Wind Power, Revised Edition: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business

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$25.71

by Brit Xavier

With all the concerns about improving the environment these days, many more people are searching for alternatives when it comes to powering their homes and businesses. While there are a number of companies exploring solar energy, the power of the wind has been actually used for a very long time. From the first windmill that harnessed the wind’s energy to grind out wheat to the wind generator farms of today, this abundant source of renewable energy has gone from uses in business, to many residential applications.

While the wind is not always plentiful or abundant if you have at least a breeze of more than 10 MPH, it’s enough to power some low voltage turbines. You can expect to cut your utility bill by 50-90%, with some average power bills ranging from $8-$15 for most of the year. Where it’s cooler and an air conditioning unit is used less often or not at all, this could be your electric bill for the entire year.

The typical home uses a little under 9000 KWh of electricity a year, averaging around 780 a month. Depending on your family needs and the continued wind speed in your location, a wind turbine of only 5-15 kilowatts would cut this consumption down considerably.

One should bear in mind that one should ideally have about one acre of land in order to take full advantage of a wind turbine. This is essentially because one needs adequate space for the actual tower and also for the rotors. Of course, there are also some other factors which require a homeowner to have a sufficient amount of space. Even wind turbines with short rotor blades and which are mounted on a relatively small towers, require a reasonable amount of space.

If you don’t have an average wind speed of more than 10mph, then a wind turbine will not work for you. However, there are at least 47 states where wind powered homes are found, with the majority being in areas of being in the Northeast and Midwest.

You generator will help the environment in many ways, including cutting down on noise pollution and easing the burden on power grids. Many times the power company will pay you when you are on the grid, but imputing electricity to them instead of taking it. When you start to see you meter running backwards, then you will know how much help to our planet you are really doing and see your wind power at work.

Many more companies are starting to realize the profitability of wind turbine electricity. You see more and more wind farms springing up all over the country, and some farmers are beginning to consider the wind as a viable source of income. It seems that the stronger the wind, the more wind power products spring up.

It is important that we all do our part to reduce our impact on the earth. Whether you decide to use wind power to run your home, or turn off the lights when you’re not using them, or only running large appliances at night, everything that we can make a difference.

Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator

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$485.25

by Brian Bradley

The cost of a wind turbine is a vital consideration, but it is rarely answered by the currently available information sources.

The idea that you could construct a wind turbine for around $50.00 is not feasible unless you already have many of the parts on hand.

Here’s what you’ll need to build your own wind turbine in your backyard, and how much each part will cost:

1) A generator is necessary. An Ametek 30-40 vdc generator can be purchased on Ebay at a price between $30 and $50… This is a great choice, especially in lower wind speeds.

3) Next, go to your local hardware store and get some sheet metal (for the tail and body of your wind turbine) for $5.

3) You’ll need PVC pipe to make the rotor blades for your wind turbine – this is available for around $10, either online or at the hardware store.

4) To connect everything together, you need a “hub” – get it at your hardware store for $10, or make it yourself using circular metal alloy.

5) A Shaft or tower for support can be made out of old satellite TV towers or other materials purchased for around ten dollars.

6) As with all clean energy projects, you’ll need a deep-cycle batter for energy storage – pick it up for free at the golf course, or get it online for $10.

7) A charge controller to protect your battery from the elements is also a good idea – expect to spend about $25.

A dump load for the reception of any extra energy will not cost you anything if you have an old water heater or back-up battery pack around.

9) If AC power is being used, you need an AC Inverter. If you need one, you can get one for between $50 and $75, depending on the wattage needed.

10) Finally, you need the appropriate hardware to attach the blades to the hub, as well as tools like screw drivers, sockets, and sandpaper – allot $10 to this.

Adding up all these items, you see that the cost comes out to $160 to $225 – and if you already have a few of these items, you might get this as low as $100.