I was considering using a wind turbine to power underfloor heating in a kitchen and bathroom. As this is just a resistive load, the turbine could be simplified as it is not grid connected and does not need to run at a specific frequency or produce a fixed voltage...

Doesn't a heating load make the most sense for a turbine?

Makes some sense in that the total system is simplified - but will the wind be blowing when you want the heat?

Possibly more sensible to put the power into an immersion heater in a thermal store and then release the heat when needed.

I figure I'd want the heat most in the winter, when it seems to be quite windy? The windspeed average is 6ms. The floor is stone so it will at like a thermal store to some extent.

Is using a water tank thermal store and hot water underfloor heating worth the extra complexity and hence money?

I've heard of a few places using wind turbines for heating, but they're all using heat pumps, as then you get several units of heat per unit of electricity. I guess you don't want to rip up your floor and put water-based underfloor heating in though.

If you did, there's a Cornish company that make a heat pump kit that can be DIY installed. They won an award for it this year: http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/kensa08

hello all, not sure if this info i was reading the other day is of any help, but i thought it may be related to this discussion (I just copied & pasted from what I saved):

"I am director of a small partnership who have spent the past 15 years inventing and perfecting a revolutionary new wind turbine design. We are looking for a Business Angel investor to help us get this project off the ground.

Our turbine aims to be the cheapest dollar per kilowatt turbine in the world and is ideally suited for domestic and urban installation unlike current turbine designs. It runs silent, is incredibly cheap to manufacture and looks fantastic too. We intend marketing two versions, a 300W one intended for powering household lights/refrigerators/ TV/DVDs etc and a larger 1.5KW turbine to be installed in arrays to power farms and rural areas not able to connect to the electricity grid.

The turbine will be bought in a small-suitcase size carry pack and can be attached to a house roof or wall much like a satellite dish. It does not need to be elevated as current horizontal (or propeller type) turbines do. Each 300W turbine will cost around $350 to manufacture including toroidal design PMG and "black box" containing charge/load/shunt controllers, a 600W inverter and deep cycle battery. Cost Price of entire package will be around $700 making it the cheapest dollar per kilowatt turbine in the world.

Our unique turbine control mechanism is patentable but we currently lack the funds to proceed with this. We estimate we need around $250 000 to begin manufacturing and marketing this fantastic turbine which is going to turn the renewable energy market on its head! We have 4000sqm factory space at our disposal and a small manufacturing staff of around 5. For a cash investment and hopefully business and marketing advice and assistance, we are offering up to 30% equity in our company. Please contact me if there are any Business Angels interested in this potentially highly profitable venture.

Our comprehensive business plan which conservatively estimates profits of around $1 750 000 per annum can be supplied on request.

Kind regards

Laurence Lemmon-Warde

director
winggen wind turbines
+27 82 566 8297"

Best of Luck. Sam .............. http://www.arigreenenergy.com/" >wind generator

Richard

We had a similar discussion a while back but using PV to run a heat pump.

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=4185&page=1#Comment_56691

Still I am with you in your thinking. If you have enough thermal storage then it is an effective way of doing it, and as you say, cheap and simple. I am of the opinion that not enough consideration is taken for space heating, tends to be all about heating water or self generating electricity. Though not losing heat is the paramount think so insulate, then insulate some more and then add a bit.

Nick