Residential Wind Energy

Residential Wind Energy is a powerful force of nature that is harnessed by technology and converted to electricity that homeowners use as an energy alternative. People are often surprised that wind turbines are an option for a residential home. The availability of wind energy for the homeowner is a fast growing part of wind technology. Residential wind energy solutions can reduce your dependence on electricity for a portion or all of your electrical needs. Wind turbines come in many different sizes and shapes from the cool and sleek to the funky to cater to different needs and community restrictions.

How Wind Turbines Work

Wind turbines are basically the opposite of electric fans. Electric fans use up energy to rotate the blades so that wind is produced. Wind turbines on the other hand have similar blades, but the blades rotate when the wind gusts rotate the blades and produce electricity.

There are two types of wind turbines that you should be familiar with as they offer different benefits depending on your location and home. Horizontal axis wind turbines, which are the most common, produce exceptional amounts of energy, but need to be facing towards the wind’s direction for power to be generated. Small horizontal wind turbines are a good option for homeowners and are growing in popularity.

Vertical axis wind turbines are the second type and are growing in popularity and appear to have some advantages over horizontal axis models. The vertical design makes it capable of catching wind coming from any direction and the design makes it applicable in more situations.

The size of the wind turbine is important to fulfill your energy requirements. The specification should include the amount of watts or kilowatts that it can handle and you need to know the wind speed in your area. Consider hiring a wind consultant to help you with the wind speed calculations and choosing a wind turbine that is perfect for your situation, the cost savings, knowledge about wind turbine manufacturers and installation/maintenance experience will be valuable.

Evolution of Wind Turbines

The technology for residential wind energy has grown considerably over the past few years. You will see residential wind power referred to as Small Wind or Personal Wind. Personal wind conjures up a totally different image, hopefully as the technology and this industry grows, they will come up with another term. These turbines are said to be the next evolution in home wind energy. The sizes, shapes, efficiency available to the homeowner are diverse from an outer ring design with inner spokes that is quiet and efficient to a spinning orb or wind ball that offer a sleek structure is efficient in low wind speeds and is designed for the home. That is just a small portion of what is available now.

If you discounted wind energy for your home in the past, now is the time to re-evaluate the technology available. The new wind turbines have been specifically created for the residential application, some are sleek, efficient and operate efficiently at low wind speeds. The technological improvements are making it possible to have a wind turbine where it was not an option in the past.

Click here to leave Residential Wind Energy and return to Wind Energy