Global warming is popular topic of conversation worldwide and as people become more educated about it they are realizing the value of large wind turbines as an alternative and renewable source of energy. To the delight of many, it is not just the average joe who has come to this realization. Many community leaders have decided to make the switch to turbines as a new energy source. This is not just small communities either; large cities are also making the switch.
Beaver County, CA Getting a Wind Farm Soon
A good example of this can be found in Beaver County, CA. They are developing a renewable energy project which they have allocated about $400 million to complete. This money will pay for 150 new turbines which will provide an alternative source of power for about 250,000 homes in Southern California. This alternative power source will also allow the homeowner to see a significant reduction in their monthly energy bill. Each turbine is large enough to create about 300 megawatts of power. Standing 200 feet tall, and with blades that measure 300 feet in diameter, the entire project will span about 40 square miles of both private and public land.
As with all construction projects, there will be jobs generated by this project. During the time that the wind turbines are being built, approximately 30 days, 220 new jobs will be created. After the turbines are constructed, there will also be additional jobs created to operate and maintain the turbines and the farm. This information is per First Wind LLC, based in San Diego; they are the company responsible for originating the program. Adding to that, officials also feel that the new wind farm will generate increased revenue in the area serviced by the wind farm and, therefore, a great boost to the economy.
UK the Home of Largest Turbines
Every day we see the announcement or development of new technology all around the world. The UK is always right in the midst of any new technological developments. This includes those involving wind turbines. Wind turbines can already be found all over the countryside in the UK, but there is a project underway to develop 65 of the largest turbines yet in the town of Powys. Capable of producing 190 megawatts of power for 100,000 homes, the blades for these turbines will measure 450 feet in length.
Another benefit of the turbines is that they are expected to create quite a stir in the tourism industry. Not only will the once quiet area of Powys suddenly find themselves dealing with tourists who wish to see the turbines that have outdone the size of the ones in Wales, but it is estimated that the turbine farm will be visible from Snowdonia National Park and from the peak of Cadair Idris, making it a potential landmark on the mainland.
The Value of Building Farms
Wind farms have many benefits, including a boost to the tourism industry in the area, improvements to the economy in the area of the farm, and the generation of new jobs. The biggest benefit, however, is often one of the most overlooked. It is the benefits that are provided to the natural wildlife habitat in the vicinity of the farm. After the turbines are constructed, wildlife habitats are being built or improved in an attempt to secure the success of the animals and the ecosystem native to that particular area.
Wow! Is it ever hard to find low cost wind turbine plans. A couple years ago when we went online looking for wind turbine plans we found plenty of sources of them.
The problem was that all of the authors seemed to want to prove to me how smart they were. I knew there was a better way to build a wind generator then going to university to learn all of the terms so we set out to build our own wind generator.
I thought it was going to be a monumental task, but in reality it only took us about 2 weekends to complete… and the best part is it could pass for one of those fancy commercial models.
Our wind generator produces 1000 watts at wind speeds of around 15MPH. We went ahead and built a second one so that our solar system wouldn’t have to be as big. Right now we could last for about a week on batteries if the sun didn’t shine and the wind didn’t blow. The funny thing is that usually if the sun isn’t shining the winds blowing and vice versa.
The goal when we built our wind generator was to build it for $500. I’m happy to say that we only spent $150. We got the motor off of eBay for cheap. The tower was free (yes, you can get free towers), the blades were made from 8″ sewer pipe cut into a special shape, and we had to buy some other assorted nuts and bolts at the hardware store.
You will also need to go to Radio Shack (or circuit city I guess) and purchase a diode. A diode is an interesting little component. It only allows electricity to flow in one direction. This little piece of hardware is crucial for your wind generator. Without it your batteries will start to spin it around instead of it producing power to fill them. I made this mistake right after we finished and I hooked it up. It was a calm day and to my surprise it started spinning like mad! After we got the diode hooked up it worked quite well though.
So the next time you’re looking around at low cost wind turbine plans on the internet just remember that the author probably wants to show you how smart he/she is. Make sure to contact them first and ask them whether or not a beginner would be able to figure them out. And remember, if we could build a wind turbine then you can to.