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. 
October 28, 2009
Hi Folks,
I’m considering installing a wind power generator on my property as well as several solar panels. Where I live, I have hot water baseboard heating and an electric hot water heater. My property is well positioned for this type of application. I have 3 acres right by a lake and the wind blows 50 to70% of the time. I’ve got a local representative coming over in a few days to do a complete assessment of my property. My power bill is $320.00 per month. Can someone give me and idea of what your power bill or actual CASH MONEY SAVINGS IN YOUR POCKET have been as a result of installing solar applications on your property? I think it is a tremendous investment and I see only high energy costs for the rest of my life. I just retired and don’t like what I see. I’m looking at investing over $20,000 to get this done. This includes a wind power generator cemented into the ground. Does anyone have these wind generators installed on their roof? Thanks folks!
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Oct 28th, 2009. 2 Comments.
October 26, 2009
Obviously I would need a wind mill, i heard batteries and a converter. My question is what do I need and what do the components do in lamens terms
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Oct 26th, 2009. 2 Comments.
October 4, 2009
There are a number of reasons why you may want to purchase a home wind generator. They are going to save you money, help the environment and will offer you more control and freedom. In the effort to improve your life, a home wind generator could be a great decision.
One of the largest reasons why folk think about employing a home wind generator is because of how much it can help the environment. Wind of course is an infinite resource, and you do not have to burn or process anything in order to convert it into power.
Also, there are no travel costs or environmental damage associated with utilizing the wind. No normal fuels are needed, and nothing needs to be brought in from a foreign country or distant region in order to supply your home with power, making a home wind generator a logical solution.
Using a home turbine is also going to leave you less reliant on major firms, not to mention political chaos around the planet. Then regardless of what is going on any where else, you’ve got the same consistent, cheap and unswerving source of electricity for your home, greatly reducing your stress or worries on the matter.
It is important to note that employing a home wind generator may not leave you completely independent from the electrical firms. Weather conditions and the size of the unit you can place on your property will affect how much energy you can derive from it.
A huge home wind generator system can need a safe diameter of at least five meters to function effectively . The bigger you get, the more power you get. Property restrictions though have made units of that size hard for some people to acquire. However, even if you cannot completely eliminate your monthly electric bill, you can seriously decrease it every month.
As opposed to some other sources of replenish-able home energy supplies, for example solar cells, they’re more cost effective and more effective. Solar energy panels can only work in the daytime hours and to get sufficient power for your home are going to cost more than you will have envisioned.
A home wind generator is logical for you and your family in many other ways. You can cut down on costs and help out the environment at the same time, and they are superior to other renewable energy sources for the home. A home wind generator is obviously a good choice to turn to for your home electricity needs.
Stephen Joyce offers readers great information on his passion, wind generation and wind generators. He offers information that will help those thinking of purchasing one know which one will best meet their needs. Visit him here.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Oct 4th, 2009. Comment.
September 10, 2009
Okay, I was curious as to what profession installs (small) wind turbines and solar energy panels. I’m in carpentry right now and I am very interested in learning of such a thing. Wehn I mention small wind turbines I’m speaking of roof top turbines that generate electricity from kinetic energy.
Filed under Vertical Wind Generator by on Sep 10th, 2009. 1 Comment.
