Wind energy at home has the same operation as large turbines in wind farms, however, with a reduced size.
Only in Ceará, there are 27 mini plants distributed across eight different municipalities, which supply 90 units. With a market still incipient throughout Brazil, the use of mini wind turbines (wind turbines) for Distributed Energy Generation is not yet well known. The production of wind energy at home works in the same way as large wind farms, however, with a reduced size.
With the high cost of electricity throughout Brazil, due to the water crisis and the use of thermoelectric plants, wind energy can gain new fans in the country, just as it happens with solar energy.
Watch the video below and see how to install your mini wind turbine
High cost of electricity in Brazil, makes Brazilians migrate to wind and solar energy
With the high cost of electricity throughout Brazil, due to the water crisis and the use of thermoelectric plants, wind energy can gain new fans in the country, just as it happens with solar energy.
According to data from the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) provided by the Union of Energy Industries and Electrical Sector Services in Ceará (Sindienergia-CE), from 2008 to 2021, Ceará has 27 mini plants in eight municipalities, which supply 90 units, as one plant can supply energy to more than one residence.
Mini turbines work similarly to large wind turbines
The coordinator of the Electrical Engineering course at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Raphael Amaral, explains that the operation is very similar to large wind turbines.
“The difference is that it has to be adapted to the urban perimeter, so they are not as widespread as solar energy”. said Raphael Amaral, professor of Electrical Engineering at UFC
“They work the same way and have the same components. It has a system of blades that absorb wind energy, transform it into movement and activate a generator that provides electrical energy in different ways for the unit”, adds mechanical engineer Luiz César Sampaio.
For the system to work, it is necessary to use some technology capable of transforming the captured energy in order to be used as electricity, as explained by Sampaio, also director and founder of Enersud, a company that works with distributed generation appliances for homes.
“One of these ways is to take energy and transfer it to a device called an inverter, which will transform that energy. This goes for both small and large systems. With this technology, it is possible to inject into your home network and even export to the street”.
There is also a more traditional system known as off grid. In this, accumulators are used, that is, batteries that store energy at the time when the wind is strongest. The energy is “stored” in the battery and it, through another type of inverter, transforms it to be used.
“This energy generated from the battery normally cannot be injected into the grid, it has to be used in isolation, so it is very good for isolated houses, isolated systems. It has properties that often lack light and, in this wind system, you take the energy generated by the turbine, store it in the battery and when you need it, it is available there”, points out Sampaio.
Another option is to use only the turbine and, with electronic devices that cost less than R$ 10, direct power to lighting stations and networks. “You take the energy directly from the turbine and distribute it to certain uses, however, the condition is that it has a very constant flow, in addition, the application is simpler”.
Who is the use of wind turbines suitable for?
According to Sampaio, wind turbines are most useful in off grid applications. However, to decide if it is advantageous, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental conditions in which the residence is installed, since good wind circulation is necessary for the system to be activated.
Therefore, one of the engineers' recommendations is to complement the wind system with the solar system, in order to guarantee a complete supply of electricity from renewable sources.
“The solar system suffers a lot from the drainage it suffers at night, when there is no sun. Wind power, in turn, increases energy autonomy time. In places where the wind is very good, you can use wind generation alone, but in places where there is a lot of cloudiness, both complement each other”, says Luiz César Sampaio, mechanical engineer.
UFC's Electrical Engineering coordinator also points out that the wind system has some inconveniences. “There is the noise and the fact that more frequent maintenance is required due to the moving parts. It is a more advantageous option for those with large plots of land”.
How much does it cost to have your own plant?
The costs for installing a wind system vary according to the desired power, which can range from 500 W to 6 W, with prices ranging from R$ 2,7 to R$ 50.
