Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Wind Generators for Sale - Consumer Warning: Factors To Be Considered Before Buying

By Brad Byrum

There are many advertisements today offering wind generators for sale both in newspapers, magazines and online. However, before you make your purchase there are certain factors which one needs to take in to consideration beforehand. In this article we look at just what some of these things are.

Factor 1 - Quality

You should invest in a good quality wind generator if you don?t want to waste any time or money having it repaired due to the blades getting jammed or other common malfunctions. Therefore, look for those for sale that offer a 5 year warranty or more. This is also a good indicator that the manufacturers have confidence in what they are producing because they know they would not make a profit using sub standard equipment backed with a long warranty.

Factor 2 - Find out How Much Energy Is Needed For Powering Your Home on an Annual Basis

The first thing you must do to determine this is to contact your utility company and ask them to provide you with a summary of what your kilowatt usage is annually. This way you can then work out what size wind generator you will need in order to provide enough energy for your home usage each year.

Once you know the amount of energy needed to power your home then you can decide on the kind of generator you need. When possible look for those systems which allow energy to be stored using a direct DC supply. You'll also want to install an inverter to convert your stored DC energy into an AC supply for powering appliances in the home. You should avoid any generators which come with built-in inverters as these can become easily damaged and will cost quite a bit to replace.

Factor 3 - What Planning Permissions Do You Need?

In most cases if you intend to install a free standing wind generator then certain planning permissions will need to be obtained before you do. This means contacting your local planning authority as to what these are. However, you may discover that if you choose to install a small roof top model then such permission may not be needed.

Factor 4 - Have you Considered ALL Costs?

This is one of the most important things you need to take into consideration when thinking of buying one of the wind generators for sale. Yes, the price that the system is being offered at may look like a great deal, but you still need to factor in the cost of actually setting it up. Keep in mind, you may need to prepare the land on which the generator is to stand, which may require a concrete foundation to be laid beforehand. Then you need to take into consideration the other costs of wiring it up to your home. This includes ensuring that you are using the correct inverters to prevent your appliances from being damaged when using the energy generated by these systems.

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