Monday, August 31, 2009

The Basics Of Residential Wind Power

By David Glen

Anywhere that there are relatively strong winds is a good candidate for a wind energy system to partially or even totally replace the power from your local utility. A residential wind turbine can help you to meet the energy needs of your home or business, significantly reducing costs. These turbines may be and often are used along with a solar power system, since many of the parts needed for one are also used for the other. A wind turbine is installed on a tower and transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy which may be used to provide power in the home.

The majority of homes which have a residential wind power system use power from the local utility company in addition to their wind turbines. The reason for this is that most wind turbines have a cut-in speed (usually 7 to ten mph). If the wind speed falls below this, then power must be drawn from the local grid. When the wind is moving faster than the cut-in speed, then the turbines begin supplying electricity to the home, reducing the need for electricity from the utility company. If you generate more power than you use, it can be fed back into the power grid - and your utility company will pay you for it!

Small-scale wind systems for remote applications function rather differently. The wind turbine normally lessens electricity bills by half and it's not unusual for wind turbine owners with total-electric homes to have lesser monthly utility bills. The amount of money a small wind turbine will depend upon its cost, the chunk of electricity used, the average wind speed at the site, and other factors pertaining to its usage.

A wind power system is dependent on the average wind speed in the area where it is installed. Homeowners will find that their turbines yield the best results when installed in areas which see average wind speeds of 10 mph and up.

However, home owners don't usually need to take measurements of wind speed in order to use residential wind power systems. This data is already freely available without having to do your own tests; though you may want to look up the average wind speed in your area before you install. If you happen to live somewhere which has enough wind to make a residential wind turbine cost effective, then you may go ahead and install the residential wind turbine in confidence.

Residential wind systems are quiet and don't interfere with television or other electronic signals and can be installed with relative ease. Your local utility may even install an additional meter in your home to measure the excess electricity your wind power system is feeding back into the power grid.

Complete, ready to install wind turbine systems are readily available, though homeowners can also choose to buy the necessary parts and install it themselves. Purchasing a ready to install system costs a bit more but comes with more comprehensive support if needed. Installing a wind turbine on one's own requires a little more technical know-how, but also a significant savings over a ready to install system. People interested in a residential wind power system should look into the pros and cons of each option for themselves to choose which is best for their needs.

Installing wind power generation at home also helps the environment. Wind turbines generate no pollution and by means of wind power, they can counterbalance tons of air pollutants and greenhouse gases which all cause climate change.

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