Wind energy has a lot of great potential for getting us off oil. While it is related to solar energy (air masses of different temperatures create wind, essentially), a wind mill functions rain or shine, day or night, and can be adapted for big energy projects or positioned on private homes as well.
For a home installation, the ideal height for a wind generator is about 100 feet from ground level where the winds are fast, stable, and abundant. For that reason, many residential wind turbines are installed out of the city on farms and the like. Many homeowner have shied away from wind energy for this reason, but also because of the apparent cost.
Make Your Own Handmade Windmill?
Today, there are many ways you can generate your own wind energy, and some are even suggesting that you can build your own inexpensive handmade windmill! Is this even possible? The people at Green Earth 4 Energy think it is. They’ve got a “simple” plan to get you producing your own energy by making your own wind energy generator. Check it out and see what you think.
But, if you’re not into building your own, there are several options that are making it a bit more possible to generate wind in the city. There are, for instance, vertical wind turbines. Rather than spin top to bottom, these spin on a vertical axis. They come without propellers and move quietly with the wind, making them a great choice for those who want to remain friends with their neighbors. Mariah Power Windspire is one option that comes at a cost of about $4,000. PacWind also has a vertical axis wind turbine that’s ideal urban for homes and businesses, especially since they work even with low wind speeds.
But you don’t have to go vertical to produce your own wind energy. You can also get smaller, more traditional horizontal axis wind turbines. Real Goods carries many models, some that are as inexpensive as $700. Bergey Windpower also carries small wind turbines that can generate between 5.2 and 35 kilowatts per day.
And for something really high-tech, check out Magen Power’s Air Rotor System. This one suspends in the air via 100-foot guy wires. Although these are still under development, they could be the answer city dwellers are looking for since they require little to no ground area for installation.
Most of these smaller wind turbines for residential and small business applications won’t produce all of the power that you need, but even if you could supplement your energy bill with this clean energy, wouldn’t that be worthwhile? Something to think about, at least.