Residential Wind Power
Having your own source of cheap energy source brings you more than the environmental advantage. It also cuts your power cost by up to 80% of what you usually pay in your electric bill.
If you decide to go this route and switch to residential wind power, then there are a few things you must consider.
Location Requirements
Check the wind velocity found in your residential area. If the average speed is maintained at approximately 11 miles per hour, then a wind generator is a recommended source of free energy for you. If the area experiences slower wind speed, then consider other free energy sources.
Another factor to consider is the big area required. Typically you must have at least 1 acre of free land space to employ a wind generator. You must also check the location of your area. A windmill near the beach requires smaller wind turbines than those at the hilltop.
After area check-up, you must then choose what generator model best suits your need. A generator typically is composed of a tower, fan blades, and energy storage. Windmill, wind generator, or wind turbine – whatever you call them – varies in design and performance.
You can choose to buy a commercial model. There are several designs out in the market for residential users. These commercial windmills are smaller and lighter compared to industrial windmills. You may find that these ready-made models are expensive; the cheapest costs 1,000 dollars. Consider though, that you will just spend one big amount at first but you will benefit from free energy for a long time.
Assemble Your Own
You can assemble a wind generator of your own if you can’t afford to buy a ready-made model. There are various do-it-yourself guides sold at bookstores online and offline. Compared to commercial ones, a start-from-scratch turbine will cost you as little as 200 dollars only. The engine parts are easily found at a nearby electronics store. As long as you faithfully follow the steps mentioned on the guide, a working finished product is not hard to achieve.
There are issues you need to know about wind power. First is the positioning of your blades. The blades should be placed at an area free from external blunders. It should not be near the ground as it may cause harm to the living things that it will hit. This is one reason why the windmill’s tower should be above normal human height. Higher positioning of the blades also allows catching stronger wind velocity.
Safety And Transportation
The second thing you need to consider is the distance of the turbines from each other. If you utilize more than 1 turbine, make sure that the blades are apart from each other at least twice their diameters.
The third issue will be the transportation and installation of a wind generator. Especially if your location is away from civilization, the transportation of each turbine part is difficult, not to mention its installation.
Purchasing a windmill promises you a continuous supply of electricity. Residential wind power can produce 400 watt to 1 kilowatt of power. This amount of energy is enough to supply a household with small appliances.
