Join the massive crowds that have gone to wind power, solar and other types of power generation. Save the planet and save your money at the same time.



1. If not done properly, home wind power can be pricy. Done right, the savings are a pure dream. The magic takes place when a simple turbine is placed on a high tower or on a roof. The blades take kinetic energy from the wind, turn it into mechanical energy in a shaft which in turn changes it to electrical energy in a generator. Many places on earth already have residential generators of 1 kw and bigger.

2. In some localities, you can make a deal with your local power authority. What it does is allow you to sell excess power to them. Your system will cost a bit in the short run but, since the turbines and equipment last 25 years or more, it will pay for itself many times over. In some localities, you can even get a tax break for being a producer of power.

3. Energy Ball is really a family of windmills that take advantage of something called microwinds. They have a unique rotor design which encloses the generator itself. Energy Balls currently are sold in sizes of either 1 meter or 2 meters in diameter.

4. Turbines for home owners or small industry come in sizes varying from 1kW to 50 kW outputs. Turbines, like airplanes, utilize the laws of aerodynamics to work. Turbines can be made passively able to better cope with high wind speeds and light electrical loads with, for example, "furling" to point them out of high winds, or using designs such as VAWTs that tend to speed up less due to turbulence.

Turbines might annoy you, though, due to "horizon pollution'. Some view them as ugly.

5. The winds are always changing speed. Your home wind power generator is at its mercy so you WILL need deep-cycle batteries to store energy for when the winds are calm. Most of the time, battery banks are built to store 3 days worth of calm weather.

6. There will be times when your system is producing more than you can use. If you can't or don't want to have to deal with the local authority to sell your power, you can use it by heating up the water in your hot water tank, for example. When the winds are not blowing and your batteries are saying "Help!", you can tap into your local power grid and buy just the power you need for a short time.

7. Electricity can be confusing if you are not expert at it. Don't play "good enough' with it. Have your system installed or certified before start up. A certified system can be attached to the local power grid. It will sell power to it when you have more than you can use and can draw some out when the winds aren't cooperating. How sweet can it get?

Building your own home wind power system isn't rocket science. Your greatest assets will be knowledge and inspections to know it is safe and efficient. Read, invest in knowledge and don't rush. You are building something that will benefit you for decades.

The green movement has stated that wind technology affects birds. I believe this to be true and, lately, there is evidence that bats are also affected. While sad, you will have to make your own judgment as to which is harder on our natural friends, a simple wind turbine on your house or smoke and radiation from commercial generators.

8. You will laugh all the way to the bank if you spend a few dollars before starting on information from experts. If you don't, you might cry all the way to the hospital or worse. Building and installing a system can be fun and exciting. Know your project and tap into the best sources of timely, information on wind generation you can find.