14
Dec

home wind power kits?

Archived in the category: wind power home

Are there any good do it yourself kits?

Wow! Laurie M is exactly right, and speaks with great wisdom. Wind power is really tricky, and requires expert knowledge from initial design to pouring the concrete. Besides, there are few places in the country where the average wind is really high enough to give you useful power, and yet calm and predictable enough to keep from destroying costly equipment.

Solar is much more practical if you must have an alternative source of electricity. Much easier to design and develop a workable system at home. In any case, unless you have a really good knowledge of electrical and mechanical things, you will need expert help. Your state government, or that of an adjoining state, probably has an alternative energy or solar energy center that has a web site. That will be your starting point. If you can’t find them, call your county agricultural extension agent.

Good luck!

NOTE: "Gabe" went a little over the top. Any homeowner with basic DIY skills can do much of the work involved in installing a solar/inverter/battery system, with some help from the manufacturers and your local electrical inspector.

Electrical engineers are indispensable, but don’t let one intimidate you into thinking you can’t do a job like installing solar panels. They are heavy, but not all THAT heavy. Any normal truss or rafter and deck roof will handle the weight. If some extra bracing is needed, any well-adjusted carpenter will know it, and can do it.

I have a science education and a lifetime of experience remodeling houses. So when I retired, I built my own passive solar house with a solar/inverter/battery system, and it all works great. I developed a good relationship with the county electrical inspector, and followed manufacturers’ specs and recommendations, and it all went together like a dream.

Posted by: admin - 7 Comments

7 comments for “home wind power kits?”

.1
Joe

I bought some stuff @ greenlanterngoods dotcom got one up and running to power my living room stuff :)
References :

December 14th, 2009 at 6:04 am
.2
malo

no kits. there idea how you can do wind power mill to make power buy parts in the store
References :
intrenet and book

December 14th, 2009 at 6:49 am
.3
red dog

I saw on the Tractor Supply Company (TSC) web site, they have a wind generator. They have solar panels available also. I do not know how well they work, nor do I know how easy it is to install. I just know that they sell the units. I’ve been thinking about checking it out myself.
References :
http://www.tractorsupply.com

December 14th, 2009 at 7:14 am
.4
Laurie M

There are several factors which make home wind power kits a risky choice. 1.) Because of their inherent ability to produce noise, their appearance, and the fact that propellers must be well-made and well-assembled to prevent danger to persons or property, obtaining a permit within a city’s municipal code is going to be more difficult. 2.) What are you going to do with the electricity? A DIY wind power kit isn’t going to be eligible for hooking up to the electrical grid so you get paid for the electricity. So, will it run something that needs to run when there is wind? Or will it charge a battery? Unlike solar panels that can heat pools passively, the resulting electricity may not be that convenient to use. 3.) Like solar panels, window turbines take advantage of severe environmental conditions. As such, they must be made of extremely resilient materials, and engineered with precision. After all, the turning motion of the wind power generator should have a minimum of resistance from the materials and their construction. Besides moving with fierce winds, the materials suffer constant temperature punishment. As you know, materials like metals expand with heat and contract with cold.

Above are several negatives. There is a positive. A well-engineered kit, located in a region where winds are never severe, and installed safely by a person with sufficient knowledge, can be a great educational tool to the young people in the house. If considered a prototype to the future, a young person can learn important environmental, electronic, and physics principals.

So rather than recommend a particular kit, answering the above questions will help you determine if a DIY kit is good for your family in the first place. If so, you can ask engineering and municipal code questions of the seller. I don’t recommend anyone except a local vendor. The Internet is not a place to buy such a complex device.
References :

December 14th, 2009 at 7:44 am
.5
Gabe

You guys/gals are crazy if you think that you install a solar, wind, nuclear, or other alternative power "kit" by yourselves. I’m an electrical engineer by education and I’m not even going to attempt that level of difficulty by myself. The problems are not only the structural requirements (will my roof hold up that much weight, where can I store all the batteries, or will it all be up to current building code), but you have to tie that into your house power circuit AND figure out what to do with your local power company in the event you start to produce MORE power than you are consuming. If you are even contemplating this endeavor the first thing you need to figure out is if your homeowners association will allow the modifications to the outside of your house. Mine will not, so I can only dream on.

One thing to think about with wind kits: be prepared for the local outrage by PETA or other animal friendly groups. They might think your wind generating kit is nothing more than a bird shredder. =)

I have seen some SWEET solar setups done by professionals. The house generates sooooo much power (even on cloudy days) that they generate power back to the power company and get a (small) check from them. They also have a huge battery room.

If my homeowners association ever gets out of the stone age this is my wish list:
A wind generator, a solar photovoltaic system (the solar shingle technology looks promising), and a natural gas emergency generator. Ahhhh, but I can only dream at this point. =(
References :

December 14th, 2009 at 8:29 am
.6
aviophage

Wow! Laurie M is exactly right, and speaks with great wisdom. Wind power is really tricky, and requires expert knowledge from initial design to pouring the concrete. Besides, there are few places in the country where the average wind is really high enough to give you useful power, and yet calm and predictable enough to keep from destroying costly equipment.

Solar is much more practical if you must have an alternative source of electricity. Much easier to design and develop a workable system at home. In any case, unless you have a really good knowledge of electrical and mechanical things, you will need expert help. Your state government, or that of an adjoining state, probably has an alternative energy or solar energy center that has a web site. That will be your starting point. If you can’t find them, call your county agricultural extension agent.

Good luck!

NOTE: "Gabe" went a little over the top. Any homeowner with basic DIY skills can do much of the work involved in installing a solar/inverter/battery system, with some help from the manufacturers and your local electrical inspector.

Electrical engineers are indispensable, but don’t let one intimidate you into thinking you can’t do a job like installing solar panels. They are heavy, but not all THAT heavy. Any normal truss or rafter and deck roof will handle the weight. If some extra bracing is needed, any well-adjusted carpenter will know it, and can do it.

I have a science education and a lifetime of experience remodeling houses. So when I retired, I built my own passive solar house with a solar/inverter/battery system, and it all works great. I developed a good relationship with the county electrical inspector, and followed manufacturers’ specs and recommendations, and it all went together like a dream.
References :
old scientist

December 14th, 2009 at 8:47 am
.7
WinXP76

How to Build a Homemade Windmill With an Alternator
Build a homemade windmill from an alternator as a step towards self-sufficiency. Generate power to charge car batteries without having to pay for extra electricity. People often use these windmills in remote locations where hooking up to "the grid" may be a little too expensive.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4895635_build-homemade-windmill-alternator.html
References :
http://www.ehow.com/how_4895635_build-homemade-windmill-alternator.html

December 14th, 2009 at 9:03 am

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