DIY Wind Turbine Power System Can Be Your Primary Power Source
Wind turbines have been improving a lot lately and can be a very good source of green energy for your home.
To get the best results from a wind turbine system you need at least 1/2 acre of land without trees or buildings interfering with the wind flow and an average wind speed of 10 mph or higher.
Although it's possible to have a wind power system only, if you want to be completely independent from grid utility power many people combine wind energy with solar generated energy.
The reason for this is the two systems compliment each other, when it's overcast the wind is usually blowing and when it's sunny the wind is generally calmer.
Before you install a wind energy system you should do a site evaluation.
First question to be answered is there a good wind resource.
You can make a good estimate of the wind resource at your site from Dept.
of Energy's Wind Powering America Program that has wind resource maps for each state.
You should check with local authorities for zoning codes in your intended area.
Zoning and permitting requirements can be obtained from the local building inspector's office or other appropriate governing offices.
There might also be homeowner associations that have restrictions for aesthetics or noise concerns.
Determining the amount of electricity you'll need is another important consideration.
To be economically feasible your electricity bill should be $150/mo or higher.
Making your home or business more energy-efficient will be cheaper than producing that electricity.
It's estimated for every $1 you spend making your home or business more energy-efficient you save $3-$5 on the cost of the wind energy system you'll need.
With the information you gathered from above you can now look for the right size turbine you'll need.
The manufacturers can usually give you electricity output as a function of the average wind speed keeping in mind the wind speed increases the higher you up you go.
To be completely off grid a wind turbine/solar system will need auxiliary equipment.
One essential is a battery bank to store the excess energy produced.
With a battery bank a charge controller, located between the wind turbine and the batteries, is necessary so you don't overcharge the batteries.
The battery bank should be in a vapor proof box that is vented to the outside if you're using liquid filled batteries.
The box needs to be vented because hydrogen gas is produced by the batteries during charging.
If you use the more expensive gel filled batteries then the vapor proof box won't be needed.
The system up to this point has all been direct current (DC) and everything in your home runs on alternating current (AC) which means you need an inverter to produce the proper voltage and current.
A wind power system is an excellent way for supplying power in places where there is no grid.
The expense of bringing the power to remote locations is far more than a wind system will cost.
In places where there is a grid connection, the wind system can substantially reduce the home electric bill especially if combined with a solar power system.
To get the best results from a wind turbine system you need at least 1/2 acre of land without trees or buildings interfering with the wind flow and an average wind speed of 10 mph or higher.
Although it's possible to have a wind power system only, if you want to be completely independent from grid utility power many people combine wind energy with solar generated energy.
The reason for this is the two systems compliment each other, when it's overcast the wind is usually blowing and when it's sunny the wind is generally calmer.
Before you install a wind energy system you should do a site evaluation.
First question to be answered is there a good wind resource.
You can make a good estimate of the wind resource at your site from Dept.
of Energy's Wind Powering America Program that has wind resource maps for each state.
You should check with local authorities for zoning codes in your intended area.
Zoning and permitting requirements can be obtained from the local building inspector's office or other appropriate governing offices.
There might also be homeowner associations that have restrictions for aesthetics or noise concerns.
Determining the amount of electricity you'll need is another important consideration.
To be economically feasible your electricity bill should be $150/mo or higher.
Making your home or business more energy-efficient will be cheaper than producing that electricity.
It's estimated for every $1 you spend making your home or business more energy-efficient you save $3-$5 on the cost of the wind energy system you'll need.
With the information you gathered from above you can now look for the right size turbine you'll need.
The manufacturers can usually give you electricity output as a function of the average wind speed keeping in mind the wind speed increases the higher you up you go.
To be completely off grid a wind turbine/solar system will need auxiliary equipment.
One essential is a battery bank to store the excess energy produced.
With a battery bank a charge controller, located between the wind turbine and the batteries, is necessary so you don't overcharge the batteries.
The battery bank should be in a vapor proof box that is vented to the outside if you're using liquid filled batteries.
The box needs to be vented because hydrogen gas is produced by the batteries during charging.
If you use the more expensive gel filled batteries then the vapor proof box won't be needed.
The system up to this point has all been direct current (DC) and everything in your home runs on alternating current (AC) which means you need an inverter to produce the proper voltage and current.
A wind power system is an excellent way for supplying power in places where there is no grid.
The expense of bringing the power to remote locations is far more than a wind system will cost.
In places where there is a grid connection, the wind system can substantially reduce the home electric bill especially if combined with a solar power system.