Eco Friendly Living
Wind Power @ UW
Our plot at Usha Woods (UW) is located along the slope of the hill and is a likely spot to locate a wind generator. This was also a factor in us deciding on that particular plot, no. 39.
I was already having some plans for a wind generator similar to the one that is featured in the link below;
http://www.mdpub.com/Wind_Turbine/index.html
So once we booked the plot, I immediately started working on a basic wind wane device that would indicate the wind direction and the variation in the same at the spot planned for the wind generator, I also started building a prototype model to test the wind strength at the spot before building the actual production version.
On the next weekend, i.e. on the 8th August, I landed up at UW with the wind wane device and we set it up on a long pole. Actually in the end, the pole is longer than what was required, but anyway, the wind wane was up and working perfectly.
It was properly indicating the wind direction continously indicating any variation in the wind direction. The wind direction was mostly from downhill blowing across the road and going uphill. The wind at the spot also seemed to be quite adequate and strong enough to spin a regular wind generator.
You can see the wind wane setup at the site in the pictures below;
Wind wane at UW Plot 39.
Over the comming weekend, I hope to test our prototype wind generator at UW provided I am able to complete the device in time.
I will post updates on that soon.
Salil.
Update: 17th August 2009
I managed to complete the prototype in time for our next visit. One good thing was that the school was closed due to the H1N1 scare going on, so the kids were free and no exam pressure.
Photo of the in progress device;
Prototype Wind Generator under construction
- We ordered for food at the site in advance through Sangam who is always very helpful.
On our drive down, we stopped at a nursery ( Bandal) which is just before KAdav village and picked up some tree saplings. They have a great variety of plants and tree saplings and you can find any plants of your choice out here.
At UW, we got help from the workers readily to plant the saplings and also to install a wodden pole to mount the wind generator for testing.
In around 2 hours,we had completed planting all of the saplings and the wind generator was also all mounted and ready on it’s pole. However, the wind was totally missing at that point and the Wind generator was not spinning at all.
We had a lot of fun in the stream and waterfall and also had a very tasty lunch at the stream itself. See pics;
At the Stream @ UW
After lunch, we found that the wind had picked up and the WG was spinning away. I quickly got to work attaching the test bulb and connecting the multimeter to measure the current that was getting generated.
Wind Generator in action
The current was not all that good, it was only a trickle, but for a test it was fine and we are now sure that when the production WG is setup, we can definately to generate a good amount of power.
I am currently working on the production WG and will definately update you (if anyone is following this blog that is…) :0
Will update in a week or two…
Salil.
Update on 15th August 2010:
Hi,
The week or two has seen nearly 8 months go by, the project has been getting along very slowly, initialy there was a gap of 4-5 months of inactivity after which the work as been restarted with determination to complete it within the next 6 months.
Following updates:
The Wind generator: The nost important part of the system, the motor was very elusive as there are very few suitable motors available in the market and there are no clear guidelines or parameters readily available. So there was a long gap where I was cheking out various options and sources right from a winscreen wiper motor to threadmill motor to the regular use DC motors, finalyy after much delibration I was lucky to nail a genuine PMDC motor manufacturer who had the best options for PMDC motor which would fit the requirements and not result in total washout. This company was also very technical and ready to discuss the requirement and fine tune the parameters as possible to meet my specific need for output / RPM.
After a wait of 2-3 weeks, the motor was finally in my hands. It is a pretty large device with following specs:
Length: 14 Inches / Diameter: 8 Inches / Weight: 14.5 Kgs.
The nextstep was the motor hub or sprocket on which the fan blades would be attached. For this I went to my regular machinist and after much planning the results were erally very good.
Here is a photo of the rotor hub:
The Motor Hub
Here is a snap of the contraption with the rotor hub attached:
Wind Generator Motor with hub
Next… There are o many other parts that will complete the setup that need to be designed, fabricated, purchased, I will not be able to provide the complete details, but will definately upload some information as possible, some of the parts are:
1. The Base mounting and tower with supports.
Base mounting plate
2. The casing and mounting for the motor with pivot assembly.
3. The Tail or vane for the top assembly.
4. The support anchor pints and winch setup.
5. The battery charging circuitory and related circuits.
6. Finally the invertor and battery for drawing the power.
I wil keep updating the sections with details as the work progresses.
Salil.
Tags: Alternate power options, Wind Generator, Wind Mill, Wind Power
January 9th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Hi Salil, I happened to visit karjat area on a look out to buy a week end home plot. I infact visited Bhimashankar Hills and on the way I was trying to find other options. I missed usha Woods on that trip but I found it on my internet search. I talked to Nikhil and we are planning to visit Usha Woods. I was in Holland for my work and I saw several wind mills there. When I saw your blog I was very much interested in 2 things
1 Your advise on buying a plot at Usha Woods
2 Can one make a Wind Mill and how can one use it for either power generation or water pumping
Lastly can there be some companies like Suzlon who could provide a small windmill with power generation system and will it be economic
Will be glad to recieve your email and communicate more
January 16th, 2010 at 12:18 am
I’ve always been fascinated by wind power in particularly, though alternate energy in general is a great topic. I’ve wondered for a long time how to get started with it at a small scale. Where can I get good batteries at a reasonable expense?
March 30th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Hi Salil, I have seen your blog and I have already visited to Karjat, Bhimashankar Hill. I have seen one plot but not like it as the road was so bad that I had faced a lots of trouble to drive to reach there. I have one friend currently he is in Riyadh. He is coming next month . We are planning to visit Ushawoods, Karjat . I am also interested to to buying one plot at Ushawoods and need your advise. Pl. advise.
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Hello,
Nice to hear from you.
My advise to you would be to first be clear on what are the things that you are realy looking for.
Whether it is an investment, a second home similar to your city home, a place close to nature?
Based on what you finalize on, you need to li\ook at at least 5-6 locations / places as options and then decide.
I have also visited Bhimashanker Hills, but that place is just like a mini city and once fully complete, I am afraid it will not be very close to nature with so many people and some much trash, etc.
Usha woods on the other hand is more closer to nature and the developer is also a person who is inclined to keep it that way. So it definately matched my requierment and I decided for it.
I have marked Mr. Pratik the developer in this mail as well and I would suggest you have a visit with “a clear and open mind”.
Remember, when you are away from the city in this country in places close to nature (if that is what you want) then the roads will definately not be a smooth ride, that is a free feature that is added on for extra fun.
Have fun, hope you find the loation you are looking for and if that is Usha Woods….
Welcome to nature!
Regards,
Salil.
June 24th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
hey salil its a great feeling being close to nature and must say that usha woods is really pristine..what i wanted to know was whether there are any banks or financial institutions that help in financing procurement of a plot, i would want it to be a weekend home for my family…so once the procurement of land is done, will i be able to construct a home of my choice out here…
November 22nd, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Hi Salil ,)
I have recently purchased a plot at Ushawoods ( No 38 ) , basically this will be my weekend house and I am more interested in Gardening and growing different colours of Rose. Your Idea of Wind Power generator is fascinating , I need study something on solar and see how that can be utilized .
December 13th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Dear Prafulla,
It is nice to have a neighbour at Usha woods, (I am on plot 39).
I agree that Solar powere would be a good option for eco-friendly power at UW. I had checked on various options for solar power, mainly cost effective options and will be glad to share the information.
Regards,
Salil.
March 29th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
I checked the place on the website, it luks fab………..can u pls let me know the cost involved in purchasing a plot
April 2nd, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Hello Nikki,
Please get in touch with the sales department at Usha Woods as they will be able to provide you with the exact cost for the different options that are available.
Contact Nos:
Mobile: +91 – 77 989895 90
Mobile: +91 – 77 989895 91
Office: +91-2148-686666,696666
Email: info@ushawoods.com
August 11th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Dear Sir,
We are into small Wind and Solar Power Generation Systems most suitable for small Bunglows, Farms Houses, Resorts, Residential buildings.
We are based in Pune and have working territory restricted to Maharashtra State.
Incase you have any requirement, please do mail me.
December 16th, 2011 at 10:54 am
Hi Salil,
I’m considering UW as one of the options for my home with Nature and your blog has been quite helpful. I have a few questions and hope you could help out.
1. Does Karjat (UW) receive regular water supply or is it limited? Also, bore well or riverine?
2. Are there any major regular power outages & is the WG enough to cover for the shortage? I live in Mumbai at present but know that except for Mumbai there are power outages all over India.
Would also like to know of any recent developments at the project, including about your neighbors. Thanks in advance.
December 18th, 2011 at 11:32 pm
Hi,
UW has water supply from Bore wells. The construction of the water tank is in progress at present.
Right now I have power using solar panels and it suffices in summer. In rainy it does not last through the night so I have to use the power from the complex office.
Power cuts are there but you can use solar as a backup.
Salil.
February 21st, 2012 at 9:08 am
Dear Salil,
I read your blog with great interest. I have already visited UWs and liked the project very much. The only thing in my mind is about flooding during monsoon as the stream flows from within the complex. Since you bought the plot quite long ago you are the best person to tell me about the same. As far as the electricity is concerned, I was told that the project would get the connection probably during Feb/March 2012. The water tank ( Sump) is already in place.
RN Sharma
February 21st, 2012 at 11:13 am
Hi, I am planning to visit UW, from what I have read so far, I like the fact that it is close to nature.
I have four must haves as this will be my primary residence;
24×7water supply
24×7 electricity
Green and serene-proper sewage facilities
A place where I can build an canine shelter-not for profit
February 21st, 2012 at 2:59 pm
Hi Mr. Sharma & Ms. Archana,
Nice to receive your comments, I would liek to answer in order as below;
Flooding: You do NOT need to worry about flooding. Typically flooding will happen on the plains where the gradient is very less and the rivers have reached maturity stage. This is where there is a lot of soil deposit and then there is the flood plains around the river.
At UW location, it will be impossible to have a flood unless someone builds a wall all around the place and makes it strong enough to hold that amount of water which is not possible.
Also if you notice, the stream flows for around 300 meters to join the “Pej” river which is also quite wide and has a free flowing route without any barriers.
Just for your information, the pej river flows down around 15-18 kms to join the ulhas river which in turn flows for around 30 – 25 kms to meet the sea (At the gateway of India and the other branch at Vasai creek).
The flooding will typically occur at the points of obstruction along the “ULHAS” river and it does happen almost every year near Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath and sometimes Thane as well.
I stay at Thane just next to the Ulhas river mouth (Thane Creek) and we had to vacate our home during the deluge of 2005. In fact you will be vbery happy to know that if there is a similar deluge or even a lesser magnitude one in the future the resulting flood will happen near Ambernath and further. All the water from Usha Woods would quickly be flushed down to flood out these places and Usha Woods would be totally unaffected.
Of course in such a situation I would need to vacate my home and live at UW if I am able to escape the flooding that is.
Sorry of the long and strecthed out answer sir.
Ms. Archana,
You have a great idea in a canine shelter.
I would very much suggest that you must visit the project and check out all the features. And remember that what you see in this season will be 200 times more greener and beautiful in the monsoons.
My response to your points (and you must check with the project owners as well to confirm)
24×7water supply – This is currently being developed. Regarding the time, capacity and 24×7 you can confirm from UW Management.
24×7 electricity – This you can easily achieve through eco-friendly means using solar panels and battery to supplement the project electrictiy supply.
THe entire setup can be put together for around Rs. 35-40 K.
Green and serene-proper sewage facilities
Well the easy way for this would be to build a septic tank for your house. You can get details of additional plans from UW Management.
Comming back to you pet idea – canine shelter, this can be easily done. In fact one of my dogs stays at the project off and on. Its like a holiday home for him. I am just in the middle of building a kennel at the plot which you can feel free to check when you visit.
I am planning to get a full time dog to stay at the plot for guard duty soon. Both my dogs will be staying there for couple of weeks in april while we are travelling.
Thats is from my side. All the best and feel free to come back with any additional questions.
Regards,
Salil.
February 23rd, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Dear Salil,
Thank you very much for the quick & lucid response. I have almost decided to buy the plot for my daughter who is an NRI. The owner has forwarded a copy of the draft sale deed. There are some issues on which I would seek clarification from him before finalizing it for execution.
I would like to speak to you sometime on this, if it is not inconvenient to you.
Thanks again,
Regards,
RN Sharma
9324800186
February 24th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Sorry, I got the name of the river wrong, the river next to UW is the Chillar river. Pej is the other river you cross after Kadav.
Both of these do join the Ulhas river downstream.
Salil.