Wind Power

PXR5 asked:


Wind power is considered by many as an emerging technology, the truth of the matter is we have been using wind power for many hundreds of years to grind our corn and even for milking our cattle. With the dawn of the industrial revolution the use of wind to power machinery fell by the wayside as steam and eventually electricity grew in popularity.

Recent environmental concerns have made way for the return of wind power, and in its wake came a host of myths, mistruths and misunderstandings. This article aims to dispel some of the common myths of wind power.

Wind turbines are only efficient in high winds

This is a common misconception regarding wind turbines. Obviously the more wind there is the more electricity each wind turbine will generate, but even in a light breeze both large commercial wind turbines and the smaller residential wind turbines will generate an acceptable amount of electricity. As the wind speed changes, the angle of the turbines blades will adjust themselves accordingly to achieve maximum efficiency, regardless of wind speed.

Wind turbines are noisy

This may have been true in the past as many early wind turbines had no noise emission guidelines to adhere to. Also, wind turbine manufacturers and wind power companies didn’t really consider the impact a large scale wind farm would have on nearby residential areas. These early wind turbines are the source of the current ‘wind turbines are noisy’ myth. Over the last decade wind turbine technology had progressed considerably, rendering mechanical noise almost undetectable.

Wind farm planners have strict guidelines to adhere to in order to protect nearby residential areas from noise emissions. This doesn’t mean that wind farms are silent as there is an audible ‘swoosh’ as the turbines blades pass the tower; however this is only heard at a relatively close range.

Wind farms are not cost effective

Twenty to thirty years ago, wind farms and wind turbine technology was a victim of trial and error to a certain extent. Let us not confuse older, noisier and more costly wind farms with their modern counterparts. In the early 1980’s over 5000 wind turbines were put in place at the Tehachapi Pass in California. These days wind farms consist of fewer, larger wind turbines which have proved not only more cost effective but more attractive on the eye than the early wind farms which dotted the landscape with hundreds of smaller wind turbines.

Home wind turbines are a waste of time and money

The smaller home wind turbines are more often than not used in combination with an array of solar panels. The wind turbine will continue to charge the batteries through the night even in a light breeze meaning a steady trickle of electricity is potentially available 24 hours a day. Prices of home wind turbines vary depending on the output power and installation cost. A small residential wind turbine will reduce an average electricity bill by around 20-35%. Or to put it another way, a residential wind turbine would save around half a ton of CO2 each year.

Wind farms kill birds

It is true that a considerable number of birds have flown into the blades of wind turbines and as a result have been injured or even killed. Saying that, it is also true that a large number of birds are killed each year as a result of flying into tall buildings or are hit by cars, trains, trucks and busses. It is an unfortunate fact that human impact on the environment does take its toll on wildlife to a certain extent; however, wind farms do not pose any considerable threat to birds or any other form of wildlife.



ARMANDO

r34gtrowner asked:


Does anybody know?

I really want to make a homebuilt wind generator power but have no idea how. Im a complete noob when it comes to this stuff lol

GROVER

peep asked:


I was wondering if anyone had instructions with pictures to build this turbine, i need it for my science fair project so i need it to cost under 30$, I only need it to power the small light bulb.
Thanks!

DELMAR

jamie68117 asked:


I’m thinking that they help conserve coal.

What else?

TOMAS

Munya Chinongoza asked:


 

Wind power happens to be one of the safest and cleanest energy sources that we have available on our planet in this day and age. It is also one of the most cost effective energy solutions available.

New turbines are being developed every single year and as they are created the energy costs will decrease as well. People will soon enough find wind power to be a more economical solution.

Good selection of a wind turbine site is absolutely critical to the economic development of wind power. Other than thinking about the availability of wind itself, there are certainly other significant factors to consider which include the availability of transmission lines, value of energy to be produced, cost of land acquisition, land use considerations, and environmental impact of construction and operations.

Wind farm designers use specialized wind energy software applications to evaluate the impact of any issues that there may be for that type of design. Small wind power windmill generation systems with capacities of 100 kW or less are normally used to simply power homes, farms, and small businesses.

Isolated communities that will need to rely on diesel generators may use wind turbines to displace diesel fuel consumption. Grid connected wind turbines may use energy storage, displacing purchased energy with local production when available.

Off-grid system users either adapt to intermittent power or use batteries. There are simply too many reasons to list why wind power these days is the way to go. When you simply think about saving the environment saving your health and also saving yourself money in the long run, what other reasons could you possibly need?



TERRANCE

Christiane Perrin asked:


This article focuses on planning and installing a residential home wind power generation system, not as much on how a wind energy system works.

Wind power generation, an alternative and renewable energy source, has seen a dramatic increase in the last few years. Technological advances make it more and more feasible to install wind power generators for individual homes. The newer systems are more efficient and quieter.

Not every geographical location however, is suited for installing a wind power generator. A consistent wind, with average speeds of approximately 11 miles per hour is required to make a wind energy system feasible. Lower wind speeds can be suitable for battery charging and water pumping in your remote weekend cottage.

Wind availability maps are published by the US National Renewable Energy Lab. You can get a general idea from these maps if you are living in a state and county with sufficiently high winds.

Once you confirm this, you will need to also check if your exact location experiences the required, consistent average wind speeds. If your home, your property is located on the side of a hill, your sheltered location might not provide the required wind speeds. Maybe you can install the wind turbine high enough, to just extend it over the ridge. You will then possibly be able to pick up sufficient wind.

Local wind maps, can also be found at the National Renewable Energy Lab. These maps howver, are not very easy to read and understand. Fortunately though, you can simply contact a wind power manufacturer, such as those listed in the American Wind Energy Association website. They can tell you if it is feasible to install a wind power generator for your home.

At this point, just get some general information about the feasibility of installing a wind power system for your home. You have some more checking to do, before you spend a lot of your and the manufacturer’s time on details.

Next step is to check the local codes and requirements. Your town might have some bylaws, or if you live in a subdivision, there might be restrictions in place, that will not allow you to install a wind power generator for your home. Don’t let that deter you! Get a petition going in your town or city to change the bylaws.

Talk to the neighbor hood association. Who knows, maybe the whole subdivision will end up supporting a wind power generator for all the homes!

Don’t forget to also talk to your neighbors. Unfortunately, some people still believe that all wind energy generators are noisy and kill birds. Inform the neighbors as you investigate and learn more.

Once you know that no local laws, regulations, neighbors or neighbor hood associations will stop you, it is time to talk to the manufacturers again.

I recommend talking to at least two different wind power manufacturers with different types of rotors, such as horizontal propeller blades, or vertical ‘egg beater’ blades. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages. You want to make sure that the type of system you end up installing is the best for your particular application.

Ask the manufacturer a lot of questions, such as:

- How much clearance is required around the tower and rotor blades?

- How tall will the wind tower be?

- What are the noise emissions? Do they have certified sound data?

- How many installations have they done? Can you go see one?

- What output can you expect from their system?

- What is the installed cost per kilowatt-hour?

- What kind of warranties do they provide?

- What will they need from you to do to make it happen? (besides money)

- Will they apply for the required permits?

- Will they make the connection to the electric grid?

- Will you have to hire a general contractor?

Compare all the answers between the different models and manufacturers and then you can make an educated decision.

A handful of States provide some incentives for installing small wind power systems. Check with your state and local governments. Another option could be to get a reduced-rate mortgage for adding the wind power system. Check with your mortgage company or mortgage broker.

If you find after doing all this research, that wind power is not the solution for you, then maybe a solar photovoltaic system is your solution.

I do hope that you will be able to install either a solar energy system or a wind power generator for your home.



ALONZO

I have no picture asked:


How does a generator convert these types of energy into electricity?

ADRIAN

Apple_Pie asked:


The question says it all.

SHELBY

Pat kaa asked:


If you are looking for a cheaper way to produce power and reduce the amount of money being spend on your monthly power utility then you need to look into how to make wind power.

Using a wind turbine system can reduce your power bill by up to 90% and create a safe clean living space where you reside. All you need to do is make sure you live in a place where there is plenty of wind (preferably 10mile per hour of wind speed) and make sure the wind supply is consistent.

Making wind power is easier than most people think and before tackling how to make wind power electricity you need to understand how it works. In easy terms the more wind the more power is produced. Wind turbine systems used by homes have rotors. As the wind turn the rotors clockwise the kinetic and motion energy is created and converted by the turbine itself into usable electricity for the home.

If the winds are regularly fast then you won’t have to rely on the local power grid for electricity and become self sufficient. However it is handy to be still connected to the national grid so if the wind dies down you can go back to the normal power grid.

A good rule of thumb is when the wind speed goes less than 10 kms per hour then that is a time to switch back to the local power grid.

So if you decide this is for you then you need to get a guide that can show you how to make wind power step by step and gives you a complete overview on how to do it.

To visit how to make wind power for more information



ORVILLE

dcpal1202 asked:


And What’s a Good Experiment to Prove This?

DENIS