To be clear: for some people lucky enough to live in certain locations, a small wind turbine may be a good option. (and if you're one of those people, I'm jealous of you, I wish I had that sort of testing ground for my turbine) But for most people that won't be the case. Therefore I think it's not fair how videos like this give a lot of people false hope, or even worse, make them waste money.
A friend of mine has a 1.2kW turbine to complement their 5kW solar system. They live on a 17 acre blueberry farm/B&B/farm stay near Seymour, Victoria, Australia (originally from Melbourne, aa am I). They get phenomenal wind from the south, which often occurs when the weather is colder and there's little sunlight. They're nearly at the top of a 70m high hill, so the wind hits the side of the hill and races up, with the wind adding to the flow all the way. The installer said it's probably the best site he's ever seen... near perfect laminar flow and plenty of it. They used heavy duty blades on the turbine, the size of which normally drives a 900W alternator but went for a 1200W due to the high wind speed. They've since added another 12kW of panels but the turbine is still important during winter.
15:19 There is a street near me a couple blocks away (I live on top of a hill) that the wind speed is significantly higher and it's always going in one direction on a bend on top of the hill near a valley. I think a turbine would work well there. I notice this windy area because I am an inline skater and I skate through the neighborhood 3 or more times a week.
My mom’s family, before rural electrification, used a wind turbine and batteries to provide lighting. This was also before lightning protection was understood so it enhanced the excitement of Carolina Piedmont thunderstorms.
I think you touched the reason why commercial packaged solutions are only good in niche cases: there are too many factors to consider regarding placement, technology, local weather, difficulties with installation and planning permissions, that make home wind turbines much more challenging to justify commercially than solar, in most places.
Great video. Small wind turbines work great in nieche applications like sailboats, backup power for light houses or telecom masts or farms with really good wind resources. Putting a wind turbine in a backyard is a fun hobby project, but nothing more.
Theoretically there's more potential for wind power than solar power in many places, in practice it's too complex to make it work to budget for most people.
A good follow up video may be to replace the blades with proper wing profile blades WITH Whale Tubercles: Large wind turbines have Variable Pitch blades to keep the optimal Angle of Attack. Whale Tubercles make it so that the blade is effective (no stall) through a much wider Angle of Attack range = No VP reqd... They also ameliorate wing tip vortices. (efficiency and noise) ie: The blades will start spinning at lower wind speeds and spin faster for the same wind speed. The blades could be 3D printed in sections that fit/glue together and fit around a piece of tubing, making an 'Easy to Adjust' angle of attack manually doodat er... easy. :) Print them circumferentially rather than radially if you get my meaning, so the the 3D printed grooves/ridges work with aero rather than against it... (VERY important hint!) Or you could spray on spray filler, sand (500+ grit: skin resistance) and finish with a UV protective top coat. If you paint the blades' high pressure sides (Vanta) black and the low pressure sides (Solar Reflective; Barium Sulphate) white; you add a modicum of 'Solar Assist' to the blades and the video...
3d printing would be nice for shape, but from my experience it won't hold up, especially if it would be radially printed. Maybe if it's some exotic type of filament/print technique it could work, but the standard stuff won't last. Plus you'd need either a huge printer, or multi-part blades which wouldn't be optimal for strength. Durability is the hardest challenge for DIY wind turbines. It's out there 24/7, exposed to UV, temperature changes, moisture and violent wind speeds. I've had multiple bits and pieces end up in neighbors' yards over the years haha.
@@AKIOTV :D Thx: I'm all theory with no practical 3D print experience. There's this (small) where he strengthened things with a coat of superglue and some fancy fill pattern: th-cam.com/video/mqSlJYwFl7s/w-d-xo.html But yea; some fancy uv resistant filament that contains fibres of some sort and definitely a steel or aluminium main spar/s arrangement.
I was in a coursera lecture and almost fell asleep😅, then I searched MPPT and jumped into your videos, then I got woke up by the interesting videos🤩The wind speed changes a lot, and there are cut-in speed and cut-out speed, which makes the output even lower.
Very convincing and useful info. I just think another title will attract more viewers. I expected to see an explanation of your technical problem. Maybe something like: 'Why small wind turbines in residential areas don't live up to expectations'. A question, maybe for another video: What do you think of axial wind turbines? Even less efficient, but easier to build for amateurs, as they don't have to adapt to wind direction. Because wind flows perpendicular to the axis, they also get to process less force, meaning the less maintenance.
I missed the second half there. Vertical axis turbines are indeed easier to make, and deal better with turbulent wind that changes direction rapidly. I think the problem with these turbines is this: are you in an urban environment? Then you're probably best off with a vertical axis one. *however* you're probably *even* better off with no turbine at all, given the overall, average lack of wind. Are you in an open field? Then a horizontal axis turbine would give you better production while still not being all that much harder to make. So I suspect vertical axis turbines have very rare, specific conditions in which they could be the optimal solution: situations with both plenty of wind, but at the same time highly turbulent. Perhaps the kind of spot I mentioned at the end of the video would suit them well. Maybe I'll do a video on this some time.
A person must have a good wind resource to make a wind turbine a good financial investment. IMO, however, they are always preferential to running a gas generator. And there are other reasons for having one outside of finances.
I tend to call Matt's channel Credulous with Matt Ferrell. He brings a bunch of really interesting things to our attention, but man is he ready to believe.
I enjoyed watching you video because your explanation of the science and math involved is very palatable to the average viewer. My question is this. I am in the US and our houses are more spread out than you in Holland, how much energy would your example produce for me? This is also an observation, you gathered information from Dutch weather service where wind speed is measured in an optimal location and recorded hourly. Why didnt you gather wind speed information of your actual wind speed at your residence? Im sure that you can compare the 2 and get a realistic comparison. Dont even tell me that you dont have an anemometer.
@@MrEvolcire I don't have a permanently installed anemometer with a yearly wind speed history. If I did though, I'm not sure I'd have used that data for the video. The video was meant to illustrate the more general issue with home wind energy. I think focusing too much on my particular situation would not have got the point across very well. If anything, the average wind speed in my back yard is probably lower than in the theoretical calculation. My wind turbine is also not aerodynamically optimal. My turbine is also positioned very low to the ground due to a neighbor complaining. Basically, my setup is very suboptimal in many ways, but I wanted to give home wind turbines the fairest possible chance in this video, so I felt like my turbine was not a good example to use, at least for the main argument being made. As for living in the US, I can only guess what your back yard looks like. If it's a big open field it might work. The only way to know for sure is setting up an anemometer and measuring for a while. Alternatively, you can use the approach I used in the video, find the closest local weather station, get their measurements, and apply some level of correction depending on the conditions they measure in vs your own yard. This may not be hugely accurate, but it should be enough to see if a turbine is feasible.
well I didn't know you're living in the Netherlands like me. I have a project with a small windturbine and I can show you the results if you want to. Place where I live is Zijldijk in the province of Groningen
What if in practical life we see that an area where the most wind passes or rushes by the house, I personally have seen that wind rushes to some extant according to the design of house as well as the locality. we could go for wind turbine which can be used to generate electricity from 4-6 miles per hour. idk how but I think that's the key for commercial or residential wind turbine.
I agree, Matt Ferrell has little credibility. He barely understands the technical details of products he shows in his video. He should really learn more physics so he can explain how new products actually overcame previous problems/limitations. I unsubscribed from him long ago.
To be clear: for some people lucky enough to live in certain locations, a small wind turbine may be a good option. (and if you're one of those people, I'm jealous of you, I wish I had that sort of testing ground for my turbine) But for most people that won't be the case. Therefore I think it's not fair how videos like this give a lot of people false hope, or even worse, make them waste money.
I agree
A friend of mine has a 1.2kW turbine to complement their 5kW solar system. They live on a 17 acre blueberry farm/B&B/farm stay near Seymour, Victoria, Australia (originally from Melbourne, aa am I).
They get phenomenal wind from the south, which often occurs when the weather is colder and there's little sunlight. They're nearly at the top of a 70m high hill, so the wind hits the side of the hill and races up, with the wind adding to the flow all the way. The installer said it's probably the best site he's ever seen... near perfect laminar flow and plenty of it. They used heavy duty blades on the turbine, the size of which normally drives a 900W alternator but went for a 1200W due to the high wind speed.
They've since added another 12kW of panels but the turbine is still important during winter.
15:19 There is a street near me a couple blocks away (I live on top of a hill) that the wind speed is significantly higher and it's always going in one direction on a bend on top of the hill near a valley. I think a turbine would work well there. I notice this windy area because I am an inline skater and I skate through the neighborhood 3 or more times a week.
Perhaps whoever lives there should measure/monitor the wind speed in that location for a while to find out if a turbine would be a good idea :)
My mom’s family, before rural electrification, used a wind turbine and batteries to provide lighting. This was also before lightning protection was understood so it enhanced the excitement of Carolina Piedmont thunderstorms.
I think you touched the reason why commercial packaged solutions are only good in niche cases: there are too many factors to consider regarding placement, technology, local weather, difficulties with installation and planning permissions, that make home wind turbines much more challenging to justify commercially than solar, in most places.
@@christinemurray1444 exactly
Great video. Small wind turbines work great in nieche applications like sailboats, backup power for light houses or telecom masts or farms with really good wind resources. Putting a wind turbine in a backyard is a fun hobby project, but nothing more.
Theoretically there's more potential for wind power than solar power in many places, in practice it's too complex to make it work to budget for most people.
Undecided is a great channel, but definitely optimistic.
Thanks for shattering my dreams of wind power for the winter months! 😂 Really fascinating
sorry haha. Still, build one anyway its fun.
Very informative! Thanks for your work and dedication!
Very informative! Thank you for posting!
A good follow up video may be to replace the blades with proper wing profile blades WITH Whale Tubercles:
Large wind turbines have Variable Pitch blades to keep the optimal Angle of Attack.
Whale Tubercles make it so that the blade is effective (no stall) through a much wider Angle of Attack range = No VP reqd...
They also ameliorate wing tip vortices. (efficiency and noise)
ie:
The blades will start spinning at lower wind speeds and spin faster for the same wind speed.
The blades could be 3D printed in sections that fit/glue together and fit around a piece of tubing, making an 'Easy to Adjust' angle of attack manually doodat er... easy. :)
Print them circumferentially rather than radially if you get my meaning, so the the 3D printed grooves/ridges work with aero rather than against it... (VERY important hint!)
Or you could spray on spray filler, sand (500+ grit: skin resistance) and finish with a UV protective top coat.
If you paint the blades' high pressure sides (Vanta) black and the low pressure sides (Solar Reflective; Barium Sulphate) white; you add a modicum of 'Solar Assist' to the blades and the video...
3d printing would be nice for shape, but from my experience it won't hold up, especially if it would be radially printed. Maybe if it's some exotic type of filament/print technique it could work, but the standard stuff won't last. Plus you'd need either a huge printer, or multi-part blades which wouldn't be optimal for strength. Durability is the hardest challenge for DIY wind turbines. It's out there 24/7, exposed to UV, temperature changes, moisture and violent wind speeds. I've had multiple bits and pieces end up in neighbors' yards over the years haha.
@@AKIOTV :D Thx: I'm all theory with no practical 3D print experience.
There's this (small) where he strengthened things with a coat of superglue and some fancy fill pattern:
th-cam.com/video/mqSlJYwFl7s/w-d-xo.html
But yea; some fancy uv resistant filament that contains fibres of some sort and definitely a steel or aluminium main spar/s arrangement.
I was in a coursera lecture and almost fell asleep😅, then I searched MPPT and jumped into your videos, then I got woke up by the interesting videos🤩The wind speed changes a lot, and there are cut-in speed and cut-out speed, which makes the output even lower.
Very convincing and useful info. I just think another title will attract more viewers. I expected to see an explanation of your technical problem. Maybe something like: 'Why small wind turbines in residential areas don't live up to expectations'. A question, maybe for another video: What do you think of axial wind turbines? Even less efficient, but easier to build for amateurs, as they don't have to adapt to wind direction. Because wind flows perpendicular to the axis, they also get to process less force, meaning the less maintenance.
good tip 👍
I missed the second half there. Vertical axis turbines are indeed easier to make, and deal better with turbulent wind that changes direction rapidly.
I think the problem with these turbines is this: are you in an urban environment? Then you're probably best off with a vertical axis one. *however* you're probably *even* better off with no turbine at all, given the overall, average lack of wind. Are you in an open field? Then a horizontal axis turbine would give you better production while still not being all that much harder to make.
So I suspect vertical axis turbines have very rare, specific conditions in which they could be the optimal solution: situations with both plenty of wind, but at the same time highly turbulent. Perhaps the kind of spot I mentioned at the end of the video would suit them well. Maybe I'll do a video on this some time.
Very good video; Thanks. May be it could be more .. uh .. visual?
Undecided with Matt Ferrell is my go to channel to learn about scams and fake tech. Never fails.
@@teresashinkansen9402 haha
Interesting good to know, you did a great job, & i appreciate the fact you are sharing your time & know how.👏🏼😏💯
Joke's on you, we'll just have everyone live in a wind turbine.
haha
A person must have a good wind resource to make a wind turbine a good financial investment. IMO, however, they are always preferential to running a gas generator.
And there are other reasons for having one outside of finances.
I tend to call Matt's channel Credulous with Matt Ferrell. He brings a bunch of really interesting things to our attention, but man is he ready to believe.
I enjoyed watching you video because your explanation of the science and math involved is very palatable to the average viewer. My question is this. I am in the US and our houses are more spread out than you in Holland, how much energy would your example produce for me? This is also an observation, you gathered information from Dutch weather service where wind speed is measured in an optimal location and recorded hourly. Why didnt you gather wind speed information of your actual wind speed at your residence? Im sure that you can compare the 2 and get a realistic comparison. Dont even tell me that you dont have an anemometer.
@@MrEvolcire I don't have a permanently installed anemometer with a yearly wind speed history.
If I did though, I'm not sure I'd have used that data for the video. The video was meant to illustrate the more general issue with home wind energy. I think focusing too much on my particular situation would not have got the point across very well.
If anything, the average wind speed in my back yard is probably lower than in the theoretical calculation. My wind turbine is also not aerodynamically optimal. My turbine is also positioned very low to the ground due to a neighbor complaining. Basically, my setup is very suboptimal in many ways, but I wanted to give home wind turbines the fairest possible chance in this video, so I felt like my turbine was not a good example to use, at least for the main argument being made.
As for living in the US, I can only guess what your back yard looks like. If it's a big open field it might work.
The only way to know for sure is setting up an anemometer and measuring for a while. Alternatively, you can use the approach I used in the video, find the closest local weather station, get their measurements, and apply some level of correction depending on the conditions they measure in vs your own yard. This may not be hugely accurate, but it should be enough to see if a turbine is feasible.
Enjoyed the video!
well I didn't know you're living in the Netherlands like me. I have a project with a small windturbine and I can show you the results if you want to. Place where I live is Zijldijk in the province of Groningen
cool, does it work well?
yesterday it was 0.81kWh@@AKIOTV
That's doing pretty well then. I suspect you have it in a nice and windy spot.
What if in practical life we see that an area where the most wind passes or rushes by the house, I personally have seen that wind rushes to some extant according to the design of house as well as the locality. we could go for wind turbine which can be used to generate electricity from 4-6 miles per hour. idk how but I think that's the key for commercial or residential wind turbine.
That's less than half of what my 165Wp small solar panel in front of my window generates. And that thing was less than 200€.
exactly
a game changer is to use the building to concentrate the wind and then it into a turbine. Then you get a much larger area to capture wind energy with.
US Patent #11,939,963
Frictionless Spinning Energy Device
Issue date 03/26/2024
Weasel words. Define "most people".
1 m2 area is not actual area and will surly give bad results dear, thanks for your effort.
Matt Ferrell is a techno-optimist working toward being a paid corporate $hill.
Hopefully he gets a cut of the investment scams he promotes.
I agree, Matt Ferrell has little credibility. He barely understands the technical details of products he shows in his video. He should really learn more physics so he can explain how new products actually overcame previous problems/limitations. I unsubscribed from him long ago.