You can build your own wind turbine for your home in order to harness wind energy to produce your own electricity. A wind turbine is also known as a windmill. The wind will turn the blades on the windmill/turbine and this mechanical energy is converted into electrical power for your home. A windmill will often be used as a backup device to an already installed solar energy system. This will ensure a good supply of electricity even during periods of heavy cloud cover.
It is important in this time of economic and energy crisis to look at ways to become self sufficient. Producing your own electricity from wind and solar power is one way to achieve this. Solar energy is the most widespread renewable energy source that people are installing in their homes. Solar panels can be used anywhere.
You may want to consider solar power before you build your own wind turbine as the effectiveness of a wind powered system depends on where you live. Wind power systems are far more effective when used on farms or in the countryside. A densely populated area is unlikely to generate sufficient wind speed to drive a wind turbine to its potential.
You should only really consider wind power as your primary source of energy if you have at least an acre of land. An area that is smaller than this will not enable the blades of the windmill to capture sufficient wind power. You should also find out what the average wind speed in your area is. The wind speed needs to be an average of 11mph or more. Placing a windmill in the proximity of other buildings will block much of the wind and will lower the average wind speeds. The wind speed also needs to be consistent.
In order to build your own wind turbine you will need the following components:
Blades: These capture the wind energy and are usually made of wood or plastic.
Tower: This is the structure that houses the components of the wind turbine. It needs to be high enough for the blades to capture sufficient wind energy. The tower needs to be made of a hard material such as poly-vinyl chloride.
Shaft: This is what protrudes from the top of the tower and is affixed to the blades. It allows the blades to rotate smoothly.
Base: At the bottom of the tower needs to be a sturdy base that is capable of holding the whole structure.
