When you mention a wind turbine to most people they immediately think of huge spinning propellers on top of hills. But did you know that a small wind turbine can easily be constructed to run at home and for a lot less money than you might think. In fact a DIY vertical wind turbine is now a viable way to power your home off grid without having to rely on the power company.
To see how this would work we need to discuss briefly the technology involved.
A small-scale home wind turbine is actually a very simple device. At the top is a rotor assembly to which three, sometimes more, blades are attached. A small tail at the back keeps the blades facing into the wind, in just the same way that a weather vane works. When the wind blows, the blades spin the rotor which is linked via a crankshaft to a small generator. As the generator spins it makes electricity.
This electricity is then, in turn stored in a set of batteries which are called upon when power is needed. An inverter turns the DC power from the batteries into AC power that can be used in the home as if it were supplied from the mains.Although the technology has been available for decades, it is only in recent years that advances in materials science and electronics have made it possible to make small DIY vertical wind turbines that are reliable and cost efficient. As the rising price of fossil fuel continues to push electricity prices ever higher, they are also a much more attractive long-term alternative to mains power.
DIY vertical wind turbines can also be used almost anywhere. Depending on the prevailing wind conditions, simply varying the height of the tower is enough to make them operate at peak efficiency. For example if you live somewhere typically windy, such as the coast then the tower can, of course be shorter, whereas in sheltered areas you would need a slightly longer tower. In any case there are very few places where you cannot build on that will operate efficiently.
Free Electricity is Now Within Everyone's Reach Thanks to a DIY Vertical Wind Turbine