KCCS - Solar Panels and Wind generator

A collection of images looking at the Solar power installation that power most of the equipment for KCCS. More will be added later with some technical details.

In this image there is a 300 Watt wind turbine mounted on top of an 8 metre mast, this is a Southwest Windpower AIR303 marine model turbine, a 24V model that can in a good wind produce near 12 amps of current.
The mast is a tilt up design with a 7metre 65mm inside diameter galvanised steel water pipe with a 1.3 metre 50mm galvanised steel water pipe extension welded at the top which connects into the AIR303. The mast is connected to a hinge at the top of a 3.5 metre tall 75mm heavy square steel tube.
This tube has a 125mm round 15mm steel disc welded at its base and is bolted to another section of identical tube with steel disc which protrudes 300mm from a substantial reinforced concrete foundation.
When the mast is upright a U clamp arrangement is used to secure the bottom of the mast to the bottom of support tube.
The house behind the tower was recently built and severely affected the performance of the turbine. The 1.3 metre extension replaced a screw on pipe reducer (to get from the 65mm main mast size down to the 50mm needed by the AIR303) and this small height extension has greatly improved the power output from the turbine. It is now quite common to see (and hear) the turbine really moving when there is no wind at ground level and even up to the surrounding tree tops. It is really strange to see the turbine buzzing yet not one leaf on the trees move.
There is some doubt that the turbine/mast can exist much longer as the new neighbour has decided after living for near 12 months in the new house that the turbine is too noisy and that the mast is an eyesore. There is also mention of the turbine posing a threat to the local birdlife although no evidence has ever been provided to show that birds have flown into and been maimed or kille by the turbine blades. The local birds seem to be too intelligent to go anywhere near the turbine or fly around the area when the wind is strong enough for the turbine to generate power.

On the lower support of the mast are two Siemens 55watt solar panels which are soon to be replaced by two Solarex 80Watt PV panels. The Siemens PVs will be placed on the house roof (along with 14 others!).

This view shows eighteen Siemens 55Watt panels mounted on the north facing side of a deck at the rear of the house. This set of panels produces up to 28amps of current on a bright day at a nominal 24 Volts.
The temporary frame with mixed panels can be seen in the left background. The radio antennae on the corner of the roof is for the radio link to the KCCS site in Glen Eden, Auckland, sited some 2Km away.

This image shows the new Southwest Windpower 24Volt 500W turbine that will shortly be replacing the 300W model currently in use. The 300W turbine will probably be mounted on a shorter mast at the side of the house.
Also in the picture are two Solarex VP80 80watt solar panels, these are soon to be placed on the house roof.