Wind Power Generators

There are many components to a wind generator system. Not only do you require the residential wind turbine and mounting harware, but you also require a wind generator tower. Once these items are installed you will need some sort of battery bank for your wind generator to store power for times when there is less wind. A wind generator electrical control system will also be needed to regulate the electricity you create, and this would include an inverter and wiring to attach the whole system to your household.

If you want to purchase a brand new residentail wind turbine, you might not need to look much farther than a local hardware department store. For instance, in Canada many Canadian Tire stores have wind generators on display every day. If they don’t actually have them in stock, any one of these stores can definitely order one in for you on short notice. Many other distributors also carry wind generators and all you need to do is look around to see what is available.

We looked at wind generator towers in this post a little bit. It is possible to save some money by picking up a used tower from a TV antenna or an old school windmill, so as long as it is in good condition and rated for the weight of your wind generator then it should do for your purposes. Make sure your tower is tall enough so that the wind generator will catch as much wind as possible.

A deep cell battery bank for your wind generator is really going to be an important part of any system. Even if the wind blows all the time, you need an electrical storage system to handle any sudden energy needs you might have. Again, rv batteries are pretty common so it is mainly a matter of shopping around to get a good deal on high quality batteries. Your wind generator battery bank needs to be stored inside, for instance a small shed or outbuilding, the garage, or any other secure location sheltered from the elements. The wind power generator inverter is usually in this same location.

It would be a good idea to get some help with wiring the system, and remember that electricity can be very dangerous or even kill you. An electrician would be able to give you advice on how to proceed with the installation at this point. Remember that any do it yourself installation requires a lot of research beforehand.

What is Residential Wind Power? Should I Get A Home Wind Turbine?

Wind power is making a return appearance as an inexpensive, inexhaustible form of renewable energy.  It is, of course, not a new idea; people have been harnessing the wind to do their work for over 5,000 years.  In the past, wind has been used to power ships, land vehicles such as sail-powered wagons, and air vehicles such as gliders, as well as mills, furnaces, and irrigation systems.  The current conversation about wind power centers around using wind farms, wind mills, and turbines to convert the energy of wind into electricity.  This is being looked at on national, state and even domestic levels, through the use of residential wind power and home wind turbines.

Why should we consider wind power?

One of the basic laws of physics is that energy is not lost.  Clearly, wind contains huge amounts of energy that is largely unharnessed—and sometimes even destructive.  But what if all that energy could be controlled and converted into a form that people could use on a daily basis, such as electricity?  Doing so efficiently could mean a reduction in our dependence on oil and its volatile market, as well as reduction in our use of other fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.  Wind does not hurt the environment, it doesn’t have to be dug or refined or shipped.  The only costs associated with converting wind to electricity are the installing of turbines and windmills and the storage of electricity.

How can we use wind power at home?

Wind power is considered a true alternative, or at least a complement, to fossil fuel use in the home.  Hundreds of thousands of homes in the United States and Europe put home wind turbines on their homes.  For a one time cost, domestic wind power can not only make a home more ecologically responsible, it can also lower the cost of all future energy use.  For a home with a home wind turbine, fossil fuel-based electricity becomes a back-up, rather than a primary source of energy.

Some states in the US also offer financial incentives and tax breaks for families who improve their homes and make them more energy efficient and ecologically responsible.  In many cases the tax refund can cover up to 40% of the cost of installing the home wind turbine technology in the first place.  Residential wind power is more feasible with every passing year, with new technologies making home wind turbines more sightly, more efficient, and less expensive.  States and countries with residential wind power incentives often find their total consumption of fossil fuels going down, and their total energy costs going down as well.

Of course, the use of residential wind power and home wind turbines isn’t accepted by everyone.  Some people say that it takes too long to make back the cost of the equipment, or that wind power is too unreliable for any wide spread efficient use.  However, any technology that decreases the use of fossil fuels in the world can only help make the world, the environment, and people’s lives better.

For those new to home or residential wind power, it is tempting to go the DIY route and install your own generator, inverter and battery bank. In order to do that, you will have to do a lot of research, or locate someone with the home wind generator how-to that you need and ask for help. You might be able to buy plans or a kit online that will give you the necessary knowledge to complete your wind power project.

One of the best sources of information that I have found is a successful do it yourselfer who is proud of his homebuilt windpower generator, has done a lot of trial and error learning, and is eager to share with you all of his trials and tribulations. Most people who have gone to the trouble to run their home partially or completely on wind energy are bound to be nothing if not dedicated to their own projects, and this kind of person loves to discuss their work.

It is easier to find such an individual than you think. You may have seen their windmill from a distance already if you travel about the countryside. Next time you are out and about, pay close attention and watch for the tell tale tower with a wind turbine mounted on it. Some home owners will have experimented with more than one design, and they might all still be functioning.  Once you have spotted a likely prospect, you will have to figure out how you will approach them.

Talking to the owner of a residential wind turbine in your area could give you lot of potential bonus information. For instance, you will learn first hand how much wind his unit is receiving, and if it is enough. You can observe how much space his tower takes up and how tall it is. Where is his inverter, batteries, etc and how is the electricity run over to the residence? Does the system make as much power as the owner needs for his home? How big is his home compared to yours and does it use more or less power?

Seeing a wind turbine setup in the real world can really help you make decisions and plans, and give you a good idea of which direction to go next. And that is why it is advantageous for you to locate someone with a lot of home wind generator how to.