New legislation passed creating a federal-level tax credit
for qualified small wind turbines – a significant leap for the small wind industry as a whole.
A typical
wind power system comprises of a tower and a wind turbine with two or three blades to churn out wind energy. Wind
turbines can be placed on towers or poles.The length of a tower varies depending on the location. Turbines
should be 30 feet above anything within 300 feet. If you have turbulant 10 mph winds at 30 feet up and smooth 13 mph
winds at 70 feet up then it makes sense to go a bit higher, get out of the turbulance and get into a slightly higher windspeed
where you might have twice the energy available! You should check with your city for any restrictions.
Some cities have hight requirements for poles containing wind turbines. The average wind speed is around 11 miles per hour. Anything less and you won't be producing much (if any) power. Most wind turbines start producing power
in winds of 7 mph or greater. Most home built windmills generate from 750 to 1000 watts
with a 20mph wind. Larger blade diameter will increase the power generated. Wind turbines
should have some system to protect themselves in high winds. Wind turbines can be more cost effective than solar panels by
creating more power with a smaller investment. However, If you have little wind flow, your system should be
used in conjunction with solar panels.
This
wind energy can be converted into useful electrical energy to be employed at home for all your power needs. If you are confused with the wind power jargon, The terms, wind mills, wind turbines,
and wind generators are used to refer to the same machine. Building wind turbines can be great fun, and there are some good
books, plans and inexpensive parts available.
