Selection of an alternative energy source

Many believe that cheaper heating the house is only possible on the main gas. But what if it is not, and engagement is not planned?

Today, when energy prices are soaring up and the cost of connection to the pipe "Blue fuel" unreasonably high, an increasing number of homeowners paying their attention to alternative energy sources.

Relying on expert knowledge and experience of participants FORUMHOUSE we will tell you how to use wind, the sun and the earth's heat can be lit and warm vacation home.

wind Catcher

It can be called a wind generator. People have long been using wind power as an energy source.

Having come a long way, familiar to all the windmills in our time become a modern wind turbines are capable of generating electricity.

So on what basis the wind generator operates?

It's pretty simple. Wind flow turns the propeller blades, thereby causing the shaft to rotate an electric generator.

The generator, in turn, generates an electrical current.

It should be remembered that the voltage generator produces unstable with varying frequency. In case of lack of wind in the set of the wind power system includes a battery pack, which comes and electricity generated by the generator.

Among the individual homeowners the most widely used wind turbines up to 10 kW. As for design, the known three main types of wind turbines:

• Malolopastnye. Often have three blades. Characterized by high efficiency and simplicity of design. Among the shortcomings should be noted that because of the small area of ​​the blades, the initial starting of the engine requires a wind speed not less than 5.5 m / s. Users also noted the high level of noise.
• Multiblade. At wind wheel mounted from 18 to 24 curved blades. Start working at a wind speed of 2-4 m / s. Low noise level, but lower efficiency than malolopastnye wind turbines. Of note drawbacks and design complexity arises when the gyroscopic effect.
• Rotary wind turbines - are vertically disposed blades which do not move in a straight line and a circle. From advantages, it should be noted easy start-up, stable operation under constant wind, low noise. A significant drawback of such a construction of wind turbine low efficiency, not more than 18%.

So how do you make use of the wind power plant in our environment?

Interesting personal experience Alexander Kapustin (Forum name Experienced 1406)

- Placing a wind generator should be on the site where there is as little disturbance as possible to the wind. Wind energy - is a cubic function of wind speed. This means that small changes in wind speed causes significant changes of output power. For safety reasons, it is desirable to put the wind turbine further away from residential buildings. As for the height of the mast - set as high as possible.

In the conditions of Moscow can be recommended mast height of not less than 15 meters. And when calculating the alternative energy system at home, you first need to find out how much energy is required from the system. For this will determine the peak instantaneous power, and to calculate two values ​​of the expected daily energy consumption - its maximum and average values.

It should be remembered that in our climatic conditions, wind turbines can operate for about 20-30% of the days in full operation in the year, so the wind turbine should be considered as a backup electric power generation system for household food appliances.

sun catchers

How can we use solar energy? The first thing that comes to mind - a solar cell.

Nowadays no one is surprised solar cells placed on the roof of the cottage.

But we are in our material goes not about them, but about the device's ability to convert solar energy into heat suitable for heating or hot water at home.

solar collectors

So what exactly is a solar collector? Seek clarification from the Deputy Technical Director "Akvabur"Eugene Kasatkin.

- The basis of the solar system or, more simply, the solar collector the principle of generating heat from solar radiation and the subsequent transfer of the stored energy in the DHW or heating system.

There are two types of solar collectors:

• Solar collector. Removal capacity in this system produced via vacuum tubes. The vacuum tube - a flask with double glass with air pumped out of it. On the inside of the bulb is coated with a reflective material, which in this case admits solar radiation, but does not let out. And in the inner parts of the system are the rod tubes, which lie coolant. Vacuum layer makes it possible to retain about 95% of captured heat.
• Flat plate collectors. Removal capacity in this system is based on the absorption of solar radiation absorbing plate, whereupon the energy accumulated in the form of heat is transferred to liquid medium. The reverse side of the solar collector is covered with thermal insulation.

So which system to choose, taking into account the work in our environment?

According to the head of the direction of the Department of Development "Viessmann"Michael Murashko:

– In cloudy weather, smog, and the scattered radiation is most effective rabotayuttrubchatye vacuum collectors. A flat solar collectors, more optimal for use in areas of high solar insolation.

Eugene Kasatkin:

- in winter in the northern parts of the solar collector can be used as additional system connected to the heating system or hot water. But the best results we get in the summer, when the system is at its correct installation and mounting, can fully satisfy your need for hot water without the use of indirect heating systems water.

Installation of solar collectors will allow you to get almost free heat. If the system needs a forced circulation of coolant, the only electricity required to operate the pump. And on a sunny day, solar system can heat the water to 50-70 C.

heat pumps

As the law of conservation of energy: "Energy can not come out of nothing and can not just disappear, it can only move from one form to another."

The earth, the air and the water contains large amounts of low-grade thermal energy which can be used to heat your home. It remains only to collect the scattered thermal energy and "run" it in the home heating system. For this purpose a special device - a heat pump.

But what is this device?

Explains the director of the company «SagaTherm» Alexander Sagalovich:

- Heat pump - a refrigerator. Under normal conditions, thermal energy is transferred from a more heated to a less heated body. The heat pump can withdraw heat energy from a less heated body and transmit it over heated by heating it further.

The heat pump is able to select the thermal energy from these sources - air, water and land. In our conditions, the most expedient to build a system of heat pumps, based on the selection of the heat of the earth and water.

To pump 4 kW of heat energy, we need about 1 kW of power. But electricity also will not disappear just like that, it will turn into heat energy, as compressor during operation is also heated. Total - at a cost of 1 kW of electricity, we have 5 kW of heat.

But what gives us the benefit of installing a heat pump?

Eugene Kasatkin:

–The benefits of using heat pumps is best demonstrated in the following table.

So now we know how the heat pump, but what are the types of systems?

Design choice will depend on your portion of free space or reservoir.

Namely:

• Vertical system. It applies if the area has no place to lay the pipe loop or no freezing winter ponds. For mounting the heat pump are drilled from 3 to 5 wells, depth of 50 to 150 meters.
• The horizontal system. It is believed less expensive than vertical system, since eliminating the need for drilling expensive wells. The contour of the pipes laid at a shallow depth, normally about 1.5 meters, but it requires a fairly decent area of ​​the plot.
• Water system. If near the site, no more than 100 meters, there is an ice-free in winter pond, the laying of pipes in the circuit it will be the most sensible choice.

Features of operation of heat pumps

As with any engineering system, heating and hot water at the base of the heat pump requires a thoughtful approach.

Alexander Sagalovich:

- vertical and horizontal heat exchanger arrangement precoat systems are equally effective. Horizontal heat exchanger takes up space, but much cheaper than the vertical.

Drilling wells will cost more, but you can save some space in the area.

For many it is the only solution, because site does not allow to place a horizontal heat exchanger.

When constructing horizontal precoat exchanger will need approximately 5 acres of land for every 10 kW of power. When completed, the land can be used without restrictions, the only thing it will not be able to build capital structures. One way to use heat pumps as the heating circuit can be installation of the system water floor heating.

Inverter - as part of alternative energy supply systems

As mentioned above, worked out a source of alternative energy electricity stored in batteries. But what to do with this energy, because the batteries give out a direct current that is unsuitable for connecting household appliances? Comes to the aid of the current inverter - the inverter. With this device converts direct current into alternating.

On peculiarities of the use of inverters to create a stand-alone systems and uninterruptible power supplies, says the chief engineer of the company "Sibcontact"Sergei Leskov:

- Inverters incorporated in various systems for the production of alternative energy comprising battery, thereby providing electricity to the house with a voltage of 220V and a frequency of 50 Hz. Inverters with sinusoidal output voltage are a mandatory part of the installation autonomous power as any, even the most sensitive equipment can be connected to them.

When creating an autonomous system and an uninterruptible power supply inverter, have a number of advantages compared with diesel and gasoline generator:

• Work offline and do not require the presence of a person;
• At idle, it consumes minimum power;
• Do not require special ventilation facilities;
• Does not require insulation of the room.

Thus, the selection of an efficient alternative energy source for the country house - is a comprehensive approach to address the many problems that require knowledge and experience.

Learn more about alternative energy you can from the corresponding branches forum. In this Related It opens the question of using a wind turbine. The use of heat pumps is discussed here. After reading this video you will see how a geothermal heat pump provides the house in the absence of mains gas. And this section Forum discussion conducted inverters.

Discuss the article and read other materials devoted to country life you can on the websiteFORUMHOUSE.

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