An Introduction to Wind Power Turbines

Wind power systems

Overview

Wind turbine systems for homes are one of the more cost effective forms of generating electricity from a renewable energy source if you have the right site. In general terms, a site that has at least a half acre of open land and average of 10 mph (16km/h) or higher winds is a good candidate for a wind turbine installation.

It is possible to have a system which only gets it power from wind, however, many people combine getting power from a wind turbine with getting power from a solar electric system. The two technologies are often complimentary: when there's little sun (e.g. during the winter or when it's overcast), there's often more wind and vice versa.

The most commonly used wind turbines for homes are usually not very large - ranging from 3 feet (~1 meter) to 6 feet (~2 meters) in diameter. There are also some like the Bergey Excel Excel which are as large as 22 feet (6.7 meters) in diameter and used for more energy consumptive homes or businesses.

Most of the small wind turbines that are available for use with individual homes and business produce no more noise than the wind would whispering through the leaves of a tree. Small wind turbines have also been shown to hurt fewer birds than glass patio doors that are so common on many US homes.

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How It Works

Just like solar electric systems, wind powered systems can be used in two ways: off-grid or on-grid. Off-grid is when your home or business is entirely disconnected from electric utility company and you generate absolutely all of the electricity you need. Usually these systems costs about 30% more than a on-grid (or 'grid-tie' system). A grid tie wind power system sends all of its electricity back into the public electrical network (grid) which the electric company gives you credits for. At the month, the electric company sums up your credits with how much your home or business has consumed, and if you're lucky the electric company will owe you money! Unfortunately, most electric companies only pay you a small fraction of what they charge you for those extra kilowatt-hours you've created. So it's usually ideal to design a system that very closely offsets how much electricy you consume or just little less, than attempting to make money from the electric company.