Pilot for wind power in Kalmonkatiska Joensuu

Submitted by KA5041 on
Person installing wind turbine on top of a mast next to a hut

A standing wind power plant was installed in Kalmonkatiska, a fishing hut, in Kuhasalo Joensuu. The purpose of the pilot is to get experience of the wind power system and its adaptability to small-scale energy production.

A wind turbine was first installed on a 3 m high wooden mast so that the main wind direction doesn't have dense trees as a wind shield. The turbine was connected to a small charging controller (PWM) that is connected to an 80Ah 12V battery. USB devices and 12V devices can be connected directly to the charging controller.

Immediately after the installation, it was noticed that the wind must be almost 11 m/s so that enough tension to charge is obtained from the turbine, although according to the turbine supplier, the turbine should also works with low wind speed and regardless of the wind direction. The mast was replaced with a longer one and now the turbine is on a 6 m long mast. However, still with low winds, the tension stays below 10V, which is not enough to charge a 12V system. A different type of charging controller could fix the situation.

It is not yet known how much energy can be produced with the system. Hence, the Joensuu Fishing Community is planning to install solar panels to the site. This way the batteries could be loaded also when the wind speed is not high enough to charge the system. There was a need for lighting and a possibility to charge cell phones in Kalmonkatiska. The fishing house is owned by Joensuu Fishing Community and it is located in Kukkosensaari Joensuu. The hut is rented to individuals, companies and communities for refreshments, guidance, guidance, meeting, etc. for events and leisure use. Anyone visiting the site can see the turbine!

In the picture you can still see a shorter mast installed at first, which has later been replaced with a longer one.