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$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

Footprint Hero with Alex Beale

1.1M views 5 months ago

Warm-up Questions

When you see the title, which do you think will generate more energy in a normal backyard: a $100 solar panel or a $100 wind turbine? Why?
What problems do you think could happen when testing solar and wind power in a backyard?
What results would surprise you in a video like this?

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$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

Unboxing and wiring: trying to make the wind turbine work (00:00 – 05:10)

Transcript will load here…

1. What solar panel does he say he got for $100?

A 12-volt flexible solar panel
A 100 W solar panel from Reny
A used solar panel with no warranty
A 500 W solar panel from Vivor

2. What happens when he first tries spinning the turbine to charge the power station?

It overheats and shuts off
Nothing happens (no charging)
It charges only when spinning slowly
It charges quickly at about 200 watts

3. Why didn’t the wind controller turn on when connected to the power station?

The multimeter battery was dead
The power station ports accept power but don’t output power to start the controller
The turbine blades were installed backwards
The DC port outputs too much power

$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

Mounting in the yard and Day 1 results (05:10 – 11:40)

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1. How does he position the solar panel for his location?

Pointed north and flat on the ground
Pointed south and angled at 30 degrees
Pointed east and angled at 60 degrees
Pointed west and angled at 10 degrees

2. About how high does mounting the turbine to his shed make it?

About 20 feet off the ground
About 3 feet off the ground
About 2 stories (6–8 meters) off the ground
About 10 feet off the ground

3. What were the Day 1 energy results?

Solar: 0 Wh; Wind: about 75 Wh
Solar: about 75 Wh; Wind: 0 Wh
Solar: 47 Wh; Wind: 47 Wh
Solar: about 500 Wh; Wind: about 400 Wh

$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

Day 2, leaf blower test, and final comparison (11:40 – 18:47)

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1. How much energy does the solar panel produce on Day 2 (according to him at the final check-in)?

22 watt hours
594 watt hours
222 watt hours
170 watt hours

2. What is the maximum power he finally sees from the wind turbine after the leaf blower test?

450 watts
0.5 watts
50 watts
0 watts

3. What are the final results after about 2.5 days?

Wind: 47 Wh; Solar: 75 Wh
Wind: 222 Wh; Solar: 222 Wh
Wind: 594 Wh; Solar: 0 Wh
Wind: 0 Wh; Solar: 594 Wh

$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

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1. What is one main reason a small wind turbine may perform poorly in a normal backyard?

Wind turbines always need shade to stay cool
Wind turbines can only produce AC power
Wind is often turbulent because of obstacles like buildings and trees
Wind turbines only work at night

2. Why does the speaker say he angled the solar panel and pointed it south?

To avoid using extension cables
To make the panel look nicer
To reduce the weight of the panel
To get better sun exposure in the northern hemisphere

3. What overall conclusion does the video suggest for this specific $100 vs $100 test?

Neither system produces any energy
The wind turbine clearly outperforms the solar panel
Both systems perform the same
The solar panel produces much more usable energy in his backyard conditions

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

$100 Solar Panel vs $100 Wind Turbine in a Normal Backyard

If you had $100 to spend on renewable energy for your home, would you choose solar or wind? Explain using ideas from the video.
The speaker says wind power is “location dependent.” What locations might be better for a small wind turbine than a normal backyard?
He had problems with wiring and measurement tools (like the watt meter). What would you do differently to make the test more accurate?
Do you think the wind turbine product was low quality, or was the main problem the environment (height, obstacles, wind)? Why?