The second most popular renewable energy choice – a distant second after solar (PV) panels – is wind turbines. As you might expect, the primary consideration for anyone considering a turbine to generate electricity is wind – how much there is, what kind it is and how often it's present.
The output of smaller turbines is 12V, 24V or 48V direct current, with larger units outputting alternating current in 3-phase supply through a remote controller box. To get power from the tower there must be a connecting terminal to the turbine of "flying leads." This is a direct current system with two wires: positive and negative. It outputs 3-phase alternating current with three wires but no polarity or connection issues.
The power curve describes a unit's behavior with different wind speeds. Some important points revealed by the curve are:
There are more and more wind turbines filling the rural skyline today. Urban turbines or "urbines" face limitations that rural installations do not.
There are many possible foundations for a free-standing tower. The exact setup is affected by multiple factors such as tower weight and height, soil type and wind load.
Check with your turbine manufacturer for the right foundation for your soil condition.
When you have all the pre-screening details worked out, you can determine the wind turbine's location by its lot size, tower construction and cabling distance to the primary building. The ideal location is where you get the strongest winds for your budget. Higher wind speed and laminar flow are best over unobstructed land, rather than near tall woods or forests. These raise the "working" ground level relative to the height of the trees which in turn lowers the relative tower height.
Hydro-electric Power Stations
One of the more widely used renewable energy sources used today is hydro-electricity. The hydro-electric power plant gives off very little emissions and no direct waste. Hydropower currently generates 20 percent of electricity globally, accounting for almost 88 percent of the electricity that comes from renewable sources.
