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Ridgeblade Wind Turbines

dudley72

I found this a few years back and have watched it over the years. I never found the facebook website till this evening, probably as I didn't look

Looked this evening and they came out to market on last year for a Irish supplier and picked one. I guess with covid this hasn't come out like a lot of things.

For residents it looks like 5 units to get 2kW. I don't know wind requirements etc but with the increase in electricity this might be a better option compared to solar in some areas.

https://thepowercollective.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/ridgeblade/

Im interested in the industrial, filling up the roof of a huge shed would be ideal to sell back to grid if they would allow it.

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jkforde

Key to this taking off is mechanical noise, first thing people will be cautious about. and then attrition, Canada might not get the kind of wind we get! 🌨️💨😭

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117986085#Comment_117986085

Just thought it was interesting technology, especially with all the talk of power cuts etc.....

idc

The Irish supplier doesn't advertise this as a product on their website, yet i see them popping up all the time on facebook advertising the Huawei Solar PV Roadshow!

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987055#Comment_117987055

They signed up in Feb last year, not the ideal time to bring a new product online with covid a month later. I am going to contact and see if they actually have brought it online yet

bullit_dodger

On the face of it, I'd buy one - but you'd be mad to be the test pilot here in Ireland. I'd like to see some actual installations along with telemetry for yields, noise, total cost of ownership etc. Knowing the planning approval position for residential. If you lived out in the countryside with the nearest neighbor 250 meters away though, could be a "no brainer" if it works. In the middle of Rathmines or Tallaght.....hmm.

As Jkforde mentions, noise will be the biggest hurdle here. Moving parts, with the best design in the world, will eventually start to squeek. Rotating shafts on the apex of your roof aren't exactly the most accessible, even if it just needs a squirt of WD40.

I can almost imagine the hatred from your neighbours as it sqeeks away at 2:50am.

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987412#Comment_117987412

If in the middle of Dublin I guess it is a no because you would be changing the front of the house. That would be a planning nightmare. In Dublin Solar is probably the best answer.

I don't disagree, plenty of potential issues but also plenty of reasons why it is a good option if they work. People living in countryside in bungalows are a perfect target etc.

jkforde

https://youtu.be/gcSnwW5v3f8

and just to add, check this out (great channel btw)

[Deleted User]

Was chatting to a neighbour this week with a turbine.

Had it 5.years. Cost 29k and doesn't work. They've replaced parts and still no joy.

Doesn't inspire confidence

dudley72

Response anyway from Disty:

Hi, unfortunately RidgeBlade is not commercially available in Europe as yet. We expect it in Q2 2022 - prior to this a training centre will be operational in the UK.

Maybe something to watch in the future

bullit_dodger

Agreed - people need to "get over themselves" with that whole changing the front of the house nonsense. Sure, you shouldn't be slapping this up on a listed building, but given the choice of a great big dirty coal fired station, polluting the air that your kids breath in verses one of these ..... it's no choice really.

At least the planning permissions on solar has (effectively) been ignored for residential. Nobody adhers to that 12m2 rule. (thank God)

Just noise would be the Achilles of this Ridgeblade .... that and the financials of solar are such a good option these days, so it would have some strong competition there - but I like the idea of producing 24x7 (potentially) all year round. Again, I'd buy one :-)

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987624#Comment_117987624

Oh it is on my list of project :-)

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987599#Comment_117987599

Your post came in when I was writing my reply.

Jaaasus! 29K - wow! I'd say when he had/has it working though it's mint? Don't you have a turbine yourself SouthWesterly?

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987710#Comment_117987710

I was thinking about one but maintenance costs put me off. You'd want to be using a lot of electricity to justify the price.

It would take me 29 years to break even on my neighbours system.

According to his wife it worked for a few months and the manufacturer couldn't get it going again.

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987599#Comment_117987599

What did he buy for 29k? any idea what model/type it was and what sort of power it was supposed to generate?

bullit_dodger

If I was living out the country and had the space down at the end of a long garden, I think I'd give a self-build a go, out of pure enjoyment in getting something to work. Probably a vertical axis one as they are easier to build - (but less efficient). Probably out of a washing machine motor or something. Actually, if you want something truly awe inspiring. This guy.....

(967) How I Built A 3 kW Off Grid Wind Turbine - YouTube

Is on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.....I like to think I'm handy enough but nahh, I'm playing with my Thomas the Tank engine toolbox compared to this bloke.

Still while I love the idea of Wind, hard to see beyond solar though. No moving parts, sits quietly there producing away happy-as-larry. ....it's just such a great tech. You have these "magic panels" and slap em' up on your roof and you can watch tv or surf the internet with the power they make. :-)

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988389#Comment_117988389

I have the space, just not the "know how"

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988694#Comment_117988694

I know the feeling. I've 5 acres on the side of a mountain but looking at my neighbours one just siting in his back garden for the last few years it puts me, off. And then the cost 😱

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988880#Comment_117988880

I would love to find out the model. Just out of curiosity, I know a guy who has one close to my parents, has to be installed 20 years and is still spinning

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117987624#Comment_117987624

Isn't a rooftop turbine exempt from planning permission? I know this is different but in principle it's still a rooftop turbine

I think the major obstacle for this is that it's only going to make sense for urban houses. Anywhere with open space would probably be better installing a ground mounted turbine

In urban environments the air flow isn't great, so any turbine isn't going to perform particularly well. So you'd want the turbine to be very cheap so that it has a chance to pay for itself

This however, looks like it'll be quite expensive

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988365#Comment_117988365

NO idea unfortunately. I only met his wife by chance. She was walking the dog and I was going out and she asked if I was the one asking about their system.

My wife had mentioned it to someone who knew them last year.

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117996377#Comment_117996377

Nope, rooftop turbine isn't exempt sadly. You can read the whole provision yourself here.

Planing Permission for wind turbines - exemptions - Eurecca.ie

Somewhat disappointing but I get it. There's a number of good logical reasons why you wouldn't want to support that by default. Noise and pissing off the neighbors is one, but there's the very real danger of some 200-300Kg thing coming down in the middle of a storm in off the Irish sea/Atlantic. You want that away from any dwelling.

That said, with the way that the ridgeblade has all the fans enclosed, and is mounted fixed to the roof so there isn't large lever forces at play, I think a lot of those concerns are mitigated. Financials as you say are key raisin. With solar just being so convenient, a well known playing field, it's a hard competitor to beat. The great thing about wind though is that it complements solar well. When it's dark and miserable, think Nov....it's quite windy and of course it can generate at 4am. Even if it was 1Kw, being able to do that 24 hrs a day has a lot going for it.

I for one are rooting for them. Hope they can pull it off and come up with a competitive product.

dudley72

I talked to the crowd, Rexel, they are just the disty and won’t be the installer, so need to have a chat around and see who is willing to take the product on, will try the main company to see so they more info on interior etc, moving parts and what can actual break

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117997221#Comment_117997221

Yeah I hope they work out as well. Where I live there's a fairly steady breeze most of the time, plus the ridge of my roof is just over 6.5m which seems to fit the standard module lengths

It could be a good complement to solar panels, especially for the many overcast days we get. If the price is right

Ubbquittious

29k is way overpriced for something like that. Bit of metal with a few permanent magnet generators is all it is. If it was 9k, i would still say it's expensive

Most houses in cities would not get the required amount of wind for them to work well. But I used to live in a place where most days I could empty the ash tray from the stove by flicking it up into the air and none of it's contents would hit the ground. This was only about 100m from the shore so if the rust-proofing was good it could be a goer for a place like that.

With any such device if you're not prepared to spend a few hours a year up on the roof greasing and painting the thing there is no point in getting one.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118002726#Comment_118002726

This is a proper turbine about 40 plus feet up. We're on the west coast on a mountain with a wind farm on the ridge.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118002772#Comment_118002772

Ah sh1t. I think I got the wrong end of the stick and didn't realise the one you mentioned is not the same as OP

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988880#Comment_117988880

It's a bit odd tbh. It's a few blades and a bloody motor. It's not as actually alot to get running. I suspect theres more to the story , particularly at the costs involved.

DrPhilG

I spied this system years ago too. Roof of my garage is prime position as it get near constant strong wind.

Cost is an unknown though, as well as being able to cope with the fierce wind we get here sometimes. And if its a squeaker then it can sod off...

dudley72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118003087#Comment_118003087

Wild up around your parts alright 😀

I need to get some time and see if I can get more info, the squeaking is something I don’t have idea on, I expect of you keep it well lubricated then you should have no issue

jkforde

just want to reopen this 'add wind generator to solar system' discussion again... are residential turbines (horizontal, vertical, etc) ever economic? let's say the 500W units that could trickle charge the batteries at night..