@AngelaR thanks for linking me in. I’ve just responded to a separate message, apologizing for the delayed response as currently in the maladeta mountains revving up to climbing Aneto
Bit chilly here and mobile signal very sketchy!
Crikey, you really do get around. Stay safe in the mountains ![]()
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Thanks @hairbear - appreciated. Travelling here, I came cross country so think I passed through your neck of the woods👍
Hello Chris.
Thank you for the time spent in responding.
Before moving to France we had a 15m2 system in the UK that met all our needs and more and we were ‘off grid’ for 95% of the year.
Where we live, we have suffered 12 years of micro-coupures that have taken out 4 TV’s and other items including an expensive Yamaha 7.1 Surround Sound amplifier. All written complaints to Enedis have gone without even an acknowledgement and the one time I got someone on the phone they told me to go claim against my house insurance!
So arriving in France in 2013, I have spent a very long time looking and researching a solar system for our needs; and boy have I met some cowboys (all of whom could show diplomas and what have you paperwork that they are qualified experts).
Finally I found Lumioo.
Right now having given them an order to go ahead, Lumioo have, are, handling all the necessary legal bits. It’s me that’s throwing the spanner in the works regarding the Turbine.
When I gave the brief to Lumioo that I wanted to be ‘off grid’, they assured me, and put in writing, that they will achieve this with their tracker and the batteries during the main months that their double sided panels will produce. All other months will see some output, just not sufficient.
All this was carefully worked out in front of me reading my current hourly, daily, weekly, monthly electricity usage online, provided by Alpiq (our supplier). All calculations included the peaks and troughs of daily requirements. This is what persuaded me to go with Lumioo.
All previous quotes from roof based systems were completely off the wall with the number of panels required and the associated costs.
Lumioo admit their system will not provide sufficient output during the deep winter months; so expect to have to purchase, some, electricity during late November, December, January, February, maybe some of March. The Lumioo will produce power, just not enough.
In addition. Lumioo recommended the Zendure solarflow and will complete the wiring installation. I had read up on so many battery suppliers in the end I went with what was recommended.
The Zendure batteries are now in position, just not connected or doing anything (we are awaiting erection of the Lumioo tracker).
And so the Turbine.
Where we live is on top of a hill some 280m Elevation and throughout November, December, January, February and March, we regularly get some pretty high speed winds. In 2022 I purchased a anemometer to check and that regularly showed ground speed at 40 to 50Kph. Throughout winter of 2023/24 I took regular readings at ground level and I’m certain that at 6m higher on our roof with a straight line east and west, it’s going to be a higher KPH speed again.
Having already demonstrated that we have some pretty strong winds here during the winter months (2 years of readings), I wanted to go with this ‘hybrid’ system of a turbine included, more for, ‘topping up’ the batteries during the winter months rather than expecting to be being reliant.
So Lumioo set out that the Turbine was my responsibility and mine alone.
The turbine is actually installed and is currently putting out an average of 24v even though it is a sunny day with little ground wind. Right now that 24v is not getting used.
It is Zendure that have specified that If I am to ‘top up’ their batteries with a Turbine I will need the Inverter they specified (see original post). To date all I have found is large industrial units. Hence my coming here looking for some advice from someone cleverer than I.
I think that as you’re doing something non standard with equipment that you have had someone else install then you need to coordinate this and get a recommendation from them. You also need to take into account that adding stuff yourself will almost certainly invalidate any warranty from the installer of the solar+battery. Another point about the éolien is that it will not be able to function above a certain wind speed, typically 90 kph or perhaps more. When this happens you have to typically engage an electric brake which actually consumes power.
Lumioo have stated they are happy for me to go ahead and it will not invalidate any warranty provided by them. The Turbine arrived with a controller that doers apply a brake and the power to apply the brake is provided by the turbine.
If you consider your grid connection to be a common busbar then a collection of energy sources can be connected to it as long as they all do so via properly compliant grid tied inverters & suitable electrical protection of their various circuits/cabling.
In other words you could have the AC outputs from the individual inverters of a wind turbine, PV, & a water turbine all ganged together. If their combined output exceeds your usage then you will back feed the grid &/or charge your local batteries.
Is that 24V DC? If so that’s close to the minimum specified input/start voltage for some inverters. Also, that’s a no-load voltage & it will drop once it’s driving something.
Hi. For all the ‘opinions’ and statements currently received, you have specifically confirmed what I am expecting to happen when this thing starts to work. Sadly what i am not seeing from anyone, is a make or model number of a inverter product that’s going to do the job: and it’s this that I am seeking.
I need the help of people cleverer than I to guide me to a compact unit that will accept the voltage and convert, but meets the specifications required so that it does not damage the existing installation: and doesn’t cost as much as the rest of the installation put together.
Maybe you need an expert rather than talking to people on a random internet forum?
Give us a wave, we can see Aneto from our back door. ![]()
My opening statement.
Hi Everyone. Reading through a lot of the topics covered, it’s clear to me that there are some very clever people here. So I am hoping one or more of you will be able to help.
But now you’re saying they haven’t helped.
Far from it. I have read every word and assimilated the response into my existing findings.
I finished off my original post with;
The basic issue is I know nothing about this technology nor where to go look to find it. Internet searches are presenting Industrial inverters costing tens of thousands but surely I don’t need something that huge for something so small?
Can anyone of you clever people that understand this stuff point me in the right direction for purchasing an inverter that meets this standard that is of reasonable cost?
And lets be honest here, do you see any actual recommendation?
The nearest has been from Chris who had clearly spent quite a lot of time writing a response. And I can say I have attempted to follow that up with the allo solar people sending them a email.
Badger has been helpful in that he has confirmed that what i am trying to create is correct.
But that’s as far as I have got.
So you tell me. Opinions, Advice or Recommendation based on experience and knowledge.
Aren’t we here to share our knowledge and experiences?
I will happily share anything I can that is considered useful. Example: red-by-sfr.fr has all their contracts on a 30 day basis. Broadband, telephone and mobile. That’s a better deal that Orange offer unless you go Sushi and then the services don’t meet the same as on offer from sfr. It’s a sfr, Come and Go as you please offer.
Best local SKY supplier I know of and happy to recommend is, skyinfrance.co.uk situated in the Tarn but covers most of the South of France I understand. Supplies freeview boxes as well.
So I make recommendations based on knowledge and experience. I apologise to everyone if this has made you feel upset with my comments, but this is how I see this forum.
Preparing today to hopefully start climbing tmrw mid afternoon
Weather doesn’t look great so not sure I’ll see you through the snow ![]()
I’m hoping they supply Freesat boxes, as Freeview are of no use here.
You are quite right. I am sure it is freesat.
It’s quite hard to be specific regarding the wind turbine as we’re not totally sure what it is.
What I’m fairly sure of is that it is has NOT got the 14kW output that you stated.
Hi. And thank you for responding.
I suspect you may be correct but here is the description from the website I purchased from.
14000W Wind Turbine Generator, Vertical Wind Turbine, 3 Blades Low Noise, Generator 48V, Wind Turbine Generator, Complete Set for Family with Controller, White-48V
- Color: White/Three Colors
- Number of leaves: 3 leaves
- Wind wheel diameter: 530mm/20.9 inch
- Blade height: 750 mm/30 inches
- Rated Voltage: 48V
- Peak power: 14,000 W
- Initial wind speed (m/s): 2 m/s
- Rated wind speed (m/s): 10m/s
- Safe wind speed (m/s)): ≤40m/s
- Generator: three-phase permanent magnet levitation motor
- Fan installation height (m): 2-12 m
- Generator protection level: IP54
- Working environment temperature: -25 ~ +459 C
- Overload protection: electromagnetic brake and unloading device
Looks a similar spec to the Amazon jobby I posted earlier which is a very questionable 14000w.
At 48v output to obtain 14000w you would be at 291 amps which is some cable spec and yes, no wonder you are only finding commercial inverters. I think you should put the turbine under real world test to see what in max ideal conditions it actually produces.
Thanks for your input. What do you mean, ‘under real world test’’?
