Build Your Own Residential Wind Turbine

Although we haven't exhausted the list of available residential wind turbines, I wanted to make you aware of another direction you could go. A little bit more adventurous and not nearly as expensive, you could build your own residential wind turbine. It's amazing when you do a little bit of research and find out a lot of people are doing just that!

There are many resources available to guide you through the process step by step. One such resource is titled: Poor Man's Guide to Wind Power and Battery Systems. The gentleman who wrote the book is Richard Lewis and he doesn't just want to teach you how to make your own turbine ... he wants to teach you how to do it on the cheap! He promises to show you how to make a 1,000 watt wind turbine for less than $150.00 and a 3,000 watt wind turbine for about $220.00! That also includes the instructions and cost of building the tower.

I haven't read the book or gone through the process of building one of his turbines, but he claims you can make the three blades required for free in about an hour. He also provides tips on how to find a free forklift battery and recondition it for your power supply. He gives tips on what kind of generator you need and how to get the best prices.

Another resource available is Off Grid Living Homemade Wind Generator Plans. The author's name is Andrew Oke and he claims that other plans he's seen are just too complicated. He promises easy to use instructions that will show you exactly how to build a 1,000 watt turbine for less than $100.00.

I'm not what you would call a do-it-yourselfer, so I wouldn't even attempt a project like this. For those of you who like to get your hands dirty however, building your own wind turbine might be worth looking into.

Windmill Blades - And From What They Are Made

Decades ago if you drove by a field and happened to see a windmill spinning in the wind, chances are the blades were made of wood. With new inventions and better technology today, wood is still used as material for turbine blades. The design is different however. And a lighter wood material is used, in order to carve the blade and faster speed rotation.
By knowing and understanding the different types of blades, and how they improve or decrease the effectiveness of a wind turbine, you can purchase this alternate energy source with confidence. Knowing it will meet your needs.

The most recent blade design is made of fiber-glass and epoxy resin. Although this blade is in its first stages and not yet marketed, what makes it unique is its curvature like tip. This allows it to catch low wind speeds and would be considered a good design for a wind turbine used in the Midwest.

Some turbine blades have actually been made with the raw material made for PVC piping. In strong lengthy winds they have been found to break, but inexpensive to replace.

Researchers have done experiments with several different materials for turbine blades. Weight, wind resistance, durability, speed rotation, sound output, and of course cost are evaluated. Glass has never been used in experiments although plexi-glass was tested. It failed due to not being able to withstand long periods of wind, and the sound output was ineffective.

Many materials have been tested poly foam and aluminum, to name a few more and their performance again was different. They were also found less effective.The turbine blade made of carbon fiber is light weight, and has a razor sharp edge which allows it to literally cut through the wind and makes it virtually silent. This is the material preferred and used in most wind turbine machines sold today.

Another factor evaluated was how many blades would be placed on a turbine windmill. Three blades almost instantly became the most popular. More blades seemed to increase noise and slow down the actual rotation of the turbine's propeller formation. After more research was done the concept of using more than three blades was no longer a factor.

The bigger commercialized wind turbines were more effective in putting out the expected wattage than one with six blades. This was proof that three blades were better. These turbines are as big as two football fields or more in size.

The smaller wind turbines for home use also remained with the propeller style and three blades as a result of its performance, producing the correct type of wattage expected. Carbon fiber blades in the right formation were the inventive solution for the vertical windmill and the wind turbines of today. The wind turbine blades as a whole are simply part of their design, an important part to the quality of performance of the entire wind turbine machine.

How To Make Solar Panels

Learning how to make solar panels was something that we decided to do as soon as we investigated the price of new solar panels. It would literally cost us thousands of dollars to buy enough solar panels to run our off grid home. There had to be a better way to equip our home with solar panels we figured.

Most everything that you can buy from someone you can probably make yourself- why not learn how to make solar panels.

It turned out that it wasn't as difficult as we thought it might be. Solar panels are manufactured in high tech facilities with very expensive equipment but most of that technology goes into the making of the individual cells that make up the solar panels.

If we could find a source of small solar cells that were already manufactured at a reasonable price and perhaps some decent instructions we could definitely make our own solar panels.

What did we need?

· Guide book on how to make solar panels

· Inexpensive solar cells

· 1 sheet of plywood

· Copper wire

· Sheets of glass

We first located a book on the subject so that all of the fine details could be accomplished. It cost us under $20, but the very first solar panels that we made more than paid for it. We figured we saved nearly $400 just on the first solar panel we made.

The guide book contained mostly information on how to install solar panels (which was very helpful too) but along with that was detailed instructions on how to make our own solar panels.

There were pictures and step by step instructions which really helped a lot. We located a source of inexpensive solar cells and we were off to the races.

You first start out with a sheet of plywood and arrange the cells in rows along the sheet of plywood.

You can make any reasonable size that you want, but the cells must maintain spacing that are consistent as outlined in the book. It really is not tat difficult, just a bit time consuming to set up.

The next step is to drill holes in the plywood so wires can be drawn threw and all of the cells connected together. After the wires are secured a backer board is placed over the back of the plywood to seal the wires in.

A small framing piece is placed on the outside of the plywood that is higher than the cells and in this way you can seal the cells with glass. After that step the whole affair begins to look very professional.

It looks like a commercial grade solar panel all because you followed the right steps. A little bit of trim will spruce it up nicely.

How much will you save by learning how to make solar panels? We routinely make our own 100 watt solar panels for around $150, with prices always fluctuating depending on the price of solar cells.

Commercial bought new 100 watt solar panels run in the $500 range or more so you can see you will save a lot of money.

Adding Windmill Power To Your Home

By adding a wind turbine to your home, you are providing an alternate source of energy. Creating electricity using windmill power can help you reduce what you pay for utilities. Consider being able to live where power lines just won't go, or having power during a storm. Having a wind turbine would be a real advantage for situations like these. It's good for the environment, too. Future generations may use nothing but windmills to power their homes. And it could have a great effect on the economy.

Wind energy is one of the lowest priced renewable energy technologies available today. Stand alone systems, or off-grid living has its advantages. If you choose to live or build a home in a remote area where power lines are prohibited or not available, a wind turbine can power your home. Another reason consumers purchase small wind turbines for their home is to be energy independent from the local utility companies. As a part of being independent, or just having that alternate energy source available, these machines are built sleek as well as neat looking. Most have low maintenance. Over time a small wind turbine will pay for itself, an investment well worth the price you paid for it.

Wind turbines are good for the environment simply because they rely totally on the wind. That means no air pollutants or toxic gases are released into the atmosphere.

Another one of the nice things about your wind turbine is that if it is producing more electricity than your home is actually using, most times the local utility company will purchase the extra power from you. Depending on how much power you use, and how much your turbine generates, that can be a decent amount of money. Sometimes consumers buy home wind turbines just to be able to run a generator should their power go out. This can provide quite a bit of peace of mind.

Before purchasing a system, it would be a good idea to find out about any restrictions or obstacles when it comes to installing a windmill system. For example, some places restrict the height of any structure in residential areas. There might be prohibitions on some types of structures in certain zoned areas.

Approach buying a vertical turbine system like you would in buying a car or a boat. Look over literature from more than the first company you find. Find out how long the warranty lasts on the windmill you intend to purchase. Understand the basics of a small wind system, and even take a look at combining the alternate energy with energy, and its effects. Or if it is going to be the primary source of your home, calculate the power wattage compared to the power consumption you plan on using.

Some states offer tax credits or rebates to home owners with household wind turbines, which offsets the installation or purchase price of the machine. A consumer can check with the local utility company, the utility commission, or a local energy office to find out about these incentives. Or if they are available at your location.

Companies are more than happy to help you purchase a household wind turbine system specifically designed to meet your needs.

Whether or not to add a windmill to your home is a decision only you can make. However, when weighing the advantages and disadvantages, you might find that these lists aren't the same length. It's an investment that helps the economy and you might not have as much out of pocket cash going to your nearest utility company.

Residential Wind Power

Rеsidential wind power works by having a wind turbine attached to the top of a tall tower so that it can collect kinetic energy and change it into electricity so that it may work with your homes electrical system. Wind turbines will have out put if the wind power is over 7 to 10 miles per hour if not then the power that the house needs is purchased by the utility.

If the wind turbine puts out more electricity than is needed for the houses supply, then the rest of the electricity is sold to the utility. A small wind turbine can lower you bill significantly. To determine if a small wind turbine will save you money in the long run you'll have to think about the amount of electricity that your household would be using and also how much wind speed is around your house as well.

Before buying a wind turbine you should remember that the owner of the wind turbine should have a minimum of an average of 10 miles per hour wind speed and also be paying a minimum of 10 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. Wind turbines help the environment because they output no pollution and by using a wind turbine you are stopping the pollution that would have occurred from electricity generation by the utility company.

During a wind turbines lifetime they can prevent about 1.2 tonnes in air pollutants. You won't have to change any wiring in your house because wind turbines can fit any homes and normally they supply an 80 to 120 tower with the wind turbine.

A wind turbine's performance improves as the altitude increase however depending on the manufacturer there are several different turbines available. Depending on size and the manufacturer, wind turbines can cost anything from $ 6,000 to $22,000. Most wind turbines do not require regular maintenance and over the long term is a good investment.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

People have been harnessing the wind's power for centuries to pump water and perform other mechanical tasks. But it's only been in the last few decades that the expertise for converting the wind's energy into electricity has made the necessary strides to become an alternative source for energy production. Most of this technology has been applied to large scale operations and some smaller units for home use.

For the home owner interested in producing their own electricity, choices have been limited primarily to investing in a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). These units can carry a hefty price including the installation of a large tower, maintenance, plus the regulation in some areas regarding tower height, noise concerns and environmental issues.

For city dwellers with no place to erect a HAWT, wind power has not been an option at all. The vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) provides a more economical alternative for the small scale user. Some of the most recent designs have overcome the problems of early models such as their inability to self-start in light winds plus issues of noise and vibration levels. Most of the new technology works well in an urban or suburban environment where some wind turbulence is inevitable unless the turbine is sited well above any surrounding buildings.

A HAWT has to physically rotate to face into the wind every time the direction changes, requiring a large tower to place the rotors above all obstructions. The VAWT doesn't require such clearances and can keep producing power in these turbulent areas.

Most vertical axis wind turbines are very silent, emitting only a slight humming sound near the equipment. The turbines turn at a lower speed unlike the larger tower turbines where the blade tips can travel at supersonic speeds becoming a threat to bats and birds traveling thru them. For these reasons they are safe to use in population centers, public spaces, parks, wildlife parks and on buildings. Some of the more adventurous designs have the look of sculpture adding another dimension to your installation.

The VAWT systems have a larger wind speed range and are able to self start in light winds, sometimes 2-3 meters per second, and continue producing electricity at much higher wind levels than the traditional HAWT units.

If you are considering alternative energy sources to lower your utility bills or to minimize your impact on the environment, vertical axis wind turbines offer new technology that can help you achieve your goals.

Energy in the Wind

Wind power has long been a source of renewable energy, as evidenced by the many windmills of centuries past. The flow of air is used to run wind turbines, some of which can produce up to 5 megawatts of power. The most common wind turbines for renewable energy used commercially produce between 1.5 and 3 megawatts. The renewable energy that a wind turbine gives off is derived by the cube of the speed of the wind. As the speed of the wind increases the power that the turbine puts out increases almost exponentially. In places where wind is strong and nearly continual such as at high altitudes and offshore are the best places to locate wind farms.

Wind is the fastest growing source of power through any of the renewable energy resources and technologies. In the past ten years, the maximum capacity of wind power installed the world over went from a 1992 high of 2500 megawatts to a high of 40,000 in 2003 and continued to grow each year after that by another 30 percent. This shows no signs of abating. Due to wind being an intermittent energy resource most wind turbines in the European Union only produce an average of one fourth of the power they are actually capable of. Under favourable wind conditions, however, some reach 35 percent or more. In winter the EU realizes a higher load factor. What this means is that wind as a renewable energy in Europe typically has a capacity for 5 megawatts maximum per turbine but regularly produces 1.7 megawatts.

The long term potential for wind as a reliable renewable energy resource throughout the global is probably about five times what it currently produces and forty times what is currently demanded of it. Large pieces of land that are not now being used for wind turbines could easily do so, especially in high wind areas. The offshore areas, where wind is nearly twice as fast and dependable as that of inshore land masses could be increased substantially as renewable wind energy sources.

The strength of the wind near the surface of the earth varies considerably and scientists cannot assure that the earth would have continuous renewable wind energy there unless it was combined with other sources of energy or stored in some way. Some suggest that 1000 megawatts of the capacity for conventional wind gathering could be counted on to produce 333 megawatts of power that is continuous. This could change as our technology evolves, but most experts suggest using wind in the context of a renewable energy system that has an expansive capacity for reserving the energy. Examples of these would be hydro power, desalination plants, reserve loads and the mitigation of the economic impact of variability of resources.

Not only is wind power a renewable energy, but like other renewable energies it gives off no harmful greenhouse gases while being operated - no methane, no carbon dioxide. The one negative of wind power is that bats and birds get caught up in the turbines and get killed. Wind turbines should, therefore, be built where this impact would be least felt.