Facts About Using A Residential Wind Turbine
Facts About Using A Residential Wind Turbine
Like solar energy, wind energy is a completely clean source of energy. A residential wind turbine uses no fuel, produces no emissions and can be a reliable source of energy. If you’re like a lot of of and trying to save money on your energy bills, wind energy can be a great solution. But there are some things you need to know before you buy or build a residential wind turbine.
Before you do anything, check your city codes and ordinances. If you have a home owners association, make sure you also check their bylaws. You don’t want to go through to the trouble of putting up a residential wind turbine only to find that you’ve violated some code or law. You’ll also want to check with your local utility company to make sure there are no issues hooking up a wind turbine as far as they are concerned.
Once you have that covered, you need to make sure you have enough wind and space to install your wind turbine. Most wind turbines need an average of 10 mph wind speeds. You can find this information published by the US Department of Energy for your area. If you in an area with mountains or hills that may block the wind, you may want to do your own wind measurements over a period of time to calculate the average yourself. Solar panels combined with a residential wind turbine are a great way to generate energy and have a back up for each source.
Another consideration for a residential wind turbine is the amount of space around you. You need to have enough space for the rotors to turn and nothing in the immediate area that will block the wind. That means an area that’s free from obstructions like trees or buildings.
One of the last things you need to look at is cost. A professionally installed residential wind turbine can cost anywhere from $6000 – $12,000 dollars depending on the size. I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons I’m interested in a wind turbine is to save money. And this is a substantial cost that will take 6 to 10 years to pay off. I need help now!
The good news is that you can actually build your own residential wind turbine for about $200 dollars. And you’ll find most of the parts in your local hardware store. Don’t believe it? Neither did I, but you really can build your own wind turbine. In addition, there are also very good solar kits.
To be fair, you won’t be able to convert all of your electricity to wind energy. The do it yourself manuals for this project are for a 500 watt turbine. That’s enough to power small eletronics or appliances. This can add up since these items use energy even when they’re switched off. It is definitely worth the investment.
By: Roger Starker
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Create your own energy at home by yourself. Learn to build and install a professional quality residential wind turbine for about $200 using readily available materials. To find a great wind turbine design go to www.buildyourownenergy.net and get started today.
