May 10, 2013

Interested in adding an alternative wind or solar energy source to your operation, but needing more information to move forward?

		An array of solar collectors and wind turbines will be part of the May 18 Wind and Solar Energy Field Tour at the UNL Haskell Ag Lab one mile east of Concord.

View two working wind turbines and a 1.3kW solar array Saturday, May 18, at a field day being sponsored by UNL Extension. The Small Scale Wind and Solar Systems Field Tour will be at the Haskell Ag Lab one mile east of Concord from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The event will include an indoor educational component and outdoor tour of a solar array, wind turbines, and inverters and power electronics. Speakers will cover the basic user and economic information you need to consider adding this energy source on your farm.  (The tour also will be of interest to those addng alternative energy to their farm, home, or business.)

Field Day Schedule

Indoor Program

• Basics of small wind turbines (types of turbines, efficiency, how they work, components)
• Basics of solar arrays (types of PV panels, efficiency, how they work, components)
• Economics and regulations related to installation of wind and solar

Outdoor Tour

• Solar

See small 1.3 kW solar array with six panels from four manufacturers. The system has been in service since May 2012 and live data is available at http://sustainableenergyoptions.unl.edu.

• Wind

View two small wind turbines rated at 5 kW each. One will be lowered so you can see and touch the turbine and see all the components necessary for installation.

• Inverters and power electronics

Solar inverters condition the DC power of the solar panels into in-phase AC power suitable for your load or the grid. This array has individual small inverters for each panel.
Wind Inverters condition the wild AC power by converting it to DC and back to in-phase AC power for your load or the grid.

Registration

Preregistration is recommended, but not required. Register online in the CropWatch Bioenergy section at Sustainable Energy Options.

This field day is part of the Sustainable Energy Options project which is supported by funds from the U.S. Department of Energy.