Over the past ten years, residential wind turbines have improved significantly, so much so that they’re now a realistic, serious option for a growing number of homeowners. The new designs of today generate more power from less wind than ever before, thanks in part to advanced materials and technological achievements. The sheer variety of sizes and styles of residential wind turbines now available means that interested homeowners are certain to find a unit to meet their needs.

Benefits

Endless energy

We’ll never run out of wind (though the same can’t be said about some other sources of energy). The wind will keep on giving us energy – as long as we take the steps to harness it – permanently. Fossil fuels can’t make that claim. Oil and natural gas supplies are not permanent. Once they’ve run out, there won’t be any choice but to switch to other sources of energy. Decreasing supplies mean rising costs, and the unlimited nature of wind means that its price stays constant, and therefore more and more attractive by comparison.

Free power

If you’re using wind energy, you won’t have to worry about kilowatt hours or anything like that. Wind power is free in perpetuity once you’ve installed a wind generator. It really is possible to go “off the grid” and provide all of your own power with a residential wind turbine, never having to pay an electric bill again.

No emissions

Wind power is totally free of pollution. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, produce all kinds of pollution. You can reduce your carbon footprint significantly by using wind energy instead.

Forget about foreign oil

Dependence on foreign oil is an important issue that affects us not just as individuals, but as a nation. One of the best ways to reduce dependence on foreign oil to switch to wind power, as this will eliminate the need for oil of any origin.

Energy at all times

One of the advantages that wind power has over solar power is that it can generate electricity for the home at any time and in any weather. Solar panels can’t be used as a complete power solution, as they only produce electricity when the sun is shining. On overcast days, or at night, you’ll need an additional energy source, such as power stored in batteries or bought from the power company. Wind energy, on the other hand, isn’t subject to these limitations.

No home orientation problems

Solar power systems are held back by the fact that they require significant sun exposure in order to work at peak efficiency. For homes that have too much shade, or not enough southern exposure on the roof, this can be a problem. A wind turbine will produce power regardless of any of these factors. Wind generators are also more efficient in terms of use of space than solar panels are.

Drawbacks

Installation cost

Even though the ongoing costs of wind power are negligible, some people are intimidated by the costs associated with getting started. Before long, though, the free electricity that comes from a wind generator will more than offset the installation cost. If you’ve got the know-how, some basic tools, and some free time, you can even put together your own wind generator, which will make the whole process even more sensible from a financial standpoint. For more information, visit wind Generator Plans.

Height requirement

In order to get enough wind to generate their full potential in terms of power, larger wind turbines [needhave] to be mounted at a certain height. This often means that it’s necessary to raise the turbine up above any nearby buildings and trees. This means that, a lot of the time, users mount wind generators on top of towers or other tall structures. The HOA permits or approvals that are sometimes necessary in order to carry this out can add to the up-front cost of starting up a wind generator. But, once again, constructing home made wind turbine will help lower the cost.

Consistent wind needed

Consistent wind is a must in order to produce a really useful amount of power from a wind turbine. Very windy areas are the best for this purpose. Areas with relatively few buildings or trees are the best in this regard. While it is possible to produce significant wind power in wooded or urban areas by mounting the wind generator on a tall structure, it is certainly still better and more cost-effective to generate wind energy in areas that don’t have these features. A DIY guide will teach you how to build a wind generator.

The above are the main characteristics that make wind power unique. For most people, the disadvantages seem pretty insignificant in comparison to the advantages. Even in terms of renewable energy sources, wind power has its own distinct selling points. The specific disadvantages of solar are, in some ways, the strengths of wind power. Solar and wind power do share the common disadvantage of being expensive to install. However, this cost can be greatly reduced by putting together your own wind generator.