Residential Wind Power

With the growing demand for renewable energy sources as well as ever increasing energy costs, you may be wondering what the options are for the residential consumer. One option is residential wind power, which might be something you haven’t considered. Residential wind turbines are typically located on top of a tower usually at a high point on your property.

Wind turbines work by collecting the kinetic energy of the wind and then converting it into electricity that can then be used within your home. Not only does this allow you to help make a positive impact on the environment, but it also helps save on your electricity bill. However, in most cases, if you install a residential wind turbine, you will also need to rely to some extent on electricity from the power grid. It’s important to note that this class of wind turbine does not generate any electricity if the wind speed is less than 7 to 10mph.

To give you a few more figures, a typical family home uses up to 10,000 kWh of electricity each year. If you want to make a dent on your electricity bills by using the residential turbine, then you will need something that generates around 10 kilowatts. It largely depends on the average wind speed in the area where you live.

Of course, the most obvious advantage of such technology is that it is extremely environmentally friendly. They produce absolutely no pollution and this is something that any responsible homeowner should be thinking about with regards to renewable energy sources.

Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages.

If you have a particularly small home or you live in the city, then it is unlikely that you will be able to take advantage of a wind turbine. This is because it does take up quite a bit of space. Ideally, you will need a property with about one acre of space. Also remember that they do generate some degree of noise and some might consider them to be rather unsightly, so you will need to place them away from view and earshot of your neighbors.

If you are going to buy such a residential wind turbine, you will find that they can be up to 120 tall so that the blades can collect enough wind to generate a worthwhile amount of electricity. Obviously, with figures like that, you do need to have a lot of space. As for costs, they tend to be upwards of $10,000, but the prices can vary greatly depending on if you choose to purchase or build one yourself.

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