2018 Wind generators

[donradcliffe]

For Pelagic, after 15 years of experience with wind and solar, I would skip the wind generator. Over the long term, they average about 10-15% of their rated output. In the rare circumstances you are in conditions which allow rated output, it comes with a lot of noise, and those are circumstances which you probably want to avoid anyway.

The wind generators require way more maintenance than solar and put out SSB noise (although MPPT solar regulators are trying to close that gap. The only good thing I can say about them is that they function as a audio wind alarm--I knew in my bunk that it was time to get up and check the anchor when the wind came up.

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

For Pelagic, after 15 years of experience with wind and solar, I would skip the wind generator. Over the long term, they average about 10-15% of their rated output. In the rare circumstances you are in conditions which allow rated output, it comes with a lot of noise, and those are circumstances which you probably want to avoid anyway.

The wind generators require way more maintenance than solar and put out SSB noise (although MPPT solar regulators are trying to close that gap. The only good thing I can say about them is that they function as a audio wind alarm--I knew in my bunk that it was time to get up and check the anchor when the wind came up.

I don't know what units you have experience with but can say that my Superwind is virtually silent. The wind on the rigging makes more noise and I have to strain to hear it while sitting in the cockpit.

As for maintenance these units were built for powering remote weather stations in harsh climates etc. There is no scheduled maintenance and Superwind says the brushes for the thrust bearing should be good for 25 years.

I did do a Twostar Race with one of the first prototypes of what later became the Air X unit. Ungodly noisy to the point of needing earplugs. On a trimaran doing 15-20 knots it did put out a ton of juice though.

Wind gens have come a long way regarding noise. Silentwind, Superwind and the D400 are the quietest I have seen. Nice to charge the batteries at night now and then too.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

For Pelagic, after 15 years of experience with wind and solar, I would skip the wind generator. Over the long term, they average about 10-15% of their rated output. In the rare circumstances you are in conditions which allow rated output, it comes with a lot of noise, and those are circumstances which you probably want to avoid anyway.

The wind generators require way more maintenance than solar and put out SSB noise (although MPPT solar regulators are trying to close that gap. The only good thing I can say about them is that they function as a audio wind alarm--I knew in my bunk that it was time to get up and check the anchor when the wind came up.

Can’t match your 15 years, but it’s getting on to eight now for me. I still appreciate the wind gen for those periods when solar just ain’t possible (as I mentioned a few posts ago). It also helps that it will produce throughout the night. Even a couple of amps/hr can take the edge off the overnight draw.

And there is no reason to put up with noisy wing gens these days. There are many now available that are pretty quiet. My Silentwind ain’t silent, but it’s pretty darn quiet. It sits above our cockpit and we can carry on a normal conversation with it whirring away in 20+ knots of wind. A couple of boat-lengths away and it is completely silent. And other wind gens are even better.

I would definitely max out the solar first, but if that doesn’t fill all the charging needs, then I would consider a wind gen.

BTW, my Silentwind cost me less than 1/2 your estimated price Pelagic. Of course, I did the installation myself .

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by masonc

You probably haven't had to lug 5 gallon containers of diesel half a mile down a road, out the dock to the dinghy, out to the boat, over the side, and pour into the tank, only to do it all over again many times. Versus making power from wind?
A lot of the places worth sailing to don't have easy fuel availability.

Have done that in the past for both water and fuel, but with my size, not so practical.

I carry 2,400liters diesel so usually bunker around 1000 or in 5 barrel lots.
Usually stern to at fishing docks.... But luckily we have a big reserve so can usually wait until we are near a town with a small ferry pier here in SE Asia

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Hi Tellie, thanks for the recomendation!

It has been interesting reading this thread and others where the value of Wind Generators is debated over the ease of Solar.

After 6 weeks of almost steady Monsoonal Rains and squalls, I am taking a fresh look at whether (in my application) it is worth buying and installing a Wind Gen, to complement Solar, versus just turning on the Generator when the Solar cannot keep up? This is where a lot of people make the first mistake when considering adding a wind generator. You must first take into account the area/s you will be primarily sailing in and then check yearly wind conditions. What you are describing would be a great place for a wind generator.

I am maxed out on Solar with 4 x 327W SunPower Solar that average 36 Amps input at 24v for about six hours daily via my Outback 80
With the SW350,
Assuming an average of 15 Knots in NE Monsoon (4 months) I would see maybe 12a @ 24v At 15knts the SuperWind350 is rated in the 4amp/hr output at 24V
10 Knots in SW Monsoon (4 months) perhaps 6 amps 1 amp/hr.
In the daylight Monsoon rains I am seeing about 8 amps on my Solar array.
Now if I turn on my 10Kw generator, I can bulk up batteries with 2 Victron chargers that produce about 120amps @ 24V.

I am guessing that the Cost and hassle of installing the SW 250 WindGen would be about USD3,800?

Are my numbers fairly accurate?

With my Schooner Rig and Long Booms, it would need to be mounted on the Mast..making any maintenance not very easy

Given what you all see…Is a Wind Gen worth it for my situation?

Double check the output ratings I gave above for your charging calculations. There's a big difference. Careful when looking at power curve charts. SuperWinds wind speed to output curve charts are based on meters per second (m/s) not knts. M/S must be converted to knts. So 15knts is 7.72m/s and 10knts is 5.14 m/s. Use this to view the SuperWind curve charging chart. But remember in your situation with the conditions described you are looking at 24/7 charging time with the SW350 So you'd be looking at roughly 100amp/hrs a day at roughly 15 knts of wind.
That being said, I think you might be a bit high on the installation cost. The SW350 runs about $2,500, the $1,300 difference should easily get you a mast mounting kit, wires etc. with money to spare if you are doing the work yourself. A full mast kit and supports would be in the $1,500 range depending on where it is mounted and who does the work.
If you are considering a quality wind Generator there is no better built generator on the market than the SW350. It is far and above a better built generator than even the D-400, which is a good generator. These generators were not originally designed for the marine market but rather military applications and serious commercial applications. It was almost an after thought to bring it into the marine market. You can certainly buy a cheaper wind generator but you will in no way buy a better one. Especially if you are going to mount it in a tough to get to spot. Though I do carry Super Wind I mostly feel like the Maytag repair man with them. Last year I had a customer at (anchor) who was taking his SW350 down for the season and lost control of the 16' mast the generator was mounted on and it fell back into the water attached at the pivot base of the mast. Though not really rated as water proof, he dragged it back to the marina like this for 6 hours. It took three men to get it righted again. Though the blades were trashed bouncing off the bottom every now and then coming in, the main unit was fine. I did nothing more than hose of the main unit, threw on a set of new blades and it has been working flawlessly since. These things are installed on tsunami detectors hundreds of miles off shore for years at a time and see no maintenance until someone comes by to check on the batteries. They are thee quietest wind generators made. If I were in the market for a wind generator and the D-400 was in my price range I wouldn't even think twice spending the extra for the SW350. This goes beyond the saying of "You get what you pay for"

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Double check the output ratings I have above for your charging calculations. There's a big difference. Careful when looking at power curve charts. SuperWinds wind speed to output curve charts are based on meters per second (m/s) not knts. M/S must be converted to knts. So 15knts is 7.72m/s and 10knts is 5.14 m/s. Use this to view the SuperWind curve charging chart.
..... If I were in the market for a wind generator and the D-400 was in my price range I wouldn't even think twice spending the extra for the SW350. This goes beyond the saying of "You get what you pay for"

Thanks for the correction Tellie... My old eyes (or mind) assumed knots in the power curve


I will look at this more closely

BTW, do you have any knowledge on the 353 series they put out this year?

Totally agree to buy quality as along with it, usually comes support.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Thanks for the correction Tellie... My old eyes (or mind) assumed knots in the power curve
Attachment 174529

I will look at this more closely

BTW, do you have any knowledge on the 353 series they put out this year?

Totally agree to buy quality as along with it, usually comes support.

It's a common mistake.

The 353 is the newer version with a second set of bearings. Not really sure why they went this way because the SW350's bearing is rock solid. My guess it has to do more with their expected applications in non cruising environments. I know the North American president of SuperWind at Mission Critical, I'll call him and find out why they really went this way with the new 353.

[Tellie]

Why a SW 353 Unit? When a Superwind blade is damaged by any means on a standard turbine, the entire blade set should be removed as soon as possible to avoid damaging the turbine. If the Superwind 353 is used instead, the turbine can survive longer periods of operation with damaged blades and may be salvaged once repairs are finally possible. The superwind 353 turbine is the choice for serious mission critical roles where once installed, revisiting the site is impossible for months at a time, and/or where winds are likely to exceed the 100mph survival rating of the SW350. Nature can destroy anything – but this is the toughest Superwind built to survive most of it. The SW353 version is available in 12v , 24v (28.8v) and 48v. All 353 series turbines include a Stainless Steel Mast Bushing.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Tellie

It's a common mistake.
SEEMS TO GET MORE COMMON AS I GET OLDER [emoji4]

. .....My guess it has to do more with their expected applications in non cruising environments. I know the North American president of SuperWind at Mission Critical, I'll call him and find out why they really went this way with the new 353.

That would be great Tellie as my application is in Tropical SE Asia.

Looking at the performance curve I would be getting around 14 amps at 25 knots, which is typical NE Monsoon winds December to Feb. (Same as the Xmas winds in Caribbean).
So definitely worth having for that popular cruising period.

Now to research and find photos of Mast Installation done by others.

I have fixed steps on the Masts but those blades scare me.

Maybe I should consider mounting lower underneath the Radar?

[Bleemus]

There are some installation pics on the US Distributor site at www.starboardsun.com.

As for cost of the mast and supports they also sell the Klacko mast for $800 but my time in Southeast Asia hints that you could get it for quite a bit less locally.

[CameronEricson]

I'm planning on cruising the Pacific Northwest in November, and imagine I can't rely on solar during that month. I'm thinking a turbine would be my best for this month, but I haven't budgeted nearly $2000 for this. I have a diesel generator but would prefer to not use fuel.

Is it possible to get a wind generator to produce enough power for a 29' sailboat for under $700? Or should I just commit to deisel?

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by CameronEricson

I'm planning on cruising the Pacific Northwest in November, and imagine I can't rely on solar during that month. I'm thinking a turbine would be my best for this month, but I haven't budgeted nearly $2000 for this. I have a diesel generator but would prefer to not use fuel.

Is it possible to get a wind generator to produce enough power for a 29' sailboat for under $700? Or should I just commit to deisel?

By a couple of diesel jugs and save yourself the trouble. Any wind genny under $700 isn't going to be worth it.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Bleemus

By a couple of diesel jugs and save yourself the trouble. Any wind genny under $700 isn't going to be worth it.

I'm inclined to agree, although I haven't looked at what's on the market for many years now; not since buying my current wing gen six years ago. And yes, it cost more than $700.

I will say, I was getting rather cool on the usefulness of my wind gen, but it has really proven its worth during this season for us here in Newfoundland.

[Bleemus]

So true Mike. There are places they seem useless and then you have a rainy but windy week and all is forgiven.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=CameronEricson;
Is it possible to get a wind generator to produce enough power for a 29' sailboat for under $700? Or should I just commit to deisel?[/QUOTE]

We have been using a Sunforce 600w for 6 years with no problems and they are under $700. It's quiet enough but makes a terrible racket on the radio in high wind. It also shuts down too soon in high wind.
The 600w is big, you might want the 400w for your boat.