There has been a lot of talk about how wind power can replace other forms of electricity generation but most of the development is for large scale wind farms. We thought we would take a look at what a home owner can do to harvest their own wind power to reduce their electric bills and help take some of the load away from Nuclear and Coal Electric power plants.
The way our power systems is designed today means that a central generation plant produces massive amounts of electricity then shoots that out to our homes over power lines. This means no matter how much we conserve just to turn on one light we need huge generating plants and high voltage power lines.
When we produce our electric at home we reduce the need for expansion of generating plants and at the same time we can feed our excess electric back through our local loop to help provide power for other homes, businesses, schools or even traffic signals.
The most popular form of generating electric at home are Solar Photovoltaic Panels. You mount them on your roof and connect them to your homes circuit breaker box and pretty much forget about them.
So what choices are there for generating electric by an average home owner?
If you have about an acre of land and your home association rules don’t restrict you then you can install a small or medium sized Wind Generator.
Small and medium wind generators can mount on masts shorter then 50 feet tall and some can even be placed directly on your roof or at ground level.
The higher you go with your mast means better wind speed and cleaner wind that is not obstructed by trees or building friction. This is why larger wind generators are mounted on masts from 100 to 300 feet tall.
So how much electric can you expect to generate?
Smaller wind generators have a 4 to 8 foot diameter blade span and generate from 300 to 1,000 watts. They cost from $250 to $2,000 and can be mounted on 25 foot tall or shorter towers.
Medium wind generators have a 6 to 15 foot diameter blade span and generate from 1,000 watts up to about 5,000 watts. They cost from $1,500 to $15,000 and are mounted on towers from 25 to 100 feet tall.
The higher the watts the more they will cost and you have to calculate your payback time.
To size your system don’t base your need on your high usage point. You should understand that extra electric will be sent back to your power company and you will receive credit for it. This way you can use your credits to purchase electric when you need it.
In effect the power company becomes your storage device.
If you are off grid or want to be then you will need to size your system for maximum needs while also calculating battery storage devices. This means you will draw from both battery and live generation to meet your needs.
A small Wind Generator up to 1000 watts will be able to provide most of your needs for a garage or out building OR a good portion of your main homes needs. For Example 1,000 watts can run 44 Compact Florescent Light Bulbs. It can also run your TV computer and other appliances. But remember electric generated while you are away from your home will either be stored in batteries or sold back to the electric company.
How much wind do you need?
This depends on the wind available in your area. Many small and medium windmills peak at 43 Miles per hour meaning you won’t get more electric out of them. However many will start generating electric as speeds as low as 3 to 5 miles per hour. If you have a gentle breeze in your area then you can produce electric. If in the winter you have good wind then you will do even better. Getting hold of some wind speed histories and maybe buying a small wind speed meter can help you rate what is the best location on your property and what potential you can expect.
Where can you buy a Wind Generator or get one installed?
The smaller ones are really easy to install but you may need an electrician to hook it up to your power grid. And you will definitely need to contact your local power company. As a matter of fact they might be a good place to start. They may have a list of contractors and distributors and a list of government rebates you can get. Often Electric Companies will have their own rebate programs and all are required to buy back your electric.
What if you have a larger home or farm and want to install more then just one wind generator?
This is a great idea if you can do it. You might be able to find used wind generators on Ebay or at a local auction. The parts are easy to come by and if you are attempting such a project you might want to build a few and save some money.
In other HowTos we will cover building your own Wind Generator from parts.
The YouRepair Store Sells Wind Generator Turbines and Parts for your next Project