A homemade wind turbine is one way that you can reduce your carbon footprint and show your dedication to improving and maintaining the beauty and health of the environment. As opposed to other forms of electricity generation, a homemade wind turbine will not create pollution. Other electricity generation processes such as burning coal creates air and water pollution that can have a negative impact on the people, wildlife and plant life around the energy plant. A homemade wind turbine, on the other hand, does not create pollution but rather uses a clean source of energy to generate electricity.
Windpower
Wind power is exceptionally efficient and effective form of generating electricity. A homemade wind turbine will harness the power of the wind to power a generator that creates the actual energy. Wind power varies depending on the speed of the wind, but even light winds of only 8 miles an hour can produce enough energy to be used by a homemade wind turbine. Wind power is an extension of solar power in that wind is created by heated air rising quickly and cooler air rushing to fill the space left by the hot air. This rushing is what is called wind. Because this happens naturally, wind power is a simple and efficient form of energy.
Windpower Turbines
A homemade wind turbine is part of a long line of wind powered devices used to create various forms of energy. Throughout history people have used the power of the wind to help them with necessary tasks that would otherwise be difficult and time consuming. As far back as 200 BC people have used wind powered mechanical devices. Early windpower turbines were more appropriately called windmills. These machines were used to grind corn and grains for food and to pump water. These tasks, absolutely necessary for the livelihood of the people of the day, were made tremendously simpler by the application of their windmills. So prevalent were windmills along the landscapes of many European countries several centuries later that they became common references in metaphorical and symbolic literature. Windmills are often used to represent a major challenge or fear, such as the windmills that were interpreted as giants in the famous piece of literature Don Quixote. A homemade wind turbine of today look very similar to those of the past but are still different in a few ways, especially the addition of a generator that produces electricity as opposed to just mechanical energy.
A homemade wind turbine creates energy using long blades. These blades catch the wind and begin to spin. This spinning causes a shaft within the tower of the homemade wind turbine to rotate, which in turn rotates a device within the attached generator. The generator is what actually allows the homemade wind turbine to produce electricity. The electricity produced by a homemade wind turbine is far less expensive than that created by other forms of generation and represents tremendous savings.
Windmills for Homes
The first person to use a homemade wind turbine to create electricity was a Scottish academic in the late 1800s. This man used a homemade wind turbine to power batteries he used to light his vacation home. This impressive innovation predated by only a few months the American production of a homemade wind turbine that could be used to power several residences. At this time the benefits of windmills for electricity production became obvious and people began placing them at their homes and farms. Large collections of wind turbines are called wind farms, but agricultural farms can benefit largely from the implementation of a homemade wind turbine. Often farms need a lot of energy and need a source of energy that is both clean and affordable. A homemade wind turbine can meet the needs of the farm while still reducing the carbon footprint. Homes can also benefit from the installation of a homemade wind turbine. Harnessing the power of the wind is a large step into green living that has become such a passion for many people.
It is recommended that a homemade wind turbine, or any wind turbine, should be installed no closer than 1000 to 1500 feet from a residence. This ensures that the sound created by the blades of the homemade wind turbine will be kept to a low hum similar to that of a normal home refrigerator. Shadow flicker, the excess deep shadowing that is sometimes caused by a homemade wind turbine can also be kept to a minimum by placing the homemade wind turbine far enough away. This ensures that the sun will light the blades at the right angle to produce minimal shadows and that these shadows will not negatively impact the home. If the homemade wind turbine is to be used for agricultural purposes you should not be concerned that it will harm any livestock. The blades of a homemade wind turbine are high off of the ground, allowing animals to walk all the way up to the base without being in any danger.
The Materials of a Homemade Wind Turbine
Creating a homemade wind turbine requires a few basic components. You can build your own or purchase used materials from places such as internet auction sites.
- Your homemade wind turbine requires a generator to produce the actual electricity
- Blades are the way that your homemade wind turbine will capture the power of the wind
- These blades are held in place on a mounting that will keep them in the coming wind
- The largest portion of the homemade wind turbine is the tall tower containing the shaft that will hold the blades high enough to catch the best quality winds
- Batteries and a control system will allow you to control your homemade wind turbine. These also let you monitor the batteries and tell them when to transfer the accumulated power from these batteries to a secondary load.
Installing a homemade wind turbine is an extremely efficient way of reducing your carbon footprint while still having access to the electricity that you need. Wind is a fully renewable, clean natural resource that does not cause any form of pollution and that will never run out. It is also much less expensive than other forms of generating electricity. Much larger than a homemade wind turbine, a utility turbine can generate enough power to support up to 600 average homes. A homemade wind turbine is perfect for the needs of a home or farm.
