Archive for June, 2010
Windmill powers Earthship-beam me up.
June 30th, 2010 | 
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OK, this is a house not the Enterprise, but it still might be the wave of the future.
Have you been wondering where to use windmill power? There are houses that make windmills an important part of the house’s structure. These are called Packaged Earthships and they are very economical, because the owner can build a lot of it themselves instead of hiring contractors, and they are living completely off the grid. Also the main building materials, old tires and dirt can be obtained very inexpensively or sometimes even free.
Earthship is versatile.
The Earthship is the brainchild of Michael Reynolds, who started building them in Taos, New Mexico in the 1970s. Today these innovative houses are being used in such places as India, France, Mexico, Belgium, Nicaragua, England Japan, Scotland, Honduras, Bolivia, Hawaii, and Nebraska.
What exactly is an Earthship?
The basic idea of the Earthship Biotecture is to use old tires filled with dirt to build the outer walls. Old cans and bottles are used to build the interior walls. One wall should be mostly windows to take advantage of the sun. All the walls, except the window wall and the walls made of bottles would be hidden by plaster to create an adobe look. The houses are even partially built into the ground. The building materials used and the natural insulation from being built into the earth make the most of the day’s heat to create a very temperate home of around 70 degrees all year without heating and cooling costs. These self sufficient homes also have their own sewage treatment and have a rain water collection system as well as using solar panels and a photovoltaic / wind power system to generate electricity.
Find out how you can build yourown by getting Earthship
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Windmill Power a Good Option
Deciding to use windmill power may be a great way to help you protect the environment, because it doesn’t generate any pollution. You could get a windmill just because you may need to be able to live off-grid. This is helpful if you live in a very rural area and can’t get access to electricity other ways. You also might make some money if you have a windmill that generates more electricity than you use, because you may be able to sell it back to the power company.
Wind energy is a very cheap source of renewable energy and can help you to be independent of the utility companies and their rate hikes. Wind turbines are designed to be very efficient and even neat looking. If you shop around you should be able to find a windmill that will suit your needs.
Making the most of windmill power
Deciding whether or not to get a windmill for your home or farm can seem difficult. Really, though, it is not that hard. You mostly need to decide what you need the windmill for, like pumping water or providing electricity. You then might want to do research to find out what is allowed in the area you live, such as whether you can legally even have a windmill. How windy it is maybe a factor in your decision.
If you can use a windmill, you might then do some library or internet research for types, installation and costs for windmills. You also could try to find out how to sell back excess electricity to the grid works, and how much you make for a given amount sold. Batteries would also be good to research since you can store electricity generated by your windmill. Look around, there is plenty of information out there.
Adding Windmill Power To Your Home.
By adding a wind turbine to your home, you are providing an alternate source of energy. Creating electricity using windmill power can help you reduce what you pay for utilities. Consider being able to live where power lines just won’t go, or having power during a storm. Having a wind turbine would be a real advantage for situations like these. It’s good for the environment, too. Future generations may use nothing but windmills to power their homes. And it could have a great effect on the economy.
Wind energy is one of the lowest priced renewable energy technologies available today. Stand alone systems, or off-grid living has its advantages. If you choose to live or build a home in a remote area where power lines are prohibited or not available, a wind turbine can power your home. Another reason consumers purchase small wind turbines for their home is to be energy independent from the local utility companies. As a part of being independent, or just having that alternate energy source available, these machines are built sleek as well as neat looking. Most have low maintenance. Over time a small wind turbine will pay for itself, an investment well worth the price you paid for it.
Wind turbines are good for the environment simply because they rely totally on the wind. That means no air pollutants or toxic gases are released into the atmosphere.
Another one of the nice things about your wind turbine is that if it is producing more electricity than your home is actually using, most times the local utility company will purchase the extra power from you. Depending on how much power you use, and how much your turbine generates, that can be a decent amount of money. Sometimes consumers buy home wind turbines just to be able to run a generator should their power go out. This can provide quite a bit of peace of mind.
Before purchasing a system, it would be a good idea to find out about any restrictions or obstacles when it comes to installing a windmill power system. For example, some places restrict the height of any structure in residential areas. There might be prohibitions on some types of structures in certain zoned areas.
Approach buying a vertical turbine system like you would in buying a car or a boat. Look over literature from more than the first company you find. Find out how long the warranty lasts on the windmill you intend to purchase. Understand the basics of a small wind system, and even take a look at combining the alternate energy with energy, and its effects. Or if it is going to be the primary source of your home, calculate the power wattage compared to the power consumption you plan on using.
Some states offer tax credits or rebates to home owners with household wind turbines, which offsets the installation or purchase price of the machine. A consumer can check with the local utility company, the utility commission, or a local energy office to find out about these incentives. Or if they are available at your location.
Companies are more than happy to help you purchase a household wind turbine system specifically designed to meet your needs.
Whether or not to add a windmill to your home is a decision only you can make. However, when weighing the advantages and disadvantages, you might find that these lists aren’t the same length. It’s an investment that helps the economy and you might not have as much out of pocket cash going to your nearest utility company.
Windmill Power to pump water
One of the great things about using a windmill for power is that it is a renewable source and one that can be quite effective in taking care of certain aspects of both the home and small or commercial farm.
Home windmill use
Windmill power can provide an excellent alternative for a number of household applications, the main one being as a water pump. A large portion of electricity that is used in a home with well water comes from having to pump that water from the well and into the house.
By using a windmill you can harness nature itself to do the work for you, pulling the water up and filling the tank. You can even set it up to provide the power to run it though a filtration system and into the house. If you live in an area that is low lying and tends to flood this can provide an effective solution to keeping water away from your home. The extra power can also be stored for future use in batteries, or returned to the main power grid and provide a small but additional source of income. A windmill can pay for itself in about five years so the cost is easy to manage.
Small farm windmill use
Windmills are also great for small farm use. They can provide a cost effective solution to providing water to crops and irrigation systems. Just like for home use, windmills can be used to draw water up from underground or provide the power necessary to pump the water from a water source that is near by but not readily usable for the farm. Windmills are also great when used for drainage applications.
You can use the windmill to draw water away from fields and other low-lying areas. Windmills are also excellent for use in reclaiming otherwise unusable land. With this wide variety of applications and functions that windmills can provide at no additional fuel cost, windmill power are an excellent solution for a small farm that needs these services. In addition, the cost of the windmill for small farm use is easy to manage when compared to the cost of having to use electricity or another type of power source in order to provide water or irrigation to the farm. Using a windmill can increase productivity, save crops and increase the amount of available land. Using windmill power for home or farm can provide an excellent way of replacing well pumps and saving on resources.
The wind is a never-ending resource that can be used at any time. The cost is easily managed for either home or small farm use through the savings in equipment and standard electrical power and the ability to transfer excess created energy into the main power grid and receive compensation from the power company.
With these advantages it is easy to see why windmills were popular and are becoming popular for both home water pumps and for watering needs on small farms. If you are looking into ways to be easier on the environment and provide for the needs of your family and lively hood than looking into windmills is one solution to consider.
Reasons for a home windmill use and what is necessary to be able to use a household wind turbine
If you are looking for a more effective way to provide the power necessary to run your home you may be in luck. This is especially true if you live in an area that has a lot of wind or has a constant breeze. Windmills have been supplying power and taking care of a variety of tasks since the first century A.D. They have evolved from simple buildings that required significant maintenance to machines that can handle making adjustments and even self-regulating the blades of the windmill in order to make sure that the most power or use is made out of the available wind.
Home windmill use: The basics
There are some basics you will need to consider if you are thinking of supplying electric power to your house through the use of a household wind turbine, or a small wind electricity system. One of the most obvious is the price.
Wind turbines are not inexpensive. In fact a small one that will run an average household is somewhere in the area of forty-four thousand dollars, when you include all the parts. You can build one but it is usually more expensive than it is worth.
Here is the normal basic set up for a windmill designed for home use. You will have a tower with the windmill blades attached, this is connected to a generator and batteries and an alternator, which is wired to the house.
The batteries store the power necessary to run the house, while excess power can either be sent through the main grid and to the power company, for which you are paid, or stored in appliances that have net gridding. On average, a standard, small wind electricity systems setup can maintain a house for two to seven days without any additional wind.
Concerns with wind turbines
New wind turbine technology is making wind turbines smaller and easier to handle, and there are a number of places that sell them for home use. Most wind turbines, if they are in a home, can pay for themselves within five years of being installed, however, the price is expensive.
Where can you purchase a wind turbine? Wind turbines can be purchased through a number of alternative energy companies. An internet search will bring up a number of companies. While expensive, there are also a number of organizations and grants that with a little effort can be awarded in order to install a household wind turbine.
The evolution of the vertical windmill to the electricity windmill
Windmills have been a traditional way of harnessing one of the most common elements in order to provide power. Often times, windmills were used for other tasks such as grinding grain or pumping water. Over the years, the windmill has developed into the electric turbine, which uses the power of the wind to create electricity.
Traditional Windmills
There have been records of the use of wind-powered machines from as far back as the first century AD, however, it was not until the 9th century that the first actual windmill was recorded. This was the vertical windmill. The horizontal windmill that is used today was invented during the 1180’s.
Vertical windmills are the first design and were used for doing a variety of tasks, such as pumping water, grinding grain, or even as sawmills for cutting lumber. When used to pump water, they can be used to bring water in from a well or other source to an area that does not have it’s own supply, or they can be used to pump flood water out of an area or drain water to enable a community to reclaim land.
In fact, these windmills are still used today in areas where electrical lines would be difficult to run. They provide necessary services for communities who do not wish to use modern conveniences powered by electricity. These communities are usually religious or those who wish to live as natural a life as possible. Recent years have seen an increase in the use of windmills due to concerns that fossil fuels may run short. In addition, the wind is a renewable and cost effective solution for small area use.
Electricity Windmills
Electricity windmills are those that are used primarily for generating electricity and have evolved into wind turbines. Wind turbines do not produce as much energy as fossil fuels, however, they can provide a significant advantage by producing electricity for a home or small community in areas where electricity has yet to reach or where placing lines would be unrealistic.
With the invention of more modern means of creating larger amounts of power, most windmills have fallen out of use. However, the increase in environmental awareness and conservation has sparked a renewed interest in this power source. All except the historically preserved windmills are self-regulating and some are capable of adjusting themselves in order to move into the prevailing wind. At first these adjustments required significant fine tuning and required that the windmill be manually adjusted. Most modern wind turbines are self-adjusting and regulating to ensure that the maximum amount of energy and power possible is generated at any given time and wind condition. In fact, it is not uncommon for small communities who use windmills to provide the power companies with the excess power generated by the windmills. This is usually done in areas where electricity is available but the home or community owners choose to use power provided by windmills or wind turbines instead of through other power sources.
How the windmill works- the basics, the parts
Have you ever wanted to know how a windmill works, the basic parts, and how the function? Are self-built windmill designs or kits practical, and how about using a wind turbine for electricity?
Windmills are one of the ways that people generate power, pump water, reclaim land and harness the ever-flowing power of the wind to their advantage to accomplish any number of tasks. How a windmill works is important to how it generates the power needed to accomplish the task it was designed for.
In basic terms, the benefit of a windmill is the fact that a free source of energy is used. The wind blows, it turns the blades of the windmill, which causes the mechanics inside to move. Depending on the specific purpose of the windmill, a windy day could provide a significant amount of energy.
The parts of a windmill
There are a number of parts within a windmill which work together in order to make a windmill work. You can even build windmill parts for home use from a variety of sources.
A windmill consists of some basic parts whether it is a traditional windmill or a wind turbine. The applications, however, of the various parts may be different. A windmill consists of motor, blades, shafts, and gears all of which work together to provide power, pump water, work a saw or grind grain. The more wind in an area the greater the amount of power which can be generated. There are a number of places from which a windmill system or wind turbine system may be purchased. It is also possible to build your own, however, this is probably the least cost effective unless you are already in possession of an alternator, generator or motor.
Inside of a windmill are a number of parts, the first is a wheel which as it turns moves a set of gears, this in turn is attached to a stroke mechanism which causes a motor to operate.
On a windmill used for pumping water you would find a rod down to the top of the well, a pipe, and an additional rod which would drop down into the well. The movement of the gears, the stroke mechanism and motor would cause water to be drawn from the well by the windmill.
This is slightly different from how a wind turbine works. A wind turbine extracts energy by slowing moving air down and transferring the energy into a crankshaft, which is attached to an alternator or generator to produce electricity. Available power to the wind turbine is determined by wind speed and the blade coverage area.
Build a windmill
It is possible to build a windmill from scratch. It is important to consider safety factors when considering this type of project. In higher winds and storms the blades of windmill can actually prove to be a danger as they may separate from the windmil. Be sure to thoroughly secure the blades and make sure all safety precautions are taken. While it is possible to build a windmill it is not necessarily practical, because windmills can be expensive. It is not the blades or even the tower that are the most expensive, the cost comes from the batteries, alternator or generator, and motor. However, it is possible to recycle parts in order to cut the expense of these parts, which can make building a windmill from scratch more feasible. A little research can also lead you to places which can provide you with the parts for a windmill ready made and simply requiring assembly.