Can I Use Wind Generators to Power my House?
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With the cost of electricity produced through traditional means becoming more expensive while worries about climate change increase, an increasing number of people are looking for alternative sources of energy that will be more affordable than electricity generated using fossil fuels and is environment-friendly. An increasingly popular choice is wind energy generated by wind generators. Wind generators are turbines that are connected to generators to produce electricity. There are two kinds of turbines: horizontal-axis and vertical-axis. The majority of wind turbines are the horizontal-axis type, which look like stylized windmills looming over the landscape.
If you're interested in using wind generators to power your home, there are a number of factors you have to consider:
- Does your location have sufficient wind to support a wind energy setup?
- Will your local zoning codes allow you install a wind turbine?
- How much energy does your home need?
Before considering buying a wind power system, check out wind conditions in your area. To power small wind turbines, your area needs to have wind speeds greater than 4 meters per second. Detailed information on wind speeds for your location can be found in Wind Resource Maps produced by the US Department of Energy although you should also consult state wind speed maps.
Then you have to consider zoning issues in your area. Generally , the rotor blades on wind turbines need to be at least 30 feet over any obstacle within 300 feet of the tower, and raising the height of the tower can result in greater power production. However, many zoning ordinances restrict structures greater than 35 feet. So you have to check with the local planning board or board of supervisors about restrictions as well as if you need to apply for a building permit. In addition, there may be concerns from your neighbors regarding the noise produced by the turbine blades as well as concerns over the tower being a blight on the landscape. However, you can assuage these by assuring them that newer wind turbine models produce no more than 52 to 55 decibels, as noisy as a refrigerator.
You should also determine how much electricity you will need to power your household, and take steps to make your home more energy efficient so that you can buy smaller and more cost-effective wind generators. The average home uses around 830 kilowatt-hours a month, which would require a wind turbine of at least 5 to 15 kWh. A 10 kW turbine would produce enough electricity to provide the needs of an an average household (around 10,000 kWh a year).
Finally, since wind is irregular and is not always available for power generation, you have to decide if you will still remain connected to the grid or create a hybrid energy system that will let you to go totally off-grid. If your wind generators do not produce sufficient energy for your needs, remaining connected to the grid allows your local electricity utility to make up for the shortfall, with any excess energy you produce sent to or sold to them. If you opt to go off-grid you can complement the power produced by your wind turbines with a solar energy system as well as diesel generators. |
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Author Resource:-
Anthony Jones with Hurricane Wind Power. We have your energy needs covered at www.Hurricanewindpower.com
Low Rpm PMA's VAWT's Coming soon
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By :
Jessie Stone
Submitted
2010-10-02 03:36:08 |
Article From Article Mayhem
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