Solar Wind Hybrid System: Ultimate Off-Grid System? (Wind Turbines for Homes)

Solar panels can suffer from reduced energy outputs when the sun is not shining, and wind turbines (depending on size) aren’t always a full time solution either.

Combined, a solar wind hybrid system may just be the perfect way to remove your home from fossil-fuel powered grid electricity, and simultaneously, reduce your carbon footprint significantly.

This guide explains how wind turbines for home use can supplement solar power energy in a hybrid system.

Wind Turbines for Homes (Residential Windmill and Windmill Generator Options)

A home wind turbine system is not the first sustainable energy source many homeowners immediately consider when contemplating cutting the cable to the local energy grid.

This could be because installing a wind turbine system alone is not normally capable of supplying all the energy requirements of an average home, although it can help to reduce energy bills.

These turbines work by producing electricity when the prevailing winds spin the blades, creating enough force to turn a motor connected to a generator that produces electricity.

An inverter then converts that direct current electricity into alternating current for home use. Unfortunately, a wind turbine alone has a few failings that cannot be overcome:

• If the wind doesn’t reach a certain speed level, there is a function called a ‘cut-in’ feature where the blades will not turn until that level is reached.
• Turbines have another feature called a ‘rated wind speed’, meaning until this speed level is maintained even after the blades have begun to rotate, which can be anywhere between 15 to 50 mph, no electricity will be generated.
• Unless a vertical wind turbine is installed, the direction of the wind will affect the amount of energy generated.¹
• Any tall buildings or mountain ranges can hamper the full force of the wind speed in your area. Even tall trees or other buildings can reduce the effectiveness.
• To work as effectively as possible, the blades of the turbine should be at least 3 times taller than the nearest structure, and sometimes up to 500 feet away.

These requirements can sometimes violate HOA rules so they would need to be verified before installation.

Due to these shortfalls, and the problems associated with solar panels when the sun doesn’t want to shine, solar wind hybrid systems are rapidly gaining in popularity.

Solar Wind Hybrid System Diagram

A combination of solar and wind power complements each other perfectly. During the summer months, wind speeds are either generally intermittent or very low.

Whereas during the wintry days, those same winds gust stronger and more frequently. The reverse is true with sunlight.

The compromise of a dual solar wind hybrid system delivers clean energy that is attracting residential homeowners in their droves because of these many advantages:

• By being able to generate a continuous electricity supply, it is possible to completely disconnect from the state energy supply and go off-grid with confidence.
• A single battery storage system can be used for both power sources rather than purchasing a separate one to reduce start-up costs.
• Buying a solar system and a wind turbine separately can be expensive. Combining the two reduces the purchasing price considerably.
• A solar wind hybrid system is environmentally friendly.

Wind Solar Hybrid Off-Grid System Design and Cost

Among the considerations for a solar wind hybrid system is both design and cost.

These factors are influenced by your unique situation.

The wind solar hybrid system price can vary from $7,000 to $12,000 after government, state, and utility company incentives, and depending on your power output requirements will determine which off-grid solar and wind power kits would be better for your home.²

Solar Wind Hybrid System	Features	Price Range
2kw wind solar hybrid system	Blade material: Fiberglass Rotor diameter: 220 cm Cut in speed: 3m/s Rated wind speed: 12.5m/s Spinning speed: 650r/m Rated wind capacity: 1 kWh Solar panels capacity: 1 kWh Battery storage: 12V/200AH Daily power ability: 4.8-9 kWh	$11,216.32
5kw wind solar hybrid system	Blade material: Fiberglass Rotor diameter: 380 cm Cut in speed: 3m/s Rated wind speed: 10m/s Spinning speed: 300r/m Rated wind capacity: 3 kWh Solar panels capacity: 2 kWh Battery storage: 12V/200AH Daily power ability: 18-20 kWh	$14,013.47
10kw wind solar hybrid system	Blade material: Fiberglass Rotor diameter: 515 cm Cut in speed: 4m/s Rated wind speed: 13m/s Spinning speed: 260r/m Rated wind capacity: 5 kWh Solar panels capacity: 5 kWh Battery storage: 12V/200AH Daily power ability: 40-45 kWh	$19,616.81

The size of the hybrid system and the wind solar hybrid system price will ultimately depend on household electricity consumption.

It is always prudent to purchase a system that has a power output rating higher than the usage in your property, to have just that little bit more juice so the lights don’t go out unexpectedly.

Hybrid Solar Wind Systems Market (Solar Wind Hybrid System)

Concern about do solar panels work on cloudy days deters many consumers from installing just a solar system. And there are equal concerns about wind turbine systems if the force of the wind is insufficient, or simply just isn’t there.

With hybrid solar wind systems the consistent power generation is maximized, with the sun shining during the day and the wind blowing at night.

This advantage is highlighted even further with the change of seasons, and the industry is expanding its reach to cover residential, commercial, and industrial premises alike. Styles, specifications, power output ranges, and prices vary across brands and manufacturers, so always scrutinize and verify your energy requirements to ensure the correct system is purchased.

Government subsidies and state programs are supporting manufacturers in educating consumers about the benefits of a solar wind hybrid system, explaining the difference between either still remaining on-grid after installation, or having a stand-alone system that will disconnect them completely from the grid.³

It is this sector that is the fastest growing, not only in the United States but globally, with businesses and homeowners demanding a clean and renewable energy source that will consistently supply electricity around the clock.

Solar Powered Windmills

The integration of photovoltaic solar panels directly onto wind turbines is an innovative technology that is quickly gaining traction, combining the two abundant and inexhaustible renewable energy sources into one structure.

Installed into the tower itself, the solar panels are integrated into the internal workings of the turbine to supply power to the control systems. If the rotor blades do not turn for a week or become idle for long lengths of time, the inner workings will require some maintenance before they can be operable again.

Normally, this task is undertaken with the wind turbines being connected directly to the local energy grid to avoid this problem. This connection creates an unexpected carbon footprint of wind turbine construction and operations that is unwanted, especially within an energy generator that is supposed to be 100% clean and green.

These solar panels are only about 1mm thick and not as efficient as traditional silicon panels, but as prototypes, they are revealing the potential of utilizing this fully integrated system.

If this technology can be perfected, the advantage of this solar wind hybrid system is a substantial increase in energy production. Under the right windy conditions, a wind turbine will outshine a solar panel any time of the day.

How many solar panels equal a wind turbine? In ideal conditions with no large windbreaks impeding the force of the wind towards an industrial-size turbine, it would take 48,704 solar panels to equal the same kWh of electricity generated by one wind turbine working at its maximum potential.

For a small 5kWh wind turbine it would take 24 solar panels to be equal in the power stakes.

Solar Wind Hybrid Systems in Remote Areas

It is hard to imagine in this day and age that people do not have direct access to electricity from a national grid. In India alone, there are over 200 million people living under these conditions, and the electrical infrastructure that is commonplace in larger cities is non-existent in their villages.

More than 30 countries in Africa are in a similar condition with an unreliable electrical grid prone to regular power shortages for hours on end. Over 4 in 5 people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity, and this chronic shortfall is only worsening over time.

What’s incredible is that these countries have an abundant source of sunshine and wind, but not the capital to take advantage of this hybrid opportunity.

It is possible that with outside investment from other governments or businesses into new solar wind hybrid systems, these remote, rural areas could have a reliable supply of electricity.⁴

Large installations would be cost-prohibitive and not feasible at first, but with the implementation of smaller apparatus, an entire network could be rolled out as more funds became available.

What most of the world takes for granted, can be attainable to these forgotten zones that have been left off the electrical map. With the construction of small to medium size solar wind hybrid systems, hundreds of millions of lives could be changed quickly and for generations to come.

Industry leaders are keen to attain government sponsorships and subsidies to break into these lucrative markets, more than aware that the financial potential in India and Africa alone is enormous. Their aim may be financial rather than benevolent, but their investment would reflect positively on so many underprivileged people who have never had the luxury of having electricity in their homes.

Just that simple investment in a remote village would enable a child to be able to study at night, a mother to be able to cook for her family, and would create employment for the local population.

Why Are Solar Panels Expensive?

Researching how to make a solar panel quickly reveals that the entire process from silicon to solar panels is a lengthy one. So, why are solar panels so expensive? The cost can be broken down into many segments, from procurement, and manufacturing, to installation.⁵

And it all starts with silicon.

• Silicon is found in nature combined with sandstone or granite and is known as silica in this raw state. It has to be extracted and manufactured by heating the substance in huge foundries in a reduction process to remove any traces of oxygen.
• It then undergoes distillation to remove further impurities to form pure silicon ingots. These ingots are then finely sliced to be the prime component in solar cells.
• Individual parts are transported from all over the world to be assembled in local factories.
• Once the cells have been formed into a matrix, electrical cabling, and wiring is attached to link all the cells so that installers will know exactly how to wire solar panels on site. Lamination and framing is the last manufacturing process for further protection against the elements, and for further transportation and storage.
• Cost of an inverter
• Battery storage system pricing
• Installation costs
• Marketing expenses
• State inspection charges
• The profit margin for the company

The hardware portion of solar panel production accounts for about 45% of the costs, with the additional 55% accruing from what is called soft costs.

Since 2010, the costs of solar panels have become more affordable with prices falling from $45,000 for an average-sized house to about $15,000 to $20,000 before any federal subsidies or state incentives have been deducted.

Building a wind solar hybrid system can be an excellent way for many people to completely remove their homes from the power grid, reducing emissions, one residential windmill at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Wind Hybrid System