More
and more people are now interested in generating their
own power and do not wish to depend on the utility. And
this is one reason why small wind
generators are getting quite popular in US homes.
Small wind turbines that generate around fifty watt
electricity are also good for boats or caravans. They
often have direct drive generators (in contrast to
larger units where the generator is coupled to the shaft
with the help of gears), Direct Current or DC output,
ceroplastic blades, bearings that are lifetime
guaranteed and a vane or a tail to point the
turbine into the wind. However, most of these turbines
are horizontal-axis units.
Although
small-scale rooftop home wind generators are capable of
generating power (from 900 watts to 10,000 watts) which
roughly covers 10 to 25 percent of the electricity that
is consumed in the average domestic household, their
installation on the roof has raised a debate. A turbine,
however small (7 feet to 25 feet in diameter and
weighing a little over 35 lbs) can create some amount of
vibration. The turbulence can hamper its power
generation. The answer therefore, is in installing the
turbine on top of a tower that should be sufficiently
high for the turbine to react with the wind current.
Though earlier model turbines created some kind of
humming noises, contemporary wind generators are free of
any disturbing noise. Some of them are also provided
with a dynamic
braking system that regulates their running velocity
within reasonable limits so that they can safely go on
generating electricity even in high
winds.
Residential
wind turbines with outputs varying from 2 to 10 kW in
the US are priced around $12,000 to $55,000 while
incentives in several states (19) brings down the
purchase price almost to half of the stated price tag.
Equated in terms of wattage it comes to $3 per watt of
wind energy power. According to a leading
Small
wind turbines primarily consist of sturdy but light
weight blades with span of seven to twenty five feet; a
hub that holds the blades; a DC motor of permanent
magnet type that works as a generator, diodes, wires;
tail and a suitable mount. In order to make the system
workable, one has to have a battery bank, a charge
controller to save the batteries from getting over
charged; a
step up transformer-cum-converter to hike the voltage
and to convert the DC output of the turbine to 12V AC
for general use.
Small
wind turbines can also be built in home with or without
the help of DIY kit. With a kit the job is comparatively
easier since all one has to do is to assemble the parts
provided in the kit according to instructions given
therein. Alternatively, you can build a small turbine by
procuring the various parts from hardware stores. In
such cases, the cost of a home built wind turbine may
become as low as $150. Amazing, isn’t
it?
The
small wind
generator is a great idea for the home. Being a safe
and clean energy, you will be able to contribute to
clean up the environment – plus there are of course
financial benefits. You will surely be able to reduce
your power bills drastically. What you need to know is
information on how to build a wind generator and set it
up, where to do so in your home, how to wire the system,
where to get the parts from cheaply and also knowledge
about the safety precautions. Here is a manual that will
give you all this information.
