| By :
Roger Brown
The path to the best wind turbine for the home is not an easy one. It is sad to say but the proliferation of information in the market has led to less rather than greater clarity. The out of pocket cost of wind turbines can vary greatly. And, if you look at the product information sheets they can seem like the same thing but cost multiple thousands different. These are the 3 things you must consider when you are looking into home wind turbines: 1. Do any municipal ordinances in my town preclude putting up a windmill? 2. What is the amount of power I need to make? 3. What wind resources do I have at my house? Always check out the local rules regarding wind turbines. Just call your municipal jurisdiction - county or city - and ask who to talk with about putting up a wind turbine on your property. There are a number of cities and neighborhoods that control the way windmills can be put up and what the physical limits of those wind turbines can be. The considerations mostly regard the way the devices look. Many folks just don't like the way they look and will complain. That's what usually drives the creation of the ordinance or community bylaw. Also, there is a fear that local bird populations could be endangered by a turbine. As well, shadow flicker is an annoying thing that horizontal-axis turbines do that many communities use as a reason for not allowing or restricting them. How much electricity you will want to make is quite different if all you are doing is charging batteries vs. trying to supply power for your home. It is very easy to overbuy and get way too much wind turbine, so it is imperative that you get this part right. Next figure out what your wind resources are. At different locations on your property, the wind will be at different velocities, directions, and levels of turbulence. As you go up in altitude the wind always gets stronger. However, to access that stronger wind you need a tower and a tower is expensive - it can double the cost of the project. After you know it is ok to put the turbine up (and you won't get fined) and you have assessed that you have enough wind to "fuel" your turbine, you can start looking on the Internet for some options. Watch it because there is a huge variance in pricing as you may have already noticed. Usually, vertical wind turbines work optimally on roofs. The reason for that is they work best when wind conditions are turbulent. A roof is also not an altogether bad place for a horizontal wind turbine but they tend to have a bigger footprint. Also, horizontals don't work as well in chaotic conditions because they have a tail that turns the turbine into the direction of the wind. Summarizing, once you have assessed your unique wind environment, the best wind turbine kit for the home will be much more obvious. It is likely that the best thing for your neighbors may not be the best for your home.
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