WIND GENERATOR INVERTER

Wind turbines are a great way of utilizing natural and renewable energy and decreasing the cost of your electricity. Unfortunately, wind turbines depend on steady wind flow to provide the power leaving you in the dark when the wind is not blowing or again, paying for electricity. With the use of a wind generator inverter, dependence on constant wind flow is not necessary.

A small wind turbine that is under 5 kilowatts generally uses a battery bank to store the extra energy that is created with a wind turbine.

A series of batteries are charged and that energy is stored in the batteries. Batteries use a direct current or DC power while a home or business uses alternating current or AC power. 

A wind generator inverter converts the DC power from the battery bank into AC power to be distributed to the home or business it is hooked up to.

When the wind turbine is not generating power because the wind is not blowing the batteries take over to supply energy to the equipment, business or home that is hooked up to the system. 

Larger wind turbines that are over 5 kilowatts create alternating current energy and therefore cannot be stored in the battery bank directly. The wind generator inverter will then convert the AC power generated from the wind turbine into DC power for storage purposes in the battery bank. The wind generator inverter will convert the energy stored in the battery bank back into AC power again when the wind flow is low and the demands of the home or business requires it.

A hybrid wind turbine system works very similarly to the wind turbine systems above; however, solar powered or diesel powered generators will supplement the wind power when the wind flow is low. The inverters for they hybrid systems are different and it is recommended to have professional assistance before using and or installing the system.

Safety devices for the battery bank are needed; devices such as over charge cut-out, over current as well as voltage regulators and other solid state controls. The battery bank should also be located in a well ventilated cool location that is not a part of any living area.

Corrosive fumes can be released from the batteries and there is some risk of explosion; therefore, the location of the bank should be in an area that is specially prepared for the risks. Additionally, the batteries used for the battery bank are not the same as automotive batteries which are shallow cycle types.

Some wind turbine systems are hooked up to a public grid and do not need the battery bank. A wind generated inverter is required to generate electricity that is compatible with the grid as well as the cabling and controls.

When the wind is not flowing enough to provide adequate power the demand is drawn from the power grid. A kwh meter is used to sell excess energy to the utility company as well as to purchase the power for low wind use.