The fastest growing source of energy today is Wind Power. It is plentiful, renewable , widely distributed, clean and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The intermittency of wind seldom creates problems.
At the end of 2006 worldwide capacity was about 75,000 megawatts. Denmark produces about 20% of its electricity using wind power!
Wind power is produced through wind turbines. Large wind farms are set up to feed national electric grids. Small turbines can be used to power homes, especially in remote areas.
So how do residential wind turbines work? They are installed on tall towers and convert wind power into electricity which is compatible with the homes' electrical system. It is used alongside power from a local utility. When the wind speed is below 10mph all the electricity is purchased from the utility. As wind speed increases generation increases and use of power from the utility is reduced. At top speed you may produce a surplus which can be sold to the utility. Modern systems do not require batteries.
Wind turbines can lower your electric bills by as much as 50-90%. In the long run your savings will depend upon the initial cost and the amount of electricity you use. The wind speed in your area is the most important factor.
Taking the average consumption of about 780 kwh per household per month a wind turbine of around 15 kilowatts should suffice.
A wind turbine is a large device and works best on a property size of about 1 acre. The average wind speed in the area should also exceed 10 mph. The majority of the units in the USA are installed in the Northeast and the Midwest. A typical wind turbine is not noisy enough to disturb people.
Federal regulations require utilities to connect with small wind energy systems. No expenses are needed in the wiring of the house. The utility will install a separate meter to calculate purchase of power from you.
A typical tower is at least 80 feet high. Several types of towers are available. It is best to buy one which is easy to maintain.
Small turbines are available for as little as $6,000. They require little regular maintenance, last about 20 years and are completely automatic.
Investment is recovered in about 10 years and thereafter power is free. Dealers will install the system for you. However large savings can be made by installing it yourself.
The industry is set to install a whopping 3,000 MW of capacity in the US in 2007 with almost two-thirds of it in Texas.
Wind power is increasingly being considered as an essential part of the solution to global warming.