Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Building Wind Power Generators To Power Your Home

By David Sullivan

Traditional energy sources are on their way out. Fossil fuel costs are shooting up because we are running low on them, so we need to prepare for the future. We need to change the way we think about how we get our energy and how much we are using to change our lifestyles into sustainable lifestyles.

There are some people who have already started thinking this way. New scientific breakthroughs in renewable energy are allowing us to create sustainable energy at lower and lower costs.

With the right plans, even homeowners who currently don't know a thing about producing their own energy can make energy by installing their own renewable energy sources, like wind power generators.

Homebuilt wind turbines can make as much power to reduce the average household's power bill by 60-70%. The right advice can show you how many people make their wind power generators for as little as $200 US.

They can be built with basic tools and parts from a local hardware store. You can estimate the amount of power a generator creates using the following formula:

Power(Watts) = (Wind Speed)^3 * (Blade Diameter)^2 * 0.00478

The speed of the wind is cubed, so it makes the most difference in your power output. For example, if you have a good average wind speed of 10mph and an 8 foot blade diameter, then:

W = (10*10*10) * (8*8) * 0.00478 = 305 watts/hour - x 24 hours and you can calculate 7.3 kWh generated per day by a wind power generator.

On average, an American home might use 14-20 kWh per day. If you start conserving your power, you might use much less depending on the size of your home. Even with little wind speed in your area, you should be able to build a wind turbine that can significantly reduce your power bill for as little as $200. Wind power generators are cost-effective, to be sure.

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