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Residential Wind Turbines:
With the constantly increasing energy prices, more and more households are looking for alternative sources that can generate free electricity. Renewable energy technologies are becoming popular options.
In general, there are five common renewable energy sources: biomass, hydropower, geothermal, heat, wind and solar power. In residential areas, however, solar and wind sources are considered the most suitable.
If living in an area in sunny condition, the solar power system will be beneficial while the wind energy system will work for those in an area with windy conditions.
Though wind energy is a by-product of solar resources, wind energy devices have some advantages over that of solar systems.
Compared with solar cells that can only generate electricity during daytime, wind turbines can operate day and night. In addition, because wind tends to be stronger during winter, wind turbines can produce electricity more than solar panels.
There are two general types of residential wind turbines for home purposes. These are the horizontal axis and the vertical axis wind turbines.
The most common between the two are the horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They have three blades rotating in horizontal circle like a clock’s hand. They can produce about 300 to 10,000 watts of electricity.
Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have vertical rotators and make use of rectangular panels instead of blades. Unlike the HAWTs, these types of wind turbines can collect wind from multiple directions even with interferences. Thus, are more suitable in areas surrounded with tall buildings.
Utilizing wind turbines to generate electricity offers many benefits both for the user and to the environment.
Homemade wind turbines can definitely reduce households’ consumption of energy from traditional sources and therefore cut off the cost of their electric bills. But there are also some things to consider about wind turbines.
First, they seem to be impractical for areas that are heavily populated. Large buildings and other products of urban expansion may affect wind patterns making the energy source inconsistent and unpredictable.
In this case, it is best recommended to use rooftop wind turbines. These smaller wind turbines can reduce energy bill by about 10 percent or more still depending on the owner’s consumption.
Rooftop wind turbines are also suitable for those living in isolated flat areas. Other options include the elevated homemade wind turbines but these are basically more expensive. It comes with a tower that is about 80 to 120 feet. The tower helps the turbine get more access to stronger winds.
A small rooftop turbine is not enough to power an entire household. They can only produce small amount of energy. If planning to use wind energy for all electricity need, then more than one homemade wind turbines on top of towers will be necessary.
Purchasing or making home wind turbines are not that expensive. There are just some important factors like location, proper installation and precautionary measures to be considered to maximize their efficiency.
Periodic maintenance and regular safety inspections are also essential to make these turbines life usage last and to ensure the neighborhood safety.