Wind Energy Facts

Wind energy facts will expand your perspective of wind energy for the homeowner and hopefully will cause you to explore this alternative energy option for your home. Wind energy has been used successfully for many years. Many of us think of the Dutch windmills. For the homeowner, few really believe it is an option because of the size and other limitations that came with older wind turbines. People believe the best situation for Wind Energy is along the coast, on higher elevations and open areas like farms. Or that it is only an option for celebrities; Ed Begley, the actor, has a wind turbine on his roof.

Wind energy is a clean alternative energy and it produces no pollution. It’s a simple technology that requires little maintenance. And it is one of the fastest growing alternative energy options for communities and for the homeowner. Wind energy for the homeowner is called small wind or personal wind, but there is nothing small about the options available and you no longer need high wind speeds.

Wind turbines have morphed from the Dutch windmills to the 250 feet giant wind turbines on wind farms to artistic and contemporary wind turbines of vertical and horizontal designs. The homeowner will find wind energy has become, small, sleek, in ball shapes, ring and spoke shapes, hassock fan shapes and sleeker versions of the giant wind turbine.

The new designs have overcome some of the issues of the giant wind turbines by being able to capture wind from all directions. The giant wind turbines that you see on wind farms need to face the wind in order to capture the wind energy. Having a design that captures wind from all directions is a great improvement and expands the places where a wind turbine can efficiently operate. The noise issues of the older wind turbines have been addressed as well as vibration issues. Operating efficiency has increased the wind energy options for the home, which now is efficient at lower wind speeds of 7-10 mph and because the size is much smaller community restrictions are easing.

Net Metering was not available in the past, but is much more popular and available in many states. If net metering is available in your area, your wind turbine could cause your electric meter to run backwards when you are generating more energy than you need. In some areas, the electric company will buy your excess energy or give you a credit.

Maximizing Your Investment Dollars

The best way to maximize your wind energy investment is to reduce your energy usage before purchasing a wind turbine. Taking this step significantly impacts the cost of your wind turbine by requiring either a smaller system or increases the percentage of your systems' energy production. Taking advantage of all the incentives (federal, state, community and utility) and getting set up on your state’s net metering program can reduce your expenses for equipment and reduce your electric bill. As electric rates continue to rise, your savings grow.

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