AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment Go Green Wind Turbines on Ambergris Caye

Does anyone on here have any experience with using a wind turbine on AC? I wonder if BEL will purchase excess and if there is a height or noise restriction on wind turbines. I am exploring the feasibility of making a house I contemplate building up North self sufficient (and perhaps some excess) through the use of solar panels, wind turbine(s), and diesel generator.

Anybody with any experience with these kinds of systems? If so I would appreciate any information.

Thanks

Not one of those giant things, I hope! Lots of people have smaller ones though.

Actually, I know someone with a great deal of experience in using all those systems to power a resort. Not on AC though.

Giant is good................small is limited and problematic.......Wind Power Engineering is a responsible business.

There is a home up north near Rocky Point that has a large one.

I believe the giant ones in Europe are about 300ft high.

A few giant ones up north would be great IMO and could power a lot of the island!

Some of us in the Tres Cocos area looked into a shared one and found out you can not "legally" share power. Another monopoly controlling innovation?

There is a house North, I am sure you contacted, referred to as the windmill house (between Mata Chica and Xaman Ek). They have been on wind power for more than 10 years, but also have a BEL connection (I am not sure how they managed to do that).

Small systems usually come with battery back up. For bigger systems - depending on power demand - you need a back up generator because the wind is not constant and we have long periods with virtually no wind.

I am familier with the wind energy system, there is about 7 or 8 houses on the north A/C with wind energy and 1 on Caye Caulker.
I have'nt heard about any noise or height restrictions in the north or outside of town.
I am in contact with a German/British company that can supply single wind turbines and also a combination of wind turbine / solar and diesel systems for a competitive price.

I will send you an e-mail with more details.

Hi Martin, yes there are some small wind turbines on the island. From 2004 till 2007 there has been a resort 11 Miles North "Salamander Hideaway" and they've been self sufficient with power and they had solar panels and a wind turbine as well as a diesel generator. The resort has been sold and is under construction and the name is now "El Segreto". But still closed. The wind power part of this resort was very easy going. I think they had approximately 3kw turbine.
In 2008 I sold a big Bergey 10kw (7kw permanent) to someone much farer North and I heard that this wind mill is working and generating power.
BEL will never be interested to buy from you. I suppose they would not want to risk more people to generate cheaper power and avoid to buy the expensive one from BEL.
The guy on the island who knows about wind and solar power and who maintains several installations is Eddie Halliday. You'll find his phone numbers in the weekly advert in the San Pedro Sun or on their online pdf of the weekly classified ads. Eddy live right behind the San Pedro Smart office.
:-)