Does anyone have experience with resendital wind generators ?( or Diy solar panels)?

Question

Especially something not to noisy and prefferably smallish and mounts on your roof. I am 2stories up.

Answer 1

As so often, it depends what you want to do with it...
It all has to do with efficiency or conversion loss (depends whether you are an optimist or pessimist).
And your location also plays an important role.
Wind turbines are only useful if they are mounted approx. 30 - 50 feet above ground, and there are not many trees and buildings around. And to make it wothwhile, they have to be somewhat bigger than what typical DYI stores sell. This gets you into another problem: In some residential areas, you may actually need a planning permission for it!
If you only want to get "cheap" hot water, then go for heat panels on your roof. Cold water is pumped up, heats up, and is forced back down into a tank with a heat exchanger. The electricity bill for the pump is lower than for the heating element in a conventional water heater.
If you use electric solar panels, use the following rough formula: For every 5 Watt of power, you need about one square foot of panel (at today's technology). You see, even if you'd cover your entire roof with that stuff, you won't get enough power to run your entire residence. And try to avoid using things like an inverter (not "inventor", ha-ha), because it reduces your efficiency, and often doesn't give a pure sinewave as output, thus screwing-up some of your electronics in the house. Start with running a few lights on 12 Volt DC instead of 110 or 220 Volt AC, or small fridges meant for RVs, and things like that.
In any case, expect your initial investment cost only to amortised after 10 - 15 years! But you feel good......

Answer 2

solar panel by itself is not cheap.the initial investment for a solar energy is not cheap.You need the following.Solar panel,Battery banks,charger 12volts or 24 volts system,depending on your configuration.a invent er for conversion from battery12v or 24 v(DC) to 110volts AC or 220 volts AC depending on your domestic voltages ,changerover switch from domestic to solar power

Answer 3

I'd go with the solar panels provided you have enough sun. But there is a Swedish company (name is slipping...) who makes wondeful wind generators, that may help on your search.

Answer 4

Homemade Solar Power Videos : http://Solar.eudko.com/?zjL

Answer 5

Have you already tried out Earth 4 Energy DIY process? Start on this page : http://www.createhomesolar.com . It might surely benefit anyone!