| By :
Roger Brown
When you first think about wind turbines for homes it is natural to think they will work anywhere. With the wind blowing pretty much everywhere, why wouldn't they? Intuitively, it just makes sense that a wind energy device would be able to make power anywhere you set it down. The problem with that analysis is though, that it doesn't take the limitations of the technology into consideration. While it seems logical that wind turbines for homes would work most anywhere, wind power technology is constricted by cut-in speed or, the the speed at which the wind device starts turning and making electricity for you. Cut-in speed is a function of the aerodynamics of the blades and their weight. Prior wind turbine designs have been heavy and didn't start making power until the average wind reached 6 mph or so. This was a significant limitation in that most of the country or the world for that matter, comes no where close to reaching that number. Nevertheless, there are at least 3 places where wind turbines for homes will work well and therefore, you should consider these first as possible locations for your wind energy project to be situated... Your roof - The roof can be a tremendous source of wind energy on your property. Even though the dynamics of wind flow in a complicated geometric situation like your roof can be a challenge, there is still enough wind energy and potential to convert that energy to electricity that well may be your first choice for where you install your window device. On a tower in your backyard - Although the roof is the only place that many people can install a turbine, the best place of all will be to mount one on the tower high above obstacles and trees. That is because that is where the cleanest and most powerful wind energy is available. Sometimes a difference of only 20 feet to make the difference in achieving 300% more electricity production. However, you may not be able to locate your device on a tower if you live in the city or in a place where local restrictions will keep you from obtaining a permit to put it there. On your chimney - This is an increasingly popular place to place a home wind turbine. The reason is it is really out of the way and the wind aerodynamics near chimneys are not bad at all. Plus, many companies that advocate locating a wind device on a chimney are making their products aesthetically pleasing so that they look almost like a piece of art, more than a wind device designed to generate power. By and large, wind turbines for homes are getting better and better at making power at low wind speeds. This trend will continue as more and more money is spent in R&D.
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