Posts Tagged ‘home wind turbines’

Electricity Production - The Hidden Story.

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Did you know that a large proportion of the world’s electrical power is derived from burning the fossil fuel coal? And that it is more than likely one of the leading sources of the gases in the atmosphere that are causing climate change (aka greenhouse gases).

It can be difficult to envision that each time you turn on a kitchen appliance that you are actually in part responsible for the release of contaminants into the air, but in reality that is exactly what is actually taking place.

Estimations vary, but in the United states approximately half of the electrical energy produced is from coal burning. In China, the worlds most populous nation, coal comprises over three quarters of the country’s energy consumption.

Coal is burned to create high temperatures, and then the heat is utilized to turn water into steam. This vapor is put under pressure and forced through turbines, making the turbines rotate. It’s the rotating of the turbines that produces the electrical energy.

Even though there are other sources of heat for steam (eg. nuclear, geothermal power, and natural gas amongst others) coal is by a long shot the most popular energy source employed.

The burning of coal releases a number of greenhouse gases and also some other polluting particulates into the air. Amongst the air-borne pollutants emitted are:
- CO2 - the biggest reason for global warming,
- SO2 (Sulphur Dioxide) - which causes acid rain when mixed with water,
- Nitrogen Oxide - a significant contributor to smog
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) - a toxin which can be fatal (CO2 is also found in car exhausts)
- hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds
- deadly metals for instance mercury
- uranium and lead

Electricity firms, like any other business, react to demand from customers. When there is a demand from customers for electrical power then somebody will make big dollars by delivering it!  And while burning coal is one of the cheapest techniques to generate electricity, then it will remain in use.

Consequently, in a quite genuine sense, every single occasion you turn on your microwave oven or light switch, somewhere there will certainly be coal being combusted to generate that electricity.

At this time there are various renewable sources of electric power that are beginning to become more commonplace. Wind energy, solar energy and now even wave energy are being utilized and turned into electrical energy. In the superior scientific age we live in almost any variety of energy can be transformed into electrical power.

And with developments in know-how it means that harnessing this natural energy for your own private use is becoming much more achievable. In fact plenty of folk are looking to go off-grid, develop  their very own electrical power and accordingly lower the need for electricity produced through burning coal.

Wind energy is one of the most easily captured sources of energy. Simple home wind generators can be built for only a couple of hundred dollars.

Take a look at this really great article about home wind generators.

Home Wind Turbine Saves Energy Costs And Protects Our Environment

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Home wind tubine is a smart and alternative form of energy. It comes with a whole host of benefits including being the least expensive form of new energy source.

As technology improves, the costs to build wind turbine will continue to decrease. This is extremely important to take note of as the bulk of the money you will be spending is in manufacturing.

The long and short of it is after you’ve gotten your wind turbine up and in position, it requires a minimum amount of money to maintain. And don’t forget, wind power is completely free.

Home wind turbines provide for a sustainable and clean source of energy. Carbon dioxide emissions are a thing of the past, which is a great help to the climate.

Turning to wind energy is a no brainer as it cannot be depleted like natural resources.

By now you are probably wondering just how the home wind turbine works.

Here’s a bit of an idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into.

A home wind turbine, typically positioned on top of a tall tower, takes in kinetic energy from the wind. It then converts that energy into electricity that is compatible with your home’s electrical system.

Wind power will be served at the same time by your wind turbine and the local utility company. Here’s why - if the wind speeds dip below cut-in speed (7-10 mph), you won’t be getting any output from the turbine.

To make up for the deficit, you will need to purchase additional electricity from your power company.

As the wind starts to speed up, the wind turbine output grows. What you need to purchase from your power company will be decreased.

Now at this point, when the wind turbine generates more power than your household needs, the extra electricity is sold back to your power company. Don’t worry, all this will take place automatically.

Needless to say, you won’t require batteries to operate your home wind turbine.

Know this - the exact amount of cash you’ll save will depend on several factors: how much it costs you to build the system, how much electricity you use regularly and more importantly the average wind speed at your home.

However, you can expect your wind turbine to lower your electricity bill between 50-90 percent. What it boils down to is a monthly utility bill of less than $15 for at least nine months of the year.

Seriously, you can see that getting your own home wind turbine is right on the money. Think about what it means. The environmental effects along with the tremendous financial savings will truly have a dramatic impact on your life as well as the world.

Tapping Into Renewable Energy Sources With Home Wind Turbines

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

There are a lot of talks about renewable energy and tapping into “free energy,” however, renewable energy is not free anymore than gasoline is free. Sure, it is theirs for the taking, but you have to invest effort in “taking it.” So, how do you figure out if purchasing a home wind turbine is really going to save you money.

Take A Look At A Wind Map

A good first step is to look at a “wind map” of the United States. Check the area where you live. Does it show a “high” wind velocity or “low”? If you live in an area with little to no wind at all, then there is not much point in going any further. If however, you stay in a windy area, perhaps along the coast or on the open plains, you should look into it further.

Balance Price and Conversion Efficiency

Once you know that you have “wind energy” in your backyard, you can figure out what type of home wind turbine you would like to purchase. You want to find a home wind turbine that has a balance of both conversion efficiency (how well the turbine converts wind energy) and cost. If it converts energy very efficiently, but is outrageously expensive, it won’t save you money. You do not want to spend dollar to get a nickel.

Will I Save Money?

The idea of this exercise is find out if a home wind turbine can save you money. To calculate the cost per kilowatt hour, divide your monthly payment for the turbine by the total number of kilowatt hours. Compare this number to what you are presently paying the power company per kilowatt hour.

The Alternative - Do It Yourself

Of course there is an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on a brand new, high tech system. You can build your own wind turbine. The main advantage of building your own is that it is very much cheaper. The turbine may not be as efficient, but you will have less money invested in the first place, so you will get a greater return on your investment. In fact, it is possible to build a simple home wind turbine for less than $200. If you live in a windy area, several of these turbines will be more than enough to power your home.

Tapping Into Renewable Energy Sources With Home Wind Turbines

Monday, September 13th, 2010

There are a lot of talks about renewable energy and tapping into “free energy,” however, renewable energy is not free anymore than gasoline is free. Sure, it is theirs for the taking, but you have to invest effort in “taking it.” So, how do you figure out if purchasing a home wind turbine is really going to save you money.

Take A Look At A Wind Map

A good first step is to look at a “wind map” of the United States. Check the area where you live. Does it show a “high” wind velocity or “low”? If you live in an area with little to no wind at all, then there is not much point in going any further. If however, you stay in a windy area, perhaps along the coast or on the open plains, you should look into it further.

Balance Price and Conversion Efficiency

Once you know that you have “wind energy” in your backyard, you can figure out what type of home wind turbine you would like to purchase. You want to find a home wind turbine that has a balance of both conversion efficiency (how well the turbine converts wind energy) and cost. If it converts energy very efficiently, but is outrageously expensive, it won’t save you money. You do not want to spend dollar to get a nickel.

Will I Save Money?

The idea of this exercise is find out if a home wind turbine can save you money. To calculate the cost per kilowatt hour, divide your monthly payment for the turbine by the total number of kilowatt hours. Compare this number to what you are presently paying the power company per kilowatt hour.

The Alternative - Do It Yourself

Of course there is an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on a brand new, high tech system. You can build your own wind turbine. The main advantage of building your own is that it is very much cheaper. The turbine may not be as efficient, but you will have less money invested in the first place, so you will get a greater return on your investment. In fact, it is possible to build a simple home wind turbine for less than $200. If you live in a windy area, several of these turbines will be more than enough to power your home.

Building a Wind Turbine

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Why you should build your own wind turbine? The reason is simple. It is because you get to save over 80% of your electrical expenses every month. With such the present economic crisis happening in the world today, it can be a breath of fresh air to see the cost of such items actually decrease for a change. You will have to make a small investment when you build your own wind turbines. Yet, you will find that it pays for itself in a matter of months.

If you create more energy than you use when you build wind turbine, the electric company may be sending you a check each month. Now, that is definitely something to look forward to in the mailbox! Home wind turbines are not going to be huge like those you see out in the open plains. They are very appealing so you don't have to be overly concerned that it is going to stick out like a sore thumb in your yard.

There are quite a few professionals out there that will install the home wind turbines for you. Take a look online to find those that are in your area. You can also get a free estimate from them so you can budget yourself for the installation. You can also buy a kit that comes with everything you need to do it yourself. If you have some basic tools around the house, you should be able to follow the steps without any problems.

If you are to open up your mind, you will discover there are quite a few different options when you build your own wind turbine. You can get the entire family involved in putting together one of the kits. This is an ideal way to teach children how they can do their part to use alternative sources of renewable energy.

You may want to install additional home wind turbines in order to generate enough electricity for your homes. That way you aren’t dependent upon a back up source at all. The amount of energy from wind you can create will depend on how much wind you are able to receive in your area. Keep in mind that it can change from day to day and from season to season.