Saturday, July 18, 2009

Factors that will influence the output of your wind turbine

By John Ashbury

Wind turbines are dependent upon a number of different influences that will determine how much energy is created and stored. You will need to bear these things in mind if you are considering using this form of alternative energy for your home or business. Solar systems also have differences and that can make wind a better alternative.

The average wind speed is a factor that is a big influence on how much electricity that can be produced from a wind turbine. The more wind speed that you have then the higher the production of electricity will be. This means two things.

You will need to take into account the amount of wind that you receive where you live. If you receive lots of wind and often that wind is strong, you will know that using a wind powered system, or wind turbine, would be the smart choice for your energy needs. However, if you live in an area that does not experience much wind then you will not be able to generate much energy from the wind turbine.

The diameter of the rotor has a lot to do with the output of the electricity that you get from a wind turbine also. The bigger the diameter is of the rotor then the more output you have of electricity also. You need to consider a good sized rotor. Cost may be a factor but you are defeating the purpose if you go for the cheaper solution of a smaller rotor. In order to get the most energy you need to get a bigger rotor.

Your system will need to off the ground, because a system that is close to the ground might not be able to collect strong wind in order to be converted into the energy that you need. Therefore you will need to have a tower for the system. This will keep it high enough so that it will be able to collect the strong gusts of wind to change into energy. A wind that is around ten miles per hour is not going to be of much use at all. But the higher the tower, the more energy will ultimately be produced.

Although you might be considering choosing to use solar power you need to remember that those systems are dependent upon the sun. If you live in a place where there are not many days of sunshine per year that system will not be the choice you should make. Even if you do experience enough sunshine, other factors can still prevent the system from working adequately, such as clouds, rain, snow and even debris. Also, most solar systems have panels which require electricity in order to operate.

A wind turbine does not require anything but the wind in the air. There isn't anything stopping the wind unless you live in a pocket or right up against a mountain and are blocked.

Many factors influence the amount of electricity that wind turbines generate and store within the system. Most of the time the system actually relies on these factors in order to put out the most energy possible. If you can meet these factors, IE, the height and size, then you can expect to have a system that will supply your energy needs in a very cost effective, environment friendly way.

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