Tapping Into Renewable Energy Sources With A Home Wind Turbine
There are a lot of talks about renewable energy and tapping into “free energy,” however, renewable energy is not free anymore than gasoline is free. Sure, it is theirs for the taking, but you have to invest effort in “taking it.” So, how do you figure out if purchasing a home wind turbine is really going to save you money.
Take A Look At A Wind Map
A good first step is to look at a “wind map” of the United States. Check the area where you live. Does it show a “high” wind velocity or “low”? If you live in an area with little to no wind, then there is not much point in going any further. If however, you live in a windy area, perhaps along the coast or on the open plains, you should look into it further.
Balance Price and Conversion Efficiency
Once you know that you have “wind energy” in your backyard, you can figure out what type of home wind turbine you would like to purchase. You will want to find a home wind turbine that has a balance of both conversion efficiency (how well the turbine converts wind energy) and cost. If it converts energy very efficiently, but is outrageously expensive, it won’t save you money. You don’t want to spend dollar to get a nickel.
Will I Save Money?
The idea of this exercise is find out if a home wind turbine will save you money. To calculate the cost per kilowatt hour, divide your monthly payment for your turbine by the total number of kilowatt hours. Compare this number to what you are currently paying the power company per kilowatt hour.
The Alternative – Do It Yourself
Of course there is an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on a brand new, high tech system. You can build your own wind turbine. The main advantage of building your own is that it is very much cheaper. The turbine may not be as efficient, but you can have less money invested in the first place, so you will get a greater return on your investment. In fact, it is possible to build a simple home wind turbine for less than $200. If you live in a windy area, several of these turbines will be more than enough to power your home.
