zacharyadams6277]

@@CameronCourts That's absolutely correct. No more electricity this system will produce, he wont have enough to run his own stuff, much less produce extra. I could have missed something though. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@daddynichol52]

Nothing was mentioned about expected maintenance or the cost of replacement. Those turbines don't last but a few years and a good Texas storm will make scrap out of that unit.

[@bgrady24]

Thinking I’ll install this in my front yard this morning, should only take 1/2 hour or so

[@SaItyStudios]

how's it coming along

[@paulocaetano3243]

@@SaItyStudios One yea later, probably just finished digging the whole for the foundation

[@mitchiam]

You could fit like 20kW of solar on that barn roof right there but whatever.

[@qkrotor]

It's not always sunny.

[@maxxcastillo9347]

Also, in the northern hemisphere, solar panels should be south-facing

[@mortarriding3913]

Sure, but what are the feed in tariffs? Is that a good investment? Or is this rancher better off spending his money on other equipment. Part of the problem is that often the grids are privatised monopolies, who get to tell you how much they'll pay you for electricity, and how much you have to pay to take from the grid. 20kW would only be helpful either with high feed in tariffs, energy intensive on sight machinery, or a microgrid to share with neighbours. But the last part results in duplication, because of a broken structure in the market.

[@MrSummitville]

@@qkrotor For most people, it is much more likely to be sunny, but not very windy. Wind Turbines cost 3 TIMES to 4 TIMES more than Solar per kWhr generated. Wind Turbines can be financially justified, if you do not already have Grid Power available ( ie the grid connection is expensive ) - but they already have a Grid connection. You need strong steady winds, like 15 MPH - 25 MPH, for several hours, every day. Who has that? Wind Turbines are a very expensive toy. The homeowner will learn this lesson when he needs to them call for out-of-warranty service = a financial LOSS. The second time that it fails, the homeowner will have it removed ...

[@MrSummitville]

@@mortarriding3913 The home owner is using a "Grid-Tie" inverter because he has a reasonable Net Meter agreement. This video was about final installation and raising of the Wind Turbine, not feed-in tariffs - that is another show.

[@busaboyzmccsa9739]

i love this design of tower, where can i get hold of one. brilliant workmanship on this turbine

[@jacksonlhillis]

Next episode, “How to build a home Nuclear Reactor”

[@memonavaramirez6261]

"Only for homeowners and in three easy steps"

[@darkone12491]

10/10

[@gladiator8325]

Lol

[@gladiator8325]

Yes very simple wind turbine installation, me and the wife should be able to do this this weekend lol

[@MrSummitville]

@@memonavaramirez6261 Skill Level = Hard / Expert Only. If you are not an expert then choose something easy ...

[@teravolt1195]

"How to" yeah, this is a definite DIY job

[@bruh2189]

@@jwm6314 exactly

[@viper1466]

I installed something abit bigger for myself

[@grojunge2449]

I did this in about 2 months without any help except raw materials

[@muschrm1]

@@viper1466 Everyone is joking right? This is ridiculous.

[@knightnifaboy]

Haha he says it goes 20ft undeground solid concrete and the dude kicks it

[@badad0166]

"Yup. She's solid."

[@Gorgula]

He is notorious for having to touch everything.

[@gladiator8325]

Lol

[@bgrady24]

“Yup, I can tell it’s 20 feet deep from this tap of my foot”

[@BAFVintage]

*Ah yes, a nice weekend DIY project*

[@caddydaddy84]

When I win the powerball I'll start watching TOH again

[@seanjuth]

Electrical pun?

[@jeffreyvicks7181]

What is the initial installed cost of the wind-solar system and what is the projected payback in years?

[@GeoStreber]

Oh my god that connection at 2:40 looks totally unprofessional. Here you would be required to use a cable shoe, that's much better than what you're doing here.

[@zaappp1588]

I thought the same thing. For the amount of money this probably cost one would think the company could have at least included a block connector to secure that wire. It would really suck to put that pole up and realize you didn't tighten that screw enough.

[@robertsteich7362]

I know that I am a year late. But not only does that connection look unprofessional. So does the conduit at the inverter station. First, I see 2 un-needed pull boxes why they were installed for a 3 foot run is beyond me. Second, those two conduits are crossing too. Should've had the far left come straight down then shoot over to the box on the far right, looks like a DC disco. Then the right shoot into the inverter. And third, the two underground conduits are crossing each other above the ground. If they couldn't make it cross under ground, fine. Shoot them straight up into the box and make the wires cross inside the box. (Unless the can't cross inside, then I understand the crossing outside.)

[@MikeHarris1984]

Glad to know i'm not the only one that saw that. I was yelling at my screen, lol.

[@davidkrocks]

Lol you’re not the only one

[@packetattack7437]

What you missed was they slipped the electrical inspector $300 and two ice cold six packs, he signed off and went on his way.

[@jaridkeen123]

How much does the wind turbine unit cost?

[@MrSummitville]

A 1.5 kilowatt Wind Turbine + Tower + Grid-Tie Inverter can cost between $5,000 - $10,000 ( or more ) installed. On average it can generate $150 worth of electricity per year - more in very windy locations. Therefore, 33 years ( if it lasts that long ) to "break-even" = $5,000 / $150.

[@jstarr7506]

@@MrSummitville Wouldn't the amount of electricity it generates depend of the amount of wind it gets?

[@SleepyJoeisSlow]

A simple video that no one can do. Fantastic!!

[@MrSummitville]

You can do it, exactly the same way this homeowner did it ...

[@philstat100]

Thank You for a great video. I plan to put up a micro wind turbine. What I would like to do is tie to the grid and power my house as well. If the grid shuts down I would like to continue to supply power to the house without any power going back into the grid AUTOMATICALLY. And when the grid comes back uo, Supply the grid with power again automatically. Is there a way to do that? If so please point me in the correct direction to learn. Again Thank You.

[@weatheranddarkness]

Check out the Fully Charged video where Robert talks about the system he had installed at his place.

[@ionhunter]

3:07 We round it down using the adjustable wrench backwards.

[@eagle1532]

Reverse treaded nut

[@flowerpt]

You don't need a lightning rod and massive ground rod on these things? Do the bolts connect to a ground plate?

[@williamlobur6181]

hunny watch my beer, i’ll be rite back, gonna run to home depot , get a wind turbine & call ask this old house to install it 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@keithpvbatt2040]

Awesome workmanship the installer did excellent work, for back in 2015.

[@MrSummitville]

"... for back in 2015 ..."

[@russcorbett3923]

Na-Cell ,,,,, not nasul ,,,,

[@jej3451]

Seriously, didn't any of these people ever watch Star Trek?

[@HERVINK]

Russ Corbett , I had to look down the comment section just to make sure someone pointed this out! LoL

[@soniadc7507]

Russ Corbett j Nm

[@freakasis]

Us.

[@dLimboStick]

Nay-sell probably more accurate for pronunciation of Nacelle. Na-Cell makes it look like you're talking about some sort of battery.

[@Mantooth2851]

This is so DIY, I'm gonna have my 14 & 11 yr old do this while I mow my yard.

[@MrSummitville]

Is it beyond *your* skill set?

[@Mantooth2851]

@@MrSummitville Looks like my sarcasm went straight over your head.

[@MrSummitville]

@@Mantooth2851 There are off-grid families who have built and installed a larger wind turbine than this. It is all about SKILLS. So no, your so-called sarcasm was not obvious.

[@krisfehr13]

Step one: be a multi-millionaire.

[@MrSummitville]

step one - work hard ...

[@melainewhite6409]

Step one: be a dumb multi-millionaire. After all, this has a 105 year pay-back period, lmao.

[@wrandom]

@@MrSummitville More likely be born into it.

[@MrSummitville]

@@melainewhite6409 If they have strong steady winds, and I think they do, then it will be much less than a 105 year payback. For the average residential home, you are correct. But this is not your average residential home.

[@MrSummitville]

@wnc817 That requires skills, tools and knowledge the average person does not have. It is better to buy a 2,500 Watt Turbine online for $1,500 and *install* it yourself on a Guy-Wire Pole = Big Savings! Then the payback will be less than 10 years. If you are off-grid and in a windy area, then you need to do this.

[@peterpowers4851]

If you were completely off the grid, could you run your house off of DC power without converting? Do they make lights and appliances that could run off DC? And if so would there be any benefits for this?

[@flameslicer]

No. Every modern appliance or electronic device is designed to convert 120/240V AC to whatever DC voltage and current each device needs, with all the transformer circuits and such that entails.

[@MrSummitville]

@Peter - YES, there are many RV's & off-grid homesteads that run off 12 / 24 / 48 volts DC only - no AC appliances ...

[@GilbertAppleby]

Kevin was nice. I winced every time he said nay-sel. Neh-sell is the correct pronunciation.

[@GilbertAppleby]

He's from NJ, but I imagine he lives in Boston. In NJ we say it the proper way á la Français.

[@chrisw1462]

+Gilbert Appleby Yeah.. its not hard to look up, neh-CELL, not nasal or nestle.. eesh.

[@dazedconfuzed6]

+Gilbert Appleby Even the guy installing it said it wrong.

[@Radar120155]

I am having difficulty finding a gap ridge hing to start with , any ideas ?

[@georgepawlak6806]

I see you don't believe in torque wrenches especially when you're putting the blade on crescent wrench isn't the way to go guys!

[@Mr.C-Mister]

Totally. I could so do this by myself.

[@swedensy]

2:40 Never do this for you diy home turbine, look at the numbers of electronic componets inside. He will have to take it down soo again and replace circuit board. Here how you do it correctly. Drag 3 phases from turbine into your house, then connect it to speed controlller/charger at your home.

[@marcusrobertsson1898]

Yes the way they did it was not the best to say the least. Transforming from ac to dc current makes you lose a lot of effect in those long and thin cables. And you need all those vulnerable electronics components in a very bad place susceptible to rain and maybe lightning. Better deal is sending ac current and rectify it once it's on the ground and is a sheltered place.

[@glenboettcher5054]

Where did you source the Gaff Rig Hinge? Looking for the company you used for this project.

[@MrSummitville]

This was not a This Old House installation. They did not source anything. The name of the company is on the Wind Turbine ...

[@KonaChuck22]

Why did he have that power inverter installed out in the open air where blowing rain could get to it?

[@AR-cp5dz]

I live in northern Indiana and have seen a few wind turnbine setups. They are rarely moving at all.

[@MrSummitville]

North-West Indiana could have just enough wind to cost-justify a Wind Turbine.

[@AR-cp5dz]

@@MrSummitville North west would be closer to the lake, so I suppose it might. But the joke around here is how often you can drive by a wind turbine and its standing still.

[@MrSummitville]

@@AR-cp5dz Yes, better wind over the flat lake.

[@TheCraigy83]

every house ive lived in would have a big draft if the front an back door was open doors would violently slam im betting u could power a tv just from my hallway 💨📺

[@Maryqc1960]

what is the cost of the turbine and inverter? it looks interesting. Did you get any incentives, tax breaks, etc?

[@2011blueman]

+Maryqc1960 Texas has no incentives that I know of (it's Texas, i.e. home of big oil and global warming denial), but there are tax breaks on a federal level.

[@2011blueman]

Doug Reed If you read through those the answer is no, texas doesn't really have incentives for residential solar and wind. The only thing they seem to have is rebates for when you produce more than you use and your excess power is fed back into the grid.

[@2011blueman]

Doug Reed very true, that's a great website.

[@davidbohn5651]

Texas has more wind generation capacity than the next 3 biggest producers combined, california included. Just look at wiki.

[@slpplz]

On the next episode of this old house... How to build a hydroelectric dam.

[@TennisGvy]

How do you lubricate it? Nacalle spray?

[@sypher0101]

all that wind turbine for 1.5kw ?

[@Siedlerdeo]

It's not the same as solarpanels. The 3kw solar panels he has produces 3kw a year. A 1,5 kw turbine produses 1500 wats continuesly. So if the winds are enough for 1,5 kw 24/7 and 365 days a year that 1,5kw turbine will produce 13140 kw of energy a year. The turbine is going to cost more but depending on place it's gives a hell of a lot more then solar. You need to do a full calculation tho, cause it's moving parts and services that needs to be preformed.

[@TheXxxcodexxx]

@@Siedlerdeo that's per day not per year... one 250watt panel can produce about 30 kwh per month.. the average house uses anywhere from 750 to 1000 kwh per month. But yes the wind turbine can produce a lot more if the conditions are right

[@marcusrobertsson1898]

@@Siedlerdeo Sorry but you are totally wrong. 3 kW (kilo Watt) is twice 1,5 kW. If the sun shines for 1 hour the solar panels produce 3 kWh (kilo watt hours). 2 hours gives you 6kWh, 3 hours 9 kWh and so on. If the wind blows at optimal speed for 1 hour then the wind turbine gives you 1,5 kWh, 2 hours give 3 kWh and so on. If you have a windy location that´s often cloudy then the wind turbine might be the better choice. If you have lots of sun then the solar panels are more effective. If you´re going off grid then you should probably get both and a back up generator as well. Plus a lot of batteries to store the energy so you can use it when you really need it.

[@Siedlerdeo]

@@marcusrobertsson1898 ye sorry 3 kw system produce 3000kw a year, atleast where i live, a lot more in sunny plases

[@bradquinn4161]

@@Siedlerdeo That is only 2.75 suns hours per day on average. While I would by that for November through February, you would have to live pretty far north not to get more sun than that. Assuming he is using high voltage strings (and with him using a wind turbine on the same inverter he would be crazy not to) even under cloudy conditions that 3kw system will be pumping out at least 1Kw. More like 5000Kwh+ per year

[@josephkrol1676]

Can't wait to set up mine! DIY BABY!!

[@MrSummitville]

DIY makes a much better return on your investment ...

[@joewalsh1054]

The title makes it sound like anybody can do it. I think not

[@asmmahfuz8569]

It is easy if you buy the generator and the blades from market. Anyone can do this. But if you want to make generator by yourself then it's awhole different story.

[@joewalsh1054]

@@asmmahfuz8569 I can't put a giant concrete pad or wire the whole grid for this

[@TheFreshSpam]

@@joewalsh1054 Its not that expensive to get a person to make you a concrete foundation with piles

[@netgeek3010]

I poured a 6 X 6 foot by 4 feet deep base for a 75 foot radio tower. As well as digged a 120 foot trench for the communications lines. So yes it can be done yourself but it's a lot of work an time. Also added steel rebar throughout the concrete base. As far as 20 foot deep bars for support you could rent most of that from Home Depot I bet.

[@albertofranco3454]

@@asmmahfuz8569 see I aepdodoeps p do oh9spspdpr9e or ú8 Dr r490rr0d koo ot poo opr0rpr00e99eodorodooror9r89rr9p

[@aydaramyar2556]

Can I get more detailed information about the tower and its installation mechanism. We are designing small scale wind turbine with 5m height. Can you help me about the tower design and calculation?

[@mohamedkhlifi1199]

The taller the turbine, the more wind it gets hit with.

[@kubtastic]

The first syllable is not emphasized: nacelle (/nəˈsɛl/ nə-SELL). Kevin asked to hear the word again with reason. "You're calling this a nasal? -A nasal"

[@alext9067]

I'm amazed that nobody proofs the videos and the viewers don't scream about all the mistakes...even by "experts". Even a dope like me knows it's wrong.

[@stomping_leaf]

yeah just watch some star trek sheesh

[@BrianBriCurInTheOC]

Hey Kevin Does that Homestead on which contains that Wind Turbine have a FaceBook or Instagram page so we can contact them to ask about the performance of the Wind Turbine???

[@krisraps]

thisa is just beautoful,. too beautiful because in Latvia You cant do your own elecricity, you need to pay to the goverment if you use something else , not elecricity they made, isnt that sick?

[@charliezeng1849]

high quality wind grid tie inverter to connect with local grid network, please visit SENWEI ENERGY www.windpowercn.com

[@adamcruz3702]

Can't collect rain water in America either in some states it's illegal. Lol

[@notsosilentmajority1]

It's started to be the same way in America now. In some places you can't collect your own rainwater and in other places you cannot go "off grid". They tell us how much they want us to use less energy and help save the earth by creating clean energy BUT only if they continue to make billions of dollars. Lol, if we all were able to generate our own electricity and truly be off grid, the government would make it illegal.... somehow. They're all full of BULLCRAP !!!!!!!!!!

[@spiet7380]

The world's waking up now. Maybe we'll take our power back from these greedy corporations and governments

[@bowling6535]

Where did you get the turbines tower from

[@MrSummitville]

Watch the video ...

[@mohamedkhlifi1199]

1.5 KW for that VERY tall turbine sounds VERY little.

[@Siedlerdeo]

it's not solar, it's 1,5 kw continous power in high enough winds. If winds are high enough the whole year it has the potential to give you 13140 kw of electricity a year

[@CrazyLakla]

Never pay for itself.

[@void970t5]

@@CrazyLakla that such an old out of date thought. They easily pay for themselves. Basic business would tell you you dont sell something for $2 that cost you $3 to make you would go out of business.

[@bradquinn4161]

@@Siedlerdeo For that sized wind turbine you need 15mph winds to generate any real power. Just because you are spinning does NOT mean you are making power. Their are relatively few areas that micro wind turbines are of any real use. If you get 8hr+/day of 15Mph+ winds they are great. Anything less than that you are MUCH better off putting your money into more solar. IF you make a larger diameter turbine to take advantage of lower winds, you get into trouble with high winds and snap off your tower. IF you make the tower strong enough, you are back to solar being more cost effective. Probably 80% of the continental US is not suitable for micro wind turbines.

[@bradquinn4161]

@@Siedlerdeo I looked it up. That turbine is rated at 1.5Kw at 11m/s(24mph). Probably less than 5% of the continental US gets that kind of wind for 8+hrs/day.

[@Joe-sq9tl]

How much does a wind power system like this cost including install?

[@zaappp1588]

2:31 I guess these guys never heard of slipping a piece of pipe over the end for leverage.

[@10feethighermaga12]

Thanks for this useful step by step video, now i am a professional turbine and solar installer.......

[@MrSummitville]

The title of this video does not state "... step-by-step instructions ...". It is just a clip from their show.

[@HurricaneWindPowercom]

nice stuff if anyone is interested in this type of thing we are always glad to help

[@darbyohara]

So how much did it generate? Cost? Perform?

[@derpherpp]

Not exactly a how to video.

[@verdatum]

"step one: call a wind power expert. Step two, follow their instructions. Step 3 give them money. Step 4 PROFIT!"

[@phiksit]

Step 4 Wait "x" number of years for return on investment. Step 5 Profit. They never said the combined system cost, so... could take awhile.

[@MrSummitville]

@@verdatum STEP 4 = *PROFIT* - will never happen for 99% of the people that install Wind Turbines without first doing allot of wind research for their exact location.

[@MrSummitville]

@@phiksit It will fail long before it ever pays for itself. The cost of "out-of-warranty" repair just once, makes it a financial nightmare. When the second failure occurs ... it will be turned off and taken down.

[@JM-ym8vr]

This old house doesn’t do ‘how to’ videos anymore they just do ‘here’s some of what we did’ videos.

[@TheHermitHacker]

Really would be nice to know how much was spend on the turbine plus shipping. I know it varies, but i'm having trouble locating this information.

[@ruthstieb4530]

For this set up...just the wind turbine and converter station...I'm guessing close to $250,000.

[@madbruv]

@@ruthstieb4530 more like 2.5k-5k jeez man where you get quarter million...

[@970357ers]

Any saving made will be lost when aspecialist is needed to service/repair the complicated kit. The key to making this tech cost effective is DIY serviceability.

[@MrSummitville]

And lower initial cost ...

[@YinYangDPW]

Can you provide schematic, diagrams, parts list and sources for interfacing with power grid ?

[@MrSummitville]

No ...

[@Engineer9736]

Imagine the steel cable snapping at 3:50. Those guys would be in hospital. Same story for the idiots at 4:18, they don't add any value to the lifting, and when the cable to the digger snaps they will be whipped lethally in their head. Plus they will be launched into the air since they are holding onto it with their full weight already.

[@alext9067]

We can only hope. I think they should be holding on with their nasal passages.

[@bradquinn4161]

It really does add to the lifting. Remember the application of a lever arm(force times distance). That cable looked much lighter than what I would have been using.

[@onelove1786]

This 60' pol top of turbine work with air flow and wire came in side the pol if this turn with air wind to rotate 360 how to connect power wire because if this turn360 many times so wire will twest and be came short and burn can u explain there is some lock or have some other technical point

[@MrSummitville]

The wire will *NOT* twist ...

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

Okay I'll admit this is a neat idea but is this really what This old House is like now? I used to watch this show years ago and it always seemed to be about how you can fix up your house yourself. This is buying a commercial wind mill, having a professional crew install it and the This Old House guy just standing and watching them with a clueless look on his face.

[@carsonp.7009]

it may sound crazy, but you dont just buy this thing at Miners and pour concrete around it, i see what your saying, and to that i say that they still have plenty of home repair videos

[@Luckingsworth]

DIY version is to build it out of wood and use to it power a grain mill. This is not a DIY project. If you are at the point where you have a skid loader/forklift that can lift these components, and then winch it up you are way above and beyond a DIYer already and should be able to do it all from this video anyway.

[@Greg-ll6ur]

Only 1500 watts. What is the initial cost and suggested maintenance.

[@TheRcbthree]

I don't normally winch but when I do I stand sit right behind it and never weigh it down. Lets hope that's not a harbor fright wench. LOL

[@stomping_leaf]

yeah I was wincing about their winching, good thing the cable didn't snap. I still can't get that image out of my head.

[@stomping_leaf]

they were bouncing on it LOL

[@timothymbess]

I've got the Nacelles, but I need some Trilithium and a Warp Core.

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

Remember when this was a DIY show. Also I like how they never tell you the cost. & they didn't even say how much power it can generate.

[@oldbatwit5102]

1.5 Kw...... on a good day

[@mortarriding3913]

@@oldbatwit5102 it's pretty amazing that such a small blade can produce that much. I also wonder how much that costs.

[@crazyhass84]

Yep complete bs. That costs 30k! Take 30 yrs to pay it off!

[@MrSummitville]

@@crazyhass84 Will it even last that long? Every expensive repair will increase the cost and push the break-even out another 5 - years. The blades will need to be replaced. Nothing will need to be re-oiled for 30 years?

[@MrSummitville]

@@mortarriding3913 It requires steady 25 MPH winds for hours. Who has that? I am lucky to get gusts, up to, 25 MPH.

[@jontopham2742]

Please post the datasheet of the inverter used. You may be missing out on alot of power by using the same inverter

[@marks6663]

He went 20 feet into the ground with concrete to support a 60 ft mast just to get 1500 Watts of electricity? That is enough only to run a hairdryer. On a good day.

[@scotttovey]

That 1500 kilo-watts.

[@dbassett25]

@@scotttovey 1.5 kilowatts at 0:50 into the video.

[@scotttovey]

@@dbassett25 Yep, I misheard that. 3 kilowatts of solar and half that coming out of here. It's my brain being stuck in supersize mode, or just figuring it should be much bigger. I must have had a [Tim the Tool Man Taylor] flashback.

[@Mario-sy4nw]

So your spending at least 15-25K on a wind turbine and then another 5-10k on solar panels plus labor and equipment on hand. In order for this to be viable you would have to at least be able offset $500 in electricity per year in order for it to pay back something sizable within 40 years. I don't see this thing surviving a big mid west thunder storm either. I like the idea of getting off the grid though, if that's actually possible. In terms of cost your only hope of making it financially feasible is to make as much of it as possible from scratch and install it all your self. Anyway, I would be interested to see the cost vs output per year.

[@TheHermitHacker]

I am doing this for an OFF-GRID application where it will cost over 100k to get power brought in.

[@MitchellCamps]

You're wrong, many who live off grid got use to the concept in a RV dry camping for extended periods.

[@supremelawfirm]

Kevin, You guys always make these projects look SOOOOO EZ!! (But, I do know better :) KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[@cct2557]

Naaa cell

[@lujitsu1251]

Where Can I get this turbine /pole/ inverter kit?

[@johnames6430]

I wish I could be gifted a job because my dad worked for them.

[@willow091]

How long until the energy it took to mfg and build the system is repaid?

[@flowerpt]

Who cares? The virtue signaling is instantaneous.

[@TheArfdog]

"There's three of em" "the shaft spins" "this is the nasal".... you mean NACELLE?? This guy is for dummies

[@greengenie7063]

Such weird pronunciation makes you wince.. especially when these guys say 'com-post' toilets!!!

[@testfortester7131]

1:44 “and you’re calling this...??????”

[@dlg5485]

How much does a wind tower like this cost? I'm interested in building a totally off-grid home when I retire and will obviously use solar and probably a battery storage system, but wind would be a nice addition for 24 hr electricity generation.

[@MrSummitville]

Certainly, you can use google search, to get your answer.

[@dlg5485]

@@MrSummitville Certainly, you didn't need to waste space with an empty snide response. I'll never understand people who go out of their way to be dickheads when they could just as easily have remained silent.

[@miket5872]

Would be really nice but the amount your going to pay for a set up like that,,,you could pay your electric bill for a lifetime anyway..lol

[@wmwardwell]

Mike T: you sound both lazy AND stupid. Minimal investment one time versus pay thru the nose forever? My 12VDC solar system has already paid for itself in 2 years. Wind power is pricey as hell due to the infrastructure and support equipment. Solar panels are a gold mine.

[@hintzofcolorconcepts]

1.5 kw is pretty wimpy for such a massive footing and 3000 pound pole. You'd think with all thet invested you'd spring for a ten Kw turbine at least

[@willembudde7512]

www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1AVSX_enUS388US388&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Pika+turbine&tbm=shop How hard was that, use GOOGLE....

[@willembudde7512]

Average Monthly Output 202 kWh at 5 m/s i think all together around 15K(turbine & tower) is enough with together with a 5.2KW solar package will cover your house.. But a 10KW system, cost for a regular resident to much money.. A 10 kW wind turbine costs approximately $48,000 - 65,000 to install. The equipment cost is about $40,000 (see 10 kW GridTek System ) and the rest is shipping and installation. Towers without guy wires are more expensive than guyed towers. That depends on your cost of electricity and average wind speed. That 1.5KW wind Turbine on a 90 feet tower do makes miracles

[@magdygliny3221]

Mike T I was a

[@AR-cp5dz]

Maybe I missed something, but if the wire is stationary through the mast, and connects to the head which is allowed to rotate 360 degs, wouldn't the wire twist?

[@MrSummitville]

No ...

[@84homey]

The cable connects to the stator, which is the stationary part of the generator. The blades turn freely and electricity is generated by the magnets in the centre of the blades rotating in relation to the fixed copper wire coils in the stationery stator.

[@AR-cp5dz]

@@84homey I get that the blades attach to the rotor and the stator is stationary, but the entire assemly is able to rotate on top of the pole. For the wire to not get twisted, the stator would have to be on top of the pole, and not behind the blades.

[@15past2]

WAY- WAY tooooo small on the wire and way-way too much concrete to hold that pole. That's an AC wire not for running DC over some distance. He will be lucky if he gets half of what little he will produce down to the converter. DC at low voltages loses much of its current, unlike AC. All that work mostly wasted!

[@DR-br5gb]

Exactly!

[@djangoryffel5135]

I bet it's an 3-phase AC 48V alternator. So the wire would be enough, even though, a larger diameter would reduce the wireloss.

[@Siedlerdeo]

24 DC at 1,5 kw, is 16 amps. so a 6mm wire is enough for 17 meters. (looks like 17 meters for the wire length.) Could be sheilded tho for less losses.

[@djangoryffel5135]

@@Siedlerdeo rly? How? 16A*24V= 384VA, where do you have the other 1100-1200VA?

[@Siedlerdeo]

@@djangoryffel5135 oh sorry 64 amps

[@eldstgilmorbarboydodellatb4413]

💚💚💚💚 bookmark/notes: wind turbine on farm : all it takes like the bare farm it self , pole motor and fan blades …..ect…..tbc…..-g-b, bot

[@LuxuryIncorp]

The governments going to want to tax you for using the air

[@Radmacdaddy]

What are the details of the wind turbine used?

[@gustavderkits8433]

Not economical

[@cup_and_cone]

Gustav Derkits - Nope! Green energy is a scam. If it were even remotely economical the private sector would be exploiting it. The private sector is greedy; they will open very poor investments like apartment complexes that barely survive on a 1% or 2% return. Yet somehow no green energy...

[@Aaron_R]

The return is there if the windmill is much bigger and maintained by an organization which does multiple windmills. Economies of scale. Defeats the purpose of going off grid though. A big windmill can power multiple homes. I also think that windmill is in a bad location. It doesn't look very windy.

[@rbeck3200tb40]

It is over time

[@fjalics]

thechosendude Solar works in lots of places. Utility scale wind turbines are also very competitive. The little turbines, not so much.

[@lr21643]

It does seem like an awful lot of trouble for 1.5 kw. Hugh Jaanus: It's more usual to rate a wind turbine at less than half that wind speed. Since the available energy goes with the cube of the wind speed, your turbine is overrated by at least a factor of 4. At least if it's really capable of 2000 watts even at that speed. If it is, it could probably handle a much longer set of blades at, say, 30 or 35 mph. Unfortunately, the rpm might be much lower and that might be a problem with the generator. If it has some kind of gear drive, you might be able to change the ratio to correct that problem. You'd also have to reduce the speed at which the feathering mechanism kicks in, or whatever mechanism it is that protects the system when the wind gets too strong. If you don't have such a mechanism, then eventually your current system will break or fall down. For a tinkerer, it's probably possible to make a new, longer set of blades. If solid wood wasn't too heavy, I suspect I could carve out some in a few days, but I wouldn't do it for someone else without an awful lot of practice. Currently, I've carved propellers that are only a few inches in diameter, and I've made some oars. There's a lot of info out there on relatively economical homemade wind turbines. Perhaps you could keep the tower, and all the other equipment, and install one of those. You've already lost a bunch of money, but a new turbine be much cheaper than starting from scratch. Maybe it would even be worth it. Just how big is that turbine? The one in this video is 10 feet in diameter for 1.5 kilowatts. If that rating is for 30 mph, then your turbine, if the same efficiency, would only need to be 3.5 feet or so!!! On the other hand, if everything that guy sold you is junk, you might as well give up. Also, if you don't have much wind at your site, there's no point in continuing. BTW, how is it that you're paying a guy from Missouri in euros?

[@speedbuggy7240]

Who was the company that installed the wind turbine? Do they have a web site? I live in western ny and I want to install a wind turbine. If it's not to costly that is.

[@wealthyblackman2655]

Correction : How to install lightening rod the instantly burns thousands of dollars! trust me I am an engineer! !

[@ericwotton2046]

Why did they use a solid conductor UF cable?

[@MrSummitville]

What would be better and why ?

[@guygordon2780]

"Nasal", because it's shaped like a nose.

[@SirFloofy001]

How does this turbine deal with overspeed. I don't see a brake inside, the blades do not look like they pivot, and the tail does not pivot, so how to you stop the turbine from spinning to fast in high winds.

[@kcmo1992]

That's huge!

[@Moviesworld78645]

Sir I want to ask question. How much power it provide?

[@MrSummitville]

1,500 watt ...

[@rogerreed9768]

Please tell me someone went back and reinstalled the wiring correctly. Watching the installation and when he was tightening up the wire is was wrapped the wrong way and was loosing up while tightening the screw. AT THE 2:40 POINT

[@wr6392]

Roger Reed- How do you figure? It was looped correctly. The end of the wire will turn clockwise.

[@XanderTheGreat77]

Which company manufactures this wind turbine

[@MrSummitville]

Probably made in China and then re-branded by USA company. The company name is on the Wind Turbine.

[@kalijasin]

Nice set up.

[@richardkenworthy9312]

I wonder what happens if you get hurricane force winds

[@billrehm3590]

How much electricity can be put through that small wire?

[@MrSummitville]

Enough ...

[@thedolphin5428]

Huh? Didn't that blade assembly have any shaft keyway or spline or flat offset hub or lock pins to stop its rotation? Even a reverse thread nut is risky to assume a full lock on a parallel drive shaft. And I would lockwire a casellated nut to be sure.

[@afollowerofchrist5789]

Question: Is this a true 1.5 KW turbine that you are using? Or is this one of these turbines that have an efficiency of around 59% (theoretical limit)? I'm asking because that thing is huge! For me, the safety "margin" is around 40% efficiency for whatever wind turbine that I am to buy. I've already set up a good solar system, and did pretty much all the electrical wirings myself (An actually proper wiring, not those from companies that give you offers, but do a shoddy job installing the wires cleanly, and disregarding safety in extreme cases). I got my stuff from China, and the panels are German brand (Luxor). The entire thing cost me around 2600$ (including a solid frame and stone supports for each panel (which are all interconnected too, by the way), each generating around 325W, with the panel being rated 410W), and has so far generated a peak 2720W worth of electricity (even when it's actually winter in my country), out of the 3690W. So, an efficiency of 73.8%, exactly as I had predicted. Now, the thing is that the inverter that I got is solely for the panels. It works perfectly and everything, especially under high loads, and I'm making sure that the thyristors aren't reaching their limits when charging my batteries, so all good from that side. The problem is concerning the wind turbines that I'm considering. I am finding these turbines on AliExpress, that state that they are 1000W with 8 blades, and come with their own MPPT controllers (you can also get PWM controller if you like, but for lower power turbines). Now, I know better than to just jump the gun and buy on the spot such products (I mean, for the solar system, I actually spent 3 months studying the entire system and how I'll set it up, including all the costs, before buying), and I'm assuming a 40% efficiency. The catch is that they are very light (like 10 Kgs, so they will require some serious grounding (not the electrical type :P)). So, for around 2000W, I would need 5 of these, and given that they will all be DC at the output (they are stating that the MPPT controller has an output of 48V for each wind turbine), I'm hoping that I can parallel them all, and gain the current in return. Now comes the second dilemma. Suppose that the previous setup was also a success as predicted, the part that I'm mainly worried about is the connection to the batteries that I have. The average battery voltage that I have (all connected in series), is 48V based on the spec sheet, but of course there are the additional details about bulk charging, absorption charging, float charging, that I'm certain you know far too well already. The inverter is already doing its job here with when to charge and when to take from the batteries. How can I combine the output from the turbines' MPPTs to feed it to my system, at least at the battery level? Note: I live in a country where electricity is completely unreliable (comes and goes randomly, to which I've accounted for, for the inverter's safety), and I'm pretty much off-grid. We don't have smart counters that count backwards (not like we can spare any, because they are being used to charge the batteries, with the help of the sun of course). Note 2: I am not worried about any sort of overcurrent, because my calculations indicate that the batteries can easily withstand the maximal charging current that could be generated from 2000W wind turbines using 48V MPPTs (that would be 42 Amps, which is 21 Amps for each 4 battery sets, of which I have two connected in parallel for my solar system). Thank you in advance!

[@davebainard8897]

Who manufactured the turbine? Was there any battery backup incorporated into system in case of grid failure?

[@Keifsanderson]

+Dave Bainard They are on the grid. This supplements.

[@davebainard8897]

+keifsanderson Who made it? In case of grid failure, is there a shut down for turbine so it doesn't burn out especially in high winds?

[@red_freckle]

+Dave Bainard I could (easily) be wrong but I thought these small turbines always charged a bank of batteries so they would avoid major and constant fluctuations in power output.

[@davebainard8897]

+Steve Hillier I'm guessing that the turbine is Chinese made. There is no mechanism for yawing in high winds. 3 wires into the generator means three phase output, which is fine, but that means you can't go direct to a grid tie inverter. Rated output of 1.5 kw means to me that a 500 watt or less average is more appropriate. I don't know what Texas power rates are but I would guess that this unit would never pay for itself. Without a dumpload this unit will fail in the event of high winds and grid failure. Overall its a good show to appeal to the anti-oil/fossil fuel audience.

[@RussellFineArt]

Pika Energy. They're a Maine, U.S. company. It's a good little turbine but way too small for practical use. I have a 2.4kW wind turbine in my backyard, which cost about 1/3 the cost of this Pika turbine and produces a lot more energy.

[@pinarellolimoncello]

I'm all in favour of most things clean and renewable but I must say that seems like an awful lot of money and work to get 1.5kw. I do have a 4kw solar pv system myself. Looking at the size of his barn it would seem more obvious to cover that in solar pv then if he needs hot water and central heating link it up to an air source heat pump.I can see barn isn't facing same way a panels but east west isn't bad configuration as it gives more useable smoother power delivery over a mid day peak from south facing. 10/10 for effort and commitment though and they look like they have made a smart job of it all.

[@RussellFineArt]

You're absolutely right, the li'l Pika turbine is way too small and too expensive to consider. Solar is a fraction of the cost and produces more energy, I know, I've sold thousands of small wind turbines and own one myself but would never do it again, I'd invest in solar PV.