any wind turbine experts kicking around in here?

[tk2kewl]

I want to know how to determine wind power feasibility for residential use. The best available wind data i could come up with is this http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/C35F23DB-4EC9-ADC5-74FD-82A73081A276.PDF

the avg annual wind speed is consistently 9.4 mph at the weather station in the above document. my home is significantly closer to the coast than this weather station.

[skids]

1. 15mph is a commonly used breakpoint...

...for spin-up, but that might be changing eventually with some turbine designs.

I'm no expert though.

[tk2kewl]

2. i have seen a lot of turbines online that claim to start at 7mph

[jpak]

3. Bergey Windpower is probably the best all around for 1-10 kW rigs

http://www.bergey.com/Products/XL1.Comparisons.html

The XL.1 can load down ~5 mph and the new XL.50 can load below 5 mph...

http://www.bergey.com/

...and there are a lot of ~0.5 kW rigs that have good low-wind speed performance (made primarily for marine applications - sailboats, etc.) for pretty reasonable prices (<$1000)...

http://store.solar-electric.com/wind.html

http://wind.dynalias.com/

http://solarwindworks.com/Products/Wind_Turbines/wind_turbines.htm

http://www.realgoods.com/renew/shop/list.cfm/dp/1100

Hybrid PV/wind systems are also available....

http://www.sacredpowercorp.com/spc_newsite/Products/sp_hybrid.htm

http://www.sunwindconcepts.bizland.com/id6.html

http://www.thesustainablevillage.com/servlet/display/product/detail/33086/

I know one guy in Maine that has a 1 kW Bergey and 0.75 kW PV array on a tracker - he's said he's never had to use his back-up generator in 3 years of operation....

[tk2kewl]

4. fyi... some other cool stuff posted in my cross-posted thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x174761

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Can you get away with putting one up there?

My neighbors would have a fit if I put a turbine up in the yard.

[tk2kewl]

6. I might be willing to give it a shot.

I live in a real blue-collar neighborhood on a canal on LI's south shore. It's probably the only blue-collar waterfront you'll find on LI.

I think my dad could be persuaded to file an Article 78 against the town and appeal it all the way to the supreme court if he could too :P