Janka Plate G10 Red 21. April.

2014
Guiding Questions Heating system powered by a small wind turbine on the roof.
1. How does a wind turbine work?
A wind turbine consists of several blades that are turned by the wind. These blades connect to a
rotor which is then spins the generator to generate the electricity. Many wind turbines are
usually installed on top of a tower that is around 30 meters high, as the wind is stronger and
more constant at that height than on the ground. Wind turbines are shut down at wind speeds
above 55mph as it could cause them damage.

2. How much will the wind turbine produce? How big can the wind turbine be on the roof of a
house?
To supply an average household I would need a 10-kW wind turbine that can generate about
10,000 kWh annually, with a wind speed of around 12 mph. It would have a rotor diameter of
around 9.7 meters on a 12 or 15 meter tower.
Installing on house is not recommended as houses are rarely strong enough to withstand the
wind power.

3. What type of heating system is best to use with electricity?
When you use electricity to heat, you use electric resistance heating. Electric resistance heating
converts almost all of the electric energy into heat, and therefore is very efficient.
This type of heating is usually installed as electric baseboard heaters, electric wall heaters,
electric radiant heat, electric space heaters, electric furnaces, or electric thermal storage
systems.

4. How much wind will be needed for it to work?
An average of around 12 mph that is relatively consistent. It is important that the main direction
of the wind is not blocked by houses, trees or other objects. It is recommended to have at least
one acre of free, open space (like fields) around the wind turbine. This is especially important
with smaller wind turbines, as they are usually not installed on very high towers. But it is
important that they are installed on a higher tower as the wind further up is more consistent and
usually stronger.

5. How much will it cost? (More or less expensive than normal heating systems?)
In the U.S. a 10 kW wind turbine costs around $48,000 65,000 to install. The energy that is not
used by the house is usually fed into the utility system and sold to the utility company. After 6-30
years the investment usually pays of, and the energy will be free.

6. How much heat can it generate?
A 10 kW wind turbine under given circumstances can generate enough energy to power an
average family. So it would not only be useful to generate electricity for the heating system, but
could provide the rest of the household with energy too.

7. Will it be better for the environment? (What about birds etc.)
Small wind turbines on land are environmentally friendly, as they produce energy without
burning fossil fuels, which produces greenhouse gases like CO2 that damage the earth. On Land,
as single wind turbine is usually said to not be a hazard for animals as wind farms are usually.
The wind turbine makes a slight noise, but it is not loud enough to disturb most families. It never
interferes with TV or other types of reception.
This system will be great for the environment as it makes a whole family that does not depend
on burning greenhouse gases to produce electricity or to heat.

Design Brief
In this unit, our task is to create a 3D model in Google Sketch up that is designed to protect the
environment and is connected to what we did in science. As we did Fossil Fuels and renewable energy
lately I thought it would be interesting to create a heating system for a family home that is powered by
wind energy. Wind energy is not only ecologically friendly, as it produces renewable energy but it also
economically efficient and will after several years supply the family with free electricity for many years.
A wind turbine consists of several blades that are turned by the wind. These blades connect to a rotor,
which is then spins, the generator to generate the electricity. The rotor and the generator are contained
in the box behind the blades. Wind turbines are usually installed on top of a tower that is around 30
meters high, as the wind is stronger and more constant at that height than on the ground, where it is
easily disrupted by objects such as houses, cars, trees or hedges. For the smaller wind turbine that will
be used to supply the one house with electricity, the best wind speed is around 12 mph. Wind turbines
are shut down at wind speeds above 55mph as it could cause them damage. A wind turbine needs quite
a lot of open space, usually one acre or more is recommended, so my family home will have a 1 acre
garden that will contain the wind turbine to produce their electricity.
The system used to heat the house system is called electric resistance heating. This system is very
efficient as it converts nearly all of the electricity into heat, and as the electricity supplied to my house is
renewable and eco-friendly, this type of heating will be too. There will be electric baseboard heaters and
electric wall heaters distributed around the house evenly.
This system will be ecofriendly as the turbine will produce energy without burning fossil fuels, which
produces greenhouse gases like CO2 that damage the earth. On Land, as single wind turbine is usually
not harming any animals nor have a major impact on the landscape. The wind turbine makes a slight
noise, but it is not loud enough to disturb most families. It never interferes with TV or other types of
reception. My system will be designed that a family living in a more rural area can heat a house in an
ecofriendly way.
Installing this heating system will cost around $48,000 65,000 to install, but the leftover electricity will
be sold to the utility company, so the cost will pay off after several years. The wind turbine will also
produce energy to produce the rest of the house with energy (although I will not plan/design this).
I think the way this system will be set up and work is extremely efficient and eco-friendly, and I think its
a great way for a family to reduce their carbon footprints.

Design Specifications
1. Power - The heating system will be powered by a 10 kWh windmill that will produce around
10,000 kWh annually. It should always provide enough to at least power the heating system.
Any leftover electricity can be used by the family or sold to the utility country.

2. Size The windmill has a rotor diameter of 9.7 meters and will be installed on a 15 meter high
tower.

3. Purpose/Property - The system will be designed for a family with two parents and two kids, with
a house that has a 1 acre garden in a rural area.

4. Environmental impact - The system will cause less damage to the environment than burning
fossil fuels would.

5. Surrounding technology - The system will not disrupt any signals, like TV, WLAN or phone
reception. The system will not disturb the family or neighbors with noise.

6. Fund - It will cost around $48,000 65,000 to install and will pay off after 3-60 years.

7. Wind Speeds - The heating system will run at an average wind speed of 12 mph, and will be shut
down at wind speeds over 55 mph to prevent damaging the wind turbine.

Bibliography
"A+ Wind School." Bergey WindPower. Bergey Windpower Co., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"FAQ." Small Wind Turbines. Fortis WInd Energy, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"How Does a Wind Turbine Work?" Energy.gov. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, n.d.
Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
"Wind." Wind Farm & Ethanol Plant Development, Alternative Energy Investments, Renewable Energy.
EcoGen LLC, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.