FAQ
Downloads & Useful Information
FAQ
Answers to your most common questions
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Is SkyWind NG the right turbine for my project?
The central question that everyone who deals with wind energy faces. Whether a location is suitable for the use of a SkyWind NG micro wind turbine depends primarily on three factors:
1. Your expectations of the project
2. A free flow of wind onto the system
3. The mean annual wind speed at your location
With our FAQ we want to explain these aspects in more detail:
1. Different projects - Different expectations
SkyWind NG micro wind turbines are used all over the world for a wide variety of purposes. Probably the 'simplest' purpose is the charging of batteries at a location without a power connection. Be it in the garden, at the holiday home, or, as depicted above, on a mountain station at 5.500m/18000ft MSL near the Mt. Everest. Even in bad locations, a SkyWind NG can often charge a typical car battery more than 100 times a year. Together with some solar panels, energy is almost always available. The alternative would mostly be expensive diesel generators with costs for hardware, fuel and maintenance. For projects like these our 12 or 24 V battery charging SkyWind NG´s are the perfect choice: Buy now!
Most customers will however require an AC wind turbine. These customers are primarily interested in generating renewable energy for their homes, especially during the cold and dark months of the year. During this time a photovoltaic generator will only generate very little to no energy at all. For the wind turbine to be installed in an existing 110 V or 230 V AC supply of the building, a sophisticated AC inverter is required. This inverter, which can also be coupled with solar-batteries like Sonnenbatterie, Tesla-Powerwall etc., is included in our AC SkyWind wind turbines: Buy Now!
2. What requirements should my location meet?
Any wind turbine must be set up appropriately so that it can take advantage of the free flowing wind. A suitable mast system will make sure that your SkyWind NG towers over trees or other obstacles. Due to the low weight and small dimensions of the SkyWind often times cheap lighting poles or power poles can be used.
Mounting at a height of 4 m on the garage would therefore usually not be a good idea. Freestanding on a high tower, or well above the rooftop, on the other hand, one can often find very suitable wind conditions.
You will receive a lot of further information and details for planning in our operating instructions, or very conveniently with our detailed information by e-mail on our "Contact"-Page.
3. Check your mean annual wind speed
Once it is clear which SkyWind NG version you need and that your location is suitable for its operation, the only thing left to do is checking the local wind conditions. The same principle applies here as when designing a photovoltaic system: An energy card is used to check the annual wind supply. While for a photovoltaic system the global solar atlas ( www.globalsolaratlas.info ) is used, the wind maps may be checked with the Global Wind Atlas ( www.globalwindatlas.info ). Both resources are free of charge, require no special software to use and work for sites anywhere around the world.
This is how it works:
1) Open the global wind atlas with your web browser and find your location on the map: Click
2) Now select the suitable hub-height of your tower, usually 10 or 50 m above ground, in the lower right corner of the map.
3) Then point the mouse to the location selected for your SkyWind NG.
4) Read the mean annual wind speed from the index in the lower right of the map once your mouse is above your site.
5) You may also click on your site to see additional information like the main wind directions on the right of your screen.
A minimum value of 3.5 to 4 m/s is recommended as a sensible lower limit. Above 4.5 m/s, a location is usually well suited for the SkyWind NG. Excellent locations start at 5.5 m/s.
Once you know the mean annual wind speed of your planned site, you can estimate the yield using the yield curve shown above. See the user manual for further details and in-depth information on this topic.
How to install my SkyWind NG?
The assembly of a SkyWind NG micro wind turbine is usually completed in less than one day. Once the components have been delivered, the local trades, mostly roofers or electricians, take over the assembly. In addition to the operating instructions, each delivery also contains a detailed description of the assembly process. Thanks to the free choice of craftsmen, no customer has to pay extra for the journey of expensive special teams. Wind power can be that simple.
An enormous advantage that has made SkyWind NG systems successful around the world is that no specially trained professionals from Germany are required for the installation. It doesn't matter whether a SkyWind NG is commissioned to the Fiji Islands, the Himalayas or the holiday home in the US: A local craftsman will install your wind turbine reliably and with regional workers. At the same time, by choosing SkyWind your project can rely on proven technology and patented robustness. Take a look in our "About SkyWind" section to see many SkyWind locations worldwide.