Tag Homemade wind Turbine

Reasons to go off-grid

For years, people have depended on fuel-powered electricity, depleting the earth’s natural resources and contributing simultaneously to environmental pollution and the thinning of the earth’s own protective shield, the ozone layer.

Exploitation of renewable energy resources opened awareness to green energy and give way to the Green Revolution. Solar and wind energy had a rough start but through the years, people find reasons why choosing to go off-grid is a good idea.

Independent energy generation

Homemade wind turbines and do-it-yourself solar energy panels allow people to generate their own electricity, steering clear from costly electricity bills every month. It also creates a sense of national pride as you help the government reduce its reliance from foreign countries’ oil reserves and support your own country’s advocacy to save the environment.

Provides additional source of income

Rural areas far from the main grid benefit highly from wind turbine as it gives new sources of income to landowners, farmers, and communities. It strengthens rural and other depressed areas and gives the opportunity to expand local commercial initiative.

Less environmental effects

Renewable energy sources pose less harm to the environment compared to non-renewable resources. Wind turbines produce no harmful elements that can pollute water and air. It also eliminates the need for excavation to harvest fuel for electricity generation and erecting nuclear power plants that pose great threat not only to the environment but also to the lives of the people.

Support for recreational vehicles

Roving around with a recreational vehicle needs electricity, especially when you travel to a remote location. You can either install a RV solar panel on your vehicle’s roof. Try combining a small wind turbine with your solar panel to create a more reliable source of electricity.

Affordability

Wind energy, when mounted in the right location and able to generate suitable clean electricity, offers an efficient and cost-effective alternative to fuel-powered electricity. The cost of homemade wind turbines installation has significantly decreased through the years, allowing more individuals to shift to green energy.

Sustain agriculture

Although wind turbines require huge towers to be able to generate appropriate energy to supply a whole community, the towers can still be installed amid a farm or cropland without interfering crop and livestock production.

Government tariffs and subsidies

Like other energy systems, wind energy is also subsidized. Commercial and residential renewable energy users are able to cut their taxes down as the federal government offers tax incentives and rebates as well as various tax credits given by utility companies and local government agencies.

Introduction of rural areas to new industry

The best place to install large-scale wind turbines is in rural areas since the towers need vast geographic area. Thus, it will create a new industry and a new source of property taxes in rural yet windy areas, creating jobs and new opportunities to the community.

Local ownership

Homemade wind turbines can generate enough electricity to power residential areas and even small businesses. With the proper tools, machines, and wind energy, a house can consume clean electricity and help plow back energy dollars to the local economy.

Routine Wind Turbine Maintenance

Wind turbines, like any machines, benefit from regular maintenance. Homemade wind turbines need to be maintained at regular intervals to ensure uninterrupted, optimized, clean energy, and a sound investment.
Tips on maintaining your homemade wind turbines:

Check the gearbox regularly

The gearbox is the heart of the wind turbine system. It keeps the turbine running smoothly to generate efficient and clean electricity. If a gearbox becomes problematic, the whole wind energy system will not operate correctly. Like other gearbox, it contains gears that need to be freshly-oiled and lubricated regularly to keep the gears from grinding and wearing, check the gearbox for dirt, debris, and other elements that may prevent it from working efficiently. Schedule a regular oil and oil filter change.

Wind turbines are one of the systems that require demanding gearbox applications due to extremely difficult loads to predict. Replacement components can also be expensive, which is why regular upkeep is recommended.

Keep the blades clean and damage free

Like a normal fan, the blades of homemade wind turbines need to be cleaned regularly. Dirt can cause damage to the blades and prevent it from running at its maximum potential. Wind turbine blades also need to be balanced or risk gearbox and shaft problems, causing more damage and stopping the system’s operations altogether.

Auto-sensors actually help

Most people look at auto-sensors as an additional cost and are not essential in wind energy systems. The truth is that auto-sensors optimize the turbine’s operation. These sensors automatically detect the direction of the wind and then shift the turbine to the best direction to be able to generate more energy. Solar energy panels also use auto-sensors that adjust the panels to the direction of the sun, thus harvesting more sunlight.

Check bolt and screw torques

Turbine bolts need to be re-torqued regularly to ensure safe and efficient operation. Bolts and screws loosen because of the blade spinning vibration. Regularly check the bolts and tighten or change if needed. Loose bolts and screws do not only decrease the efficiency of wind turbines, they also pose great danger to nearby areas.

Regularly check brake pads

Wind turbine blades are installed with brake pads that help control the speed of the blades. Some people think brake pads lessen the energy generated by wind turbines. However, safety comes first. It is essential to keep the brake pads in top condition to be able to control and stop the rotors or propellers that are moving too quickly. Although most wind turbine brake pads automatically detects wind speed and stops the rotors accordingly, it’s always best to check it regularly.

Maintenance cost of wind turbines is generally low, especially newly installed and newer generations of turbines. However, it is expected that as the turbines age, maintenance will also increase sporadically, as well as unscheduled repairs. Depending on the quality and weather conditions, wind turbines have a life expectancy of 20 years but with regular upkeep, you can be sure of a small probability of failure after two decades have elapsed.