5Kw hybrid inverter

Hi all
I've just had a 5Kw hybrid inverter system installed. So far I'm pleased with it. I am just wondering if I could add a 1+KW wind generator to keep the batteries trickle charged when the sun goes down.
Thanks.

TONE I think connecting a wind generator has been asked before on this forum (do a search) and I think the answer was yes it could be done.

It would use up one of your two MPPT’s, so depends on how your solar panels are connected to your inverter. If your panels are on two separate strings then there won’t be a spare MPPT.

But do have a search for a Gary does Solar youtube video on wind turbines. The summary was that most of the domestic ones you can buy generate nowhere near the headline generation figure. The wind at rooftop level is simply not strong enough and the turbine arms not large enough.

I've watched the video that @geoffreycoan referred to, and most of my working life worked on Electric motors / Generators and other plant and equipment. I'd never thought it a practical solution in domestic circumstances unless you own a large farm etc.
Out of curiosity I put a simple query to DeepSeek. It produced quite a long and well worked out response which i won't post here, but the conclusioon was:

Final Verdict: While the idea is appealing, the reality of wind energy in a small, sheltered garden makes it an impractical project for nearly everyone. You will almost certainly get a better return by expanding your solar capacity or improving your home's efficiency.

Keep in mind that getting a wind turbine would require planning permission if you ever want to get a Heat Pump as the rules allow either one or the other under permitted development but not both.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/596/schedule/2/part/14/crossheading/class-g-installation-or-alteration-etc-of-air-source-heat-pumps-on-domestic-premises/paragraph/G.2

geoffreycoan

Not windy enough at roof height? In Wales, House names are almost always descriptive of the house or its surroundings. Ours is Bryn Awel, which translates to English as Hill Breeze/Windy Hill. At a little under 1,500 feet in elevation, the description is somewhat conservative for most of the time. This is probably why we can see several large wind turbines on the hills around us.

I am not a fan of small wind generators; most seem to work poorly, some only working in a small Goldilocks zone of wind speed, not enough wind means no power, too much, they stall and give either no or intermittent generation.

We have had a narrowboat for 20 years or more, and we used to see other boats using small wind generators for power. These have all but disappeared these days since solar has become quite cheap to buy and is silent. Many who had generators that could be erected on the boat complained of vibration creating noise inside the steel hull.

Its been one that sveral (myself included) have asked about historically. Suffice to say nothing has come up wiht anything meaningful yet - there's loads of ideas but nothing concrete. Again, like you, I live in an area that does have decent wind, but nothing seems to be an option.

Small chinese things don't get close to the advertised, trickling something might be enough that - especially over winter.

Wind turbines simply don't work for domestic properties unless you live in the middle of nowhere. The turbulence caused by proximity of other houses/roofs mean the turbine will NEVER work to spec and will fail in a fraction of their designed lifespan.

You'd be better off just setting fire to the money you'd spend for installation as when (not if) it fails it'll cost you extra cash to remove it.

Thanks for the advice guys. Yes my 11 panel array has 2 circuits into the inverter so my wind idea has blown away! Maybe in the near future I shall look to upping the KW storage on my battery .