Over the last decade, residential wind turbines have improved substantially, to the point that they’re now a realistic, serious option for a growing number of homeowners. The improved designs of today generate more energy from less wind than was previously possible, thanks in part to advanced materials and technologies. Furthermore, there are all kinds of styles and sizes of residential turbines on the market now, and consumers are certain to find one that meets their needs with regard to size and power.
Benefits
Permanent 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 providing energy – as long as we do what it takes to harness it – permanently. Fossil fuels can’t make that claim. Oil and natural gas supplies are not permanent. As hard as it may be to imagine, we will eventually run out of those things. Wind energy isn’t affected by economic factors in the same way – it will always be cheap and plentiful, unlike fossil fuels.
Power at no cost
If you’re using wind energy, there’s no more need to keep track of kilowatt hours or anything like that. The one-time cost associated is that which comes from installing a wind turbine; once you’ve done that, wind power is absolutely free. The previously impossible goals of going off the grid and saying goodbye forever to electric bills are now widely available thanks to residential wind turbines.
No emissions
Wind power is totally free of pollution. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, result in a lot of pollution. You can reduce your carbon footprint significantly by switching to wind power.
Forget about foreign oil
Dependence on foreign oil is an important issue that affects us not just as individuals, but as a country. One of the most effective ways to reduce dependence on foreign oil to change to wind power, as this will eliminate the need for oil of any sort.
Power day and night
Residential wind turbines can produce electricity 24 hours a day in any weather. Solar panels, meanwhile, only generate electricity when the sun is out. Therefore, with solar panels, it’s likely that you’ll still be required to buy in electricity from a power company. Wind power, though, isn’t subject to these limitations.
No problems with space or positioning
Another advantage of wind power is that, unlike with solar panels, you don’t need to worry about the surrounding environment so much. This means that solar panels aren’t a good option for homes that have a lot of shade, or where the roof isn’t aligned appropriately. The function of a wind turbine isn’t restricted in any way by the orientation of your home. Wind turbines are also more efficient in terms of use of space than solar panels are.
Disadvantages
Startup cost
Even though the ongoing costs of wind energy are miniscule, some potential users are intimidated by the startup costs. The money you’ll save from using the electricity produced by your own wind generator, though, is more than enough to make up for the initial cost. Furthermore, you can seriously reduce that cost by building your own wind generator, as many people do. To read more about how to do it yourself visit Wind Generator Kit.
Height necessity
If you’re using a larger type of wind turbine, you’ll need to be certain that it’s mounted high enough to be exposed to consistent, strong wind. It may be necessary to mount the turbine at a significant height depending on the level of surrounding buildings and trees. In these cases, it’s often necessary to mount wind generators on towers or other tall structures. The HOA permits or approvals that can be necessary in order to carry this out can increase the up-front cost of starting up a wind generator. Though, again, building a homemade wind generator can help mitigate the costs.
Wind requirement
Although wind power doesn’t have the same strict requirements for generation as solar power does, it does need consistent wind. Thus, the most appropriate locations for wind generators are those which experience the strongest and most consistent wind. In other words, the fewer buildings and trees are present in the area, the better it will be for wind energy production. While you can produce significant wind power in areas with tall trees or buildings by placing the wind generator on a tall structure, it is certainly still better and more cost-effective to generate wind power in areas that don’t have these features. One of the guides mentioned above will tell you how to build a wind turbine.
These characteristics make wind power different from any other type of power. For most people, the disadvantages appear to be pretty insignificant in comparison to the advantages. Even solar power doesn’t match wind power in terms of versatility and convenience. Where solar power may suffer somewhat, wind power truly shines. The only disadvantage shared by both types of power is the startup cost. If you’re able to build your own wind generator, though, even this obstacle can be largely eliminated.
