Build Your Own Wind Generator: Get A Turbine Without Breaking The Bank!
Wind Turbines are very expensive to buy but you can build your own wind generator for a surprisingly affordable amount.
In fact for what you spend in electricity over a few months you could build a wind generator that would supply a good portion of your household electrical needs. Before you get started on the project there are several things you need to consider and figure out.
Two: know your area. Some area's like Texas and Wyoming are better for wind power than others. In some area's you may be better off spending your time making a solar panel rather than to build your own wind generator.
Three: Know your limitations. Green is good, but your life is more important. Building your own wind generator carries some risk do to the electricity and moving parts. If you're not handy or have don't have any basic construction skills I recommend you enlist the help of a neighbor or friend who is. The benefit of this is twofold, not only do you get to borrow their experience; it is always safer to work with someone else. That way, in the even either of you is injured, there is another person who can go for help. Many of accidental deaths could have been prevented if the victim hand not chosen to go it alone.
Four: Shop around, and consider recycled materials. It sounds simple but sometimes we don't think of it when we are in the middle of a project. Consider looking at the junk yard for a used alternator, or scraps of metal or PVC for the blades. Not only will you save money you will be helping the environment even more!
Five: If your get lost ask for directions. You are not the first person to build your own windmill, others have done it before and they can help you out! Just ask most folks who do these kinds of projects are friendly and love to give out information. Go into internet chat rooms and find some folks who have done it before. Most love the chance to help someone else build their own wind generator!
One last Note: Once you're successful be sure to pass it on. Once you have succeeded go back to the chat rooms and help someone else to do the same. This way of paying it forward will multiply the good you are doing by construction your own wind generator, because you will have had a part in many of them. Think of how much good you can do for the planet if you not only build your own, but help to build many others as well. Makes you smile just thinking about it!
With a little persistence you can go green on a budget. If your still not 100% confident that you're ready to tackle this project on your own some savvy do "greeners" have put together entire courses that will show you how to do each and every step, so no excuses! Get plans if you need them, but going green is something the world needs you to do right now!
About the Author:
I really wanted to go green but I was frustrated with the cost. Finally I found some good plans! Don't pay for an expensive system, get some solid plans and do it yourself!
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What are the right batteries for a wind generator and where can i find them?
I am looking into building my own wind generator but i cant find the right batteries. Any help would be useful.
What size wind generator do I need to replace my electricity-winter 800kwh summer 2400kwh?
I live in a very windy place and would like to consider a wind generator – I don’t know how to figure out what output I would need – my electric usage monthly varies from 800KWh in winter to 2400KWh in summer.
wind generator?
how big would the wind generator need to be to run a clothes dryer 24/7?
I think you are looking for deep cycle batteries, the same kind that are used with solar collectors.
Try some of these sites…
edit – to answer the question “Why not car batteries?” … the difference between a deep-cycle and car battery is that deep-cycle batteries contain solid lead and withstand “deep-cycling” (losing up to 80% charge) better than automotive batteries, which have a different construction. Car batteries are designed to give you more “starting” power and stay up above 50% charge. Deep-cycling a car battery can result in a quicker breakdown of the core, thus increasing cost in the long-run.
How do I build a homemade wind generator?
Wondered if anyone knew how to build a simple homemade wind generator to power our home? A homemade wind generator that is not too complicated would be good. Do you know how to build a wind generator? Please help us.Thanks
You just need to get a wind-turbine that can generate about 1500 watts then and inverter to convert it to 220volts a/c.
But 24/7 with just a wind turbine is impossible unless you live somewhere that the wind is blowing all the time at the optimal wind speed.
Spending the money for a wind turbine is best only done when you can grid tie, or store in a battery.
What is the difference between a gas driven generator and a wind driven generator?
I am looking to make a wind driven generator. My thoughts are that if I buy a gas driven generator it has all the converters and such so I can just plug in and go.I can adapt it to wind. I can buy a gas generator without a motor. Or does the gas driven one have to much torque compared to a wind generator?
I hope this makes some sense.
The first thing you need to do is figure out how big of a wind generator you need. Most wind generators that are over 1000 watts in generating power are quite a bit more difficult to build. You will need to have your wind generator 15 feet above any obstruction within 300 feet. That is a must.
Some great resources exist but probably reading an article or two about building wind generators would help a lot. Try the resource I listed for a very informative article, there is mention of a website in the article where you can find some great wind generator plans too. Hope this helps, we have built 3 wind generators so far with these plans.
The quick answer is 2400kwh would probably need close to a 20kw generator but if you want to get an average for the year maybe 1600kwh average you might get away with 10kw.
Very windy is a relative term so you will need to look at a wind map. Go to http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/wind_maps.asp and select your state and then find your area.
You will need to take that information and check it against a power curve for different wind turbines. This is one for a few turbines in the 10 to 20kw range. http://www.windturbine.net/performance.htm This will give you an annual output for this brand of wind turbine. If you look at the chart the left column is the 20 and the far right is the 10 and notice how different the outputs are from just 12 to 15 mph wind speed, that is why an accurate wind speed is important.
Also I don’t know about your place but where I live we have much better winds in the winter than summer so for me average through the year is what I go by.
Wind generators have a great deal of gearing because the blades of a wind generator move slowly and provide considerable torque from long blades (and can’t move faster because the turbulence from one blade messes up the next one) while a generator is more efficient the faster it turns to rotate the fields past each other faster. There can be only limited speed regulation of a wind generator and that comes from an expensive hub to rotate the blades, so smaller ones regulate the voltage output and turn the blade unit edgewise to the wind to stop it.
Motor driven generators do (part of) their regulation by controlling the speed of the gas motor. So you would be buying a unit that would be missing the part that gets regulated and get control circuitry that has nothing to connect to.