John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology
realated subjects. For more information about John visit his website
www.techstore.ie.
January 23, 2010
Lately, advertisements about residential wind turbines, articles about advantages of wind energy, government grants announced for utilising wind energy, opponents of wind turbines, and many more things are flowing into our minds increasingly day by day. Whether you have some basic knowledge about it or you know nothing about it, in this article you will have the chance to know about key facts about wind energy.
We will start from very basics and proceed to more detailed information about wind energy, particularly residential use of wind energy.
What is a wind turbine? How does it work?
A wind turbine is a machine that converts the energy in the wind to electrical energy by means of rotating blades and a generator. Of course the working principles of a wind turbine are much more complicated. They include transmission elements, safety units, controllers etc. The blades rotate by the blowing wind and the rotation is transferred to the generator within the turbine. And this generator is the source of electricity. Then from the generator depending on the configuration of the turbine electricity is fed to the grid or directly to the point of use.
What is the difference between a commercial and a residential wind turbine?
Just their capacities! While a commercial wind turbine can have a capacity of up to 5MW residential wind turbines are generally much smaller, i.e. a few hundred kilowatts maximum.
Why do people consider purchasing them? Isn’t buying electricity from the grid cheaper?
Actually, at the beginning yes. When the investment costs of a wind turbine is considered and reflected over years, for the first couple of years buying the electricity from the grid can be cheaper. However, the aim of using residential wind turbines is not only cheaper electricity. First of all they can be used at places where there is no grid connection. For example, farm houses far from grid connection or special small electrical appliances located in places where no grid exists can make use of small wind turbines for their electricity needs. In addition to these, wind turbines generate “clean energy”. This means that for generating electricity by wind turbines you don’t cause carbon dioxide emission like in many generation processes. Furthermore, in Ireland use of wind turbines for residential needs is also supported by the government and there are grants available for the initial investment. As a final remark, having a wind turbine for part of electricity needs of your house will result in a better Building Energy Rating (BER) report which will eventually increase the market value of your house.
Can wind turbines be used for any house?
No. First of all you have to make sure that there are not much obstacles (other houses, high towers etc.) that block the wind of the turbine. Second, you need to learn how windy your area is. For commercial installations generally measurements are made 6 months-1 year in advance of installation at the exact turbine location but for a small scale turbine you can use the wind statistics published generally by the government offices. Be sure to choose the measurement location closest to your area. For relatively less needs, such as a single appliance, roof-top wind turbines can be also used. Prior to installing a turbine always take the necessary permits that are required in your area.
What if a turbine generates more electricity than required?
Residential wind turbines can be either standalone systems or grid connected systems. If you have enough space to build a larger wind turbine then you can have it grid connected and you can get paid for the electricity you supply to the national grid.
How much can someone save with a residential wind turbine?
Actually, this all depends on your consumption and the capacity of your wind turbine as well as the wind conditions in your site. To give a rough estimation; some studies show that you can decrease your electricity bills up to 80 percent with a residential wind turbine of appropriate size.
What about maintenance of turbines?
Many small wind turbines have a small number of moving parts which make them suitable to use without maintenance for a long time. A wind turbine is expected to have an economic life of 20 years.
Where can I get detailed consultancy about residential wind turbines?
Windturbines is the largest retailer of micro turbines in Ireland, selling and installing over 100 turbines nationwide in 2008. You can visit their website or contact them to get more information about their products and your needs.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Jan 23rd, 2010. Comment. 
November 9, 2009
Home wind turbines are not really among the things that people would normally consider when buying renewable power systems for their homes. One of the reasons behind this is their lack of knowledge about these small wind systems that are ideal for home use. Since the most obvious alternative energy source is the sun, most people will surely look for solar panels to put up on their roofs. Although there is nothing wrong with using solar power, you should consider the power of the wind too. Even if you live in suburban areas, there is still a way for you to harness wind power using small wind systems.
The first thing that many people ask about home wind turbines is how they work. In essence, a turbine, which is placed on top of a tower, collects energy from the wind and turns it to usable electricity. In residences that are not located in remote areas, it is still necessary to get the services of your local utility company because the energy generated by the turbines will not be enough. It is also worth noting that the speed of the wind can greatly affect the electric output of your home wind system. If the wind speed is lower than 7 miles per hour, you should not expect any output from your turbine. However, if you are able to generate more electricity than what you need, your local energy company can purchase the excess power from you.
Another concern for homeowners is how much money is saved when they use home wind turbines. According to studies, a small wind system can actually cut your bill by as much as 50 to 90 percent. Some people even claim that after successfully installing a wind system in their homes, they only pay $8 to $15 dollars in monthly electricity bill for more than two-thirds of any given year.
However, you should understand that the size of your home wind turbine will greatly affect the amount of money you will save. The higher the output of the small wind turbine, the more significant the impact will be on your electric bill. It would be a good idea to use several small wind turbines in order to generate enough usable electricity. The most common turbines available in the market have 600, 800, 1,000 or 3,000 output watts.
Before you buy home wind turbines, there are some things that you need to consider. First, you have to determine local laws on installing small wind systems in your city or locality. You do not want to end up buying a wind turbine only to realize later on that you cannot use it at home. Furthermore, you also need to choose a home wind turbine that is suitable to the size of your home and the size of your property. Furthermore, you also need to look for an online store that will not only provide you with quality small wind turbines but will give you value for your money as well.
To know more about Home Wind Turbines and other alternative energy sources, go to http://www.eSolarZone.com.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Nov 9th, 2009. Comment.
October 19, 2009
I have a cottage overlooking Cape Cod Bay; there is a steady breeze; I am wondering if there are any devices on the market which don’t require regulatory approval, but could generate electricity safely. I am looking for real-life experiences with units that function reliably, as I have heard about expensive devices which aren’t too reliable, have problems standing up to harsh weather conditions, etc.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Oct 19th, 2009. 1 Comment.
September 26, 2009
Wondered if anyone knew how to build a simple homemade wind generator to power our home? A homemade wind generator that is not too complicated would be good. Please help us.Thanks
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Sep 26th, 2009. 2 Comments.
September 17, 2009
Try to help small village home with their drought, electricity, farming, small industry, pump and water problems. They got plenty of wind and sunshine but rather dispense with fuel operational cost. Perhaps wind generator and solar panel generator could be the solutions. Besides being a good standby reliable no cost operation it also help prevent greehouse emission. Looking for a reliable products and supplier both for sosial and commercial purpose. Appreciate any website you could introduce me to. Thank you.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Sep 17th, 2009. 2 Comments.
