| By :
Roger Brown
Wouldn't free power from a home wind turbine make life easy?! No more power bills to pay! You've seen other people do it and you've read on the internet about how such an investment can change your life by making your electricity bills go away...but hold the phone! It is not that simple. There are a number of avenues you can take to get a turbine. By acting too quickly some of them can cause you to lose a lot of money before you start making any. Here are 2 things you need to check out carefully and be very realistic about before you decide to get a home wind turbine: 1. Do I really have enough wind on my property to harvest? Wind is everywhere, right? But, the question is if there is enough wind where you are to power a home wind turbine? Just because you can get the blades to turn doesn't mean you will make enough power to be of much use. The wind around your home can be broken down into 2 basic subsets - steady wind and turbulent wind. The steady wind is at least 30 feet above the tree height, or the area where obstacles such as your home or the tree line are no longer affecting the flow. Steady wind is up high and harder to get to. To take advantage of this wind, you will usually need to mount your turbine on top of a tower. A disadvantage is you will also experience line losses. The most turbulent wind is usually found on your roof. It is less reliable and unpredictable. You can have a strong wind blowing 30 feet up and almost no wind on your roof on account of other buildings or trees blocking the flow. At the very least, the wind surrounding your house will be slower than up high. The advantage is however, that you don't have to have a tower and the problems associated with having a mechanical device that high up in the air (you will have to perform maintenance at least once a year and have to access the turbine). 2. Will my local community permit my home wind turbine? Many communities frown on wind turbines on personal property, so you need to check in with your local zoning office to see if it is even a possibility. Usually, it can be worked out but local zoning restrictions will tell you which kind of turbine they will allow. They might not say "no wind turbines" but they will telegraph the message indirectly via height restrictions. Also, neighborhood associations often say what you can put on your roof. Having your own home wind turbine can be a great way to cut power costs but you have to carefully make sure you are on solid ground before you venture out to buy one.
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