Posts Tagged ‘home windmills’
Save Money, Learn How to Make a Windmill
August 11th, 2010 | 
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If you have been shopping home windmills for long you have probably discovered how expensive a small wind turbine can be. If you are going down this road to save money then paying as much as ten thousand dollars to buy and home windmill and have it installed on your property is out of the question. Here are two things to think about before making your own windmill.
Neighborhood and City Restrictions
I cannot begin to count how many times I have heard that someone put up a residential windmill and then they got attacked for it by there neighborhood or City because they have restrictions on height, what can be seen on the skyline, or noise. You need to research to find out exactly what these by law say. Don’t be surprised if after you finally erect your windmill people around you try to create rules and laws that would force you to take it down again. Stay informed and get involved. Don’t let people make laws that will make your decisions for you about how to use your own property.
Getting the Best Information
There is a lot of great information on the internet that is free. Read that first to get a handle on how windmills work and what the parts are. When you are ready to make your own then you need to spend money and get a good book or two that will tell you step by step exactly how to build your windmill. You won’t find every last important detail in the free information. If you like to experiment and are willing to build numerous miniature versions then you might feel that the free information is enough to get you started. It is your call, of course.
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What is a Vertical Windmill?
You have seen the horizontal windmill or wind turbine, since it is the most common. The generator sits behind the blades high up on the pole and generates energy every time the wind makes the blades rotate. It doesn’t matter if it is an electricity windmill or one that pumps water the concept is the same. What makes a vertical windmill different to a horizontal windmill and can it be used for a home windmill?
Vertical Windmill the Good
The vertical windmill sends to look like it came right out of a science fiction movie. The generator is at the bottom of the machine and therefore close to the ground. One advantage is that the generator should be easier to work on. Also the configuration makes the change of wind easier for the windmill to handle. Another good thing is that the blades spin slower, so it isn’t a bird killing machine like the horizontal wind turbine is rumored to be.
And The Bad
The biggest problems with the vertical windmills is that they tend to make more noise, so they could be really annoying if they are close to where you are trying to sleep or even watch TV for that matter. Another problem is that these types of windmills are less efficient and take more wind to get the blades to start rotating.
Can You Buy One for Your Home
I have to be really honest with you. I cannot find a vertical axes wind turbine that is for sell right now. There are numerous patents in the works for these turbines. In the future you might see them for sale everywhere you look. For now if you want one of these windmills you are going to have to build one for yourself.
Home Windmills, a Historic Way to Harness the Wind
When you hear about all the new wind farms going up and the controversy they create it seems that this is a new concept. What was once called a windmill has transformed into what we now know is a wind turbine. Where did these windmills start in history and how have they been used through the ages? Just as now, home windmills were an important part of life.
Persia
The first windmill was probably built in Persia in around 500 to 900 AD to make the task of grinding grain easier. Before the windmills were invented they had to use muscle to do the job.
China
It is believed that the windmill was actually invented in China and that country should have the title of first windmill instead of Persia. There is documentation that dates back to 1219 AD as being when the first windmill was used for grinding grain and pumping water.
Holland
Why is Holland known for windmills? When the windmills started being used in Europe the Dutch were determined to make a better tower windmill. They improved the sails and the mechanics. They also made the tower into the home of the windsmith and his family. These are the neat windmills that you think of today with the large sails and the windows.
America
Windmills in America have been used on farms for a long time. I’m sure you have seen a farm windmill that is used for pumping or aerating water. I believe one can be seen at the beginning of the Wizard of Oz. If it isn’t then it should be. Windmills are a very common sight on farms and ranches.
Now All over the World
Windmills have become the sleeker and more efficient wind turbines. Some of the same mechanical components are used in turbine aircraft. Don’t you just love modern technology? There are whole towns in rural Africa powered by a single wind turbine, in Scotland people use these turbines to power there homes where the electric lines don’t go, and in America and Europe people are using windmills and wind turbines as an alternative power source. Is a home windmill for you?
Home Windmills Can Play a Part in Energy Independence
If you are interested in living off grid then home windmills are only part of the equation. You will need to consider everything from energy conservation to solar power to home windmills.
“The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living” is a book that will get you started. If you are ready for this type of home improvement then this is the book for you. This is a great book for homes that are rural and not close to the power grid, but you will find it useful for in town homes as well.
Getting off the grid is a complicated thing and you will need to get information from numerous sources. You will not get all of your answers in just one place so don’t expect to. Not all of the families that manage to get off the grid do it exactly the same way. I am telling you this because I am suggesting another book to get you moving in the right direction, but I don’t want you to think this will be the only book on the subject you will need. It is a good book with lots of useful information, but it isn’t perfect. The writer knows his stuff and is a really smart guy, but he can get a bit preachy. If you’re like me you don’t want to be lectured about living, so just ignore those parts.
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.