PV vs WIND

[michiel]

Hi,

Have other Forum users experianced the same?

Having just logged my data for Feb., and the following shows for my 11kW windturbine and 3.8kW PV:

Turbine
Jan.     1260kWh     =     114.55Wh/Wp
Feb.      636kWh     =     57.82Wh/Wp

PV
Jan.       91kWh     =     23.95Wh/Wp
Feb.     194kWh     =     51.05Wh/Wp

This shows very disappointing 'wind production' for the time of the year, and, for Feb. excellent 'PV production'.

The produced kWh per installed kW for PV was only slightly less then that for wind!!
This time of the year, you would expect a massive difference!

Is this also something influenced by 'global warming'

Michiel

[billi]

Michiel  it was a extraordinary winter here (ireland ) for Pv

I do not expect that for the next 5 or 10  winters again ...., but wouldnot mind  
I do miss my windturbine (came down last spring) .
So decided to get more PV  to cover my electricity needs for nearly all year round
I still have another windturbine in the shed   , and hope that will help with  our heating needs .

But that is our personal situation

In general for houseowners  PV will win big time , simply because "How many people have the site for wind"  and life expectancy of PV is higher, maintenance costs lower...

But on an National/European  basis , definitely wind has a lot of power

Billi

[dhaslam]

The  big difference with wind is the way it can be scaled up.  A 10KW  wind turbine  might cost £30k but on a commercial scale one with one hundred times the  output would be thirty three times more expensive  or a ratio  of 3:1 output per £.     Also of course the bigger ones are less affected  by wind disturbance.           

PV still has a good way to go technically  but within a few years  it should be viable without any grants  or FITs.     

I wonder if the present clearer skies can extend into the summer this year.  Solar  water heating just 4C off dump temperature already today.   

[michiel]

It's 16:30 now, and 20.45kWh on the PV for today and 0kWh on wind.
The trackers are working a treat!

[Eleanor]

Michiel, I suggest that you get rid of your Gaia wind turbine to the first person (me) to offer you £5 for it as it is clearly useless! 

[michiel]

I'll sleep on that one!

[Eleanor]

Oh well, it was worth a try  It has been unusual here in weather terms as the summer months were much windier than the winter ones. The answer seems to be PV & Wind so I guess you do well most of the time 

[knighty]

michael

could you go one step further and do

kwh/cost for each

and wh/wp/cost ?

[Ivan]

Location is critically important for wind. It's not as critical for solar PV....at least, you can usually find an adequate location for a few kW in most locations.