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.
With the world in such bad shape due to the energy crisis and the demand for power exceeding the limits of available supply. It is past the time that we should be conserving the use of power in our homes and start adopting, more cost-effective and pollution-free alternative energy sources. Alternative energy sources such as solar power or wind power can help maintain a more clean environment, save power and cut down on our electricity bills. This article will look at the ways wind energy can be used to power the average home.
To achieve the best results from wind power at home, it is recommended that your home be on a plot of land around and acre large as to give the wind some area to gain speed. Another thing that helps is if the wind speed is more constant as to generate more electricity. Experts say that the ideal wind speed for generating good electrical charge is 11mph for the average home.
The kinetic energy generated by the wind is converted to electricity that can be used in your home without any modifications. Generating electricity from wind is an age old technique and can help you save a lot of money down the road. Depending on the amount of wind you receive you may save anywhere from 5% – 90% off your electricity bill.
The next question that may arise for someone is, how do I install this wind power generation system? Well you will need to install wind turbines atop your home or a close building. You do not need to change anything in your home to install wind turbines, and with existing wiring you can install these turbines and utilize the winds awesome power.
A wind power system uses a turbine that is mounted on a tower and is driven by the wind energy. The height of the tower depends on the average wind speed that is available in your area. If your house is in a lower wind speed zone, you may need to try a higher tower. If your house is located in a more windy region than you may use a shorter tower. You can run various appliances in your home with electrical energy generated by the wind power system.
The generated electricity can be stored for later use or even sold back to some power companies to make a profit, however this tends to be for areas that have a lot of wind and can keep lots of energy stored up. If you combine this with solar power systems you might could break totally free of the power company, never having to pay another bill and selling the excess of the stored power back to them in return.
During off seasons though, you may not be able to generate a lot of wing power because of the absence of constant winds. However, it is estimated that most homes could use wind generated energy for at least 9 months out of the year. If you were to incorporate a solar power system you could easily extend to the full 12 months of the year. Wind Energy is a free renewable resource that is readily available as long as the wind blows and could be used to ease the burdens on the natural resources economy, help to maintain a safe and healthy environment and also save the consumer some money as well.
There are several guides that are out that can show you how to setup and install wind generation and solar power generation systems in your home to help you conserve money and electricity, and also help you do your part in the fight to break free from our dependency on natural resources.