How to Store Wind Energy
Wind energy is a clean and renewable source of electricity, but it is not constantly available at a steady rate. The wind blows as fast as it wants when it wants, rather than according to our energy needs. This means that to be practical, wind energy must be stored. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Wind electricity system
- Battery (may need more than one)
- Charge controller
- Power conditioning equipment
- Safety equipment
- Meters and instrumentation
Instructions
-
Energy Storage
-
1
Choose a wind electric system that exceeds your current or estimated power use. Know how much electricity you can generate and how much you can store. Unless you can live without electricity for significant amounts of time, your battery needs to store far more power than you normally use.
-
2
Make sure you have a "deep cycle" battery. These are usually made of a lead-acid, similar to automotive batteries, but automotive batteries are not "deep cycle." The battery must be "deep cycle" to stand up to repeated charges and discharges greater than 80 percent.
Your battery should be placed somewhere safe from extreme temperatures and easily accessible for maintenance. But keep it away from living spaces and electronics, because it contains dangerous chemicals and emits high levels of hydrogen and oxygen.
-
-
3
Find a charge controller to regulate the flow of energy from your wind generator to your battery. Many charge controllers offer power load protection, which will greatly extend the life of your battery. Cost and features vary.
-
4
Choose power conditioning equipment. This includes an inverter to change DC (direct current) power to the AC (alternating current) power, which you need for household electricity. Power conditioning equipment also controls the voltage and frequency of your electrical current.
-
5
Use a metering system to determine your energy usage and voltage. Your metering system should also keep track of your battery charge level. If you are connected to the grid, your power company may require you to have separate meter. Some electrical companies allow net metering, which means the meter you already have will record your energy use and run backward when you send energy back to the grid.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Your best option may not be to store your wind energy. If you have a grid-connected system, you may be better off sending any additional energy you generate back to the electric company for credit toward your minimum monthly bill and any times you use public electricity. Because wind energy is usually somewhat seasonal, most people living off-grid use solar panels as well as wind turbines.
Be aware of what safety equipment you need to protect your system, such as surge protectors, grounding equipment and safety disconnects. If losing electrical power would be dangerous (such as if you live in a remote area with brutal winters), you should always have a backup fossil fuel-powered generator.
