Wind Power for Homes
For homeowners wind power solutions currently come in two varieties: purchased and self-generated. Wind farms are becoming more commonplace now, and the electricity generated by them is sold on the market often in the form of a specific 'green' utility. Often wind generated electricity comes at a premium, but this is simply because not enough people are making demands of their power utility and politicians to switch to green energy. Renewable energy is not going to solve all of our problems and allow us to carry on 'business as usual', but it is going to make a significant impact.
Self-generated wind power for homes is a dream for many. An 'off-the-grid' system is the goal of many who are tired of paying high utility bills and of contributing to a dirty planet. Unfortunately, many obstactles stand in the path of any citizen deteremined to clean up their energy act by becoming self-sufficient. Chief of these is cost.
Currently to install a wind, solar, heat pump or even micro-hydro system costs tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, the system will pay for itself in the end, but often that can be years or even decades away. How much easier it is to just plug into the grid and pay a monthly fee.
Wind power for homes also faces the obstactles of public perception and prejudice. Because the turbines have to be installed high on towers, they create a visual that is considered unsightly by many. There is also a belief that they are noisy, which is simply untrue. Some people believe other nonsense like they will interfere with television signals (who uses an antennae these days?) or are dangerous in some way.
A wind turbine, whether a giant industrial scale model or a small residential unit, consists of the same basic parts. First of all, there are two main types of wind turbines: horizontal and vertical axis. You are likely
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With the world's ever-increasing demand of power being more than its supply, it is about time that we take concrete steps to save power. Apart from being conscious about the usage of power and water at home, one can employ
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What is true of home wind power is that most homes are simply not suitable for creating a decent amount of power with the existing technology. Most of us live in urban settings, and obstactles create turbulence which intereferes with wind streams. To compensate wind turbines must be mounted high up, at least 30ft. above the highest obstactle. This makes the installation complicated and expensive. Maintainence also becomes an issue when the main mechanical component of the system is 100 ft. above the ground!
Yet, many homeowers have created small residential wind power systems, that can generate enough electricity to run appliances, and even have a surplus to sell back to the utility. Imagine the day you get a cheque from your local power company instead of a bill!
Wind power for homes is a reality not a distant future dream. As more and more homeowners look to sustainable solutions for their power needs and get away from the centrist system we have all grown accustomed to, prices will drop and technology will improve. At the same time our reliance on fossil fuels will diminish, and we may yet stand a chance in the face of global warming.