Home Wind Power Generators As A Renewable Resource

We are going to focus our topic on using home wind generators as a means of producing electric power for our personal consumption. Technology has really improved to the point that it is now feasible for the average home owner to eliminate their electric bill. We are going to look at what is in the marketplace to accomplish this and if the products available will contribute to the goal of living off the grid.

Home Wind Power Generators Explained

Wind happens because of the earth being warmed by the sun in varying degrees. The wind turbines convert the kinetic
energy into electricity. The wind is captured by the turbine's blades and used to convert the rotary motion to turn the generator.
Most manufacturers provide data on safe operating speeds for the turbine and come with a governor to prevent damage
in excessive windy conditions. These turbines can also be used singularly or in concert with a distribution grid.
Here is a Department of Energy photo of a basic turbine used as a renewable energy resource.

Wind has as it's base a form of energy directly related to the sun. The heating of the atmosphere in an uneven manner
along with the earth's rotation and the earth's surface are all contributing factors. The common names of wind energy
and wind power are used to describe the process of using the wind to generate mechanical power and electrical power.

How do turbines make electric power? Think of a ceiling fan in reverse. The ceiling fan uses electric power to turn and
the wind generator uses wind to produce electric power. The wind is caught by the turbines's blades and this is used
to rotate a shaft connected generator which produces power.

Most home wind generators today are the horizontal axis type and usually contain a two or three blade component. These uniits
are placed in what is known as the "upwind" position with the turbine assembly facing into the wind.

There are various sizes of units in use today with the largest able to produce in the megawatt category while others are
producing in the kilowatts area of production. When these are put together to hook up to a grid system they are known
as "wind farms."

For our purposes on a small level, we will be considering units capable of producing 100 kilowatts. They are often
configured in with a combination photovoltaic sysytem. These are known as hybrid systems.

Let's take a look inside home wind generators and see what makes them tick. Here is a photo from the Department of Energy.

Are Home Wind Power Generators Right For Me?

These are just a few things to consider when installing a system for your home. Is your average annual wind speed in the
range of 9 miles per hour? Do you have an interest in living off the grid? Do you live in an area where costs are ten to
fifteen cents per kilowatt hour? One more consideration is that there are incentives in place by state and federal
governments to encourage using renewable resources. One way to check on this is to visit the Database of State
Incentives For Renewables & Efficiency(http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm?EE=1&RE=1).

Conclusion

The economics of this come into play as a stand alone type of system. That being said, coupled with a solar generating
system to form a hybrid unit is well worth considering. There is a scientist and inventor by the name of Bill Ford that has
a very economical solution. His home wind power generators product has been listed in Popular Science and Popular Mechanics.
Here is a graphic of his product: To visit his site click the graphic.

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