Home Wind Generators

DC-AC Power Inverters, Variable Amps, Grid Ties and Frequency Voltage ... What It All Means!

Home wind generators can be a good choice in some areas. Rural areas without power that get frequent wind are the most common places for wind generators.

They come in many different sizes that will provide various amounts of power.

Most home wind generators create a three-phase AC voltage as the turbine spins. Smaller turbines tend to produce a variable amp and frequency voltage. This type of power can damage your electronics unless it is converted to a more stable form of energy using a DC-AC power inverter.

Three Types of Systems

If you are considering home wind generators, there are three types of systems to choose from for a residential generator: off grid, grid-tie or grid-tie with batteries for backup. Each one provides power, but in slightly different ways.

Off Grid

An off grid system is completely independent of the utility companies. You will need to set up a bank of batteries to store power for times when the wind is not blowing.

The turbines only produce energy when there is enough wind speed. If you want to operate this system alone, you will need many batteries for storage.

If you don't have room to store all those batteries, you may want to consider supplementing your wind power with a solar photovoltaic (PV) system or a home generator connected to a supply of diesel, natural gas, LPG or gasoline.

Grid-Tied

Grid-tied systems connect to your local utility grid. The power generated by your turbine is used to power your house, which reduces your electric bill.

Any surplus power generated is fed to the utility grid. Unless you have batteries, if there is a power blackout, you will lose power also. This kind of system does not provide any backup.

The inverter disconnects the lines to prevent energy feeding into utility lines that are out of order.

Grid-Tied with Backup Batteries

Grid-tied systems with backup batteries work very much like other grid-tied systems with the exception that you have a store of energy in case of blackout. When the power goes out, the inverter disconnects from the grid, yet your home receives power from your bank of batteries.

The Wind

Wind turbines are made to generate the most power when the wind blows from 24 to 36 miles per hour. These speeds may not happen frequently. Less wind speed means you generate less power.

Before you choose a wind generator to install, find out what the average wind speed is for your area. Small wind turbines need wind speed greater than nine miles per hour. You also need the room to install a tall tower, so the turbine is high enough to catch the more powerful winds.

Standard recommendations suggest that they should be at least ten feet taller than the top of any obstructions like trees or buildings that are located within 300 feet of the turbine. Zoning restrictions may prevent you from building a tall tower, so check them first.

Power Curve

Gather up the data sheets for the turbines you find interesting. They will provide the power curves that let you know the minimum and maximum wind speeds each turbine can handle. The minimum speed is the slowest speed the wind blows that will still turn the turbine.

The maximum speed is the wind speed that will turn the turbine off to prevent damage. These are known as cut in and cut out speeds. The power curve cannot estimate how much power you will get at a specific speed. This will vary on the gusts and constancy of the wind in your area.

Cost

Home wind generators are fairly expensive to install. They can cost as much as $4,500 to $6,000 per kilowatt capacity before you get your rebates and tax credits.

If you have the money, you can get a better deal with higher capacity turbines, as they come with a lower cost per kilowatt. Still, it may cost $15,000 to $30,000 to install your system.

While this is lower than the average solar powered system, you still need to invest quite a bit to get started. If you are in a remote location, this may still be less expensive than running utility lines to your location.

Wrapup

Only you can decide if the investment is worthwhile in your location. Research before you buy. Like any generator, you also need to figure how much electricity you need to run your home on an everyday basis.

Additional Green Living Resources

TheGreenLivingExpert.com is a site about the green, natural way of living, and specializes in the home's environment. Includes information on wind power generators and home solar panels