Residential Wind Power Advantages

Residential wind turbine

Want to have more reliable, less expensive electricity?   Why not generate your own with residential wind power?

Solar and wind are two of the fastest growing distributed generation energy sources worldwide.  A number of factors have come into play: (1) tax incentives; (2) rising fossil fuel costs; (3) lowered prices for wind and solar; and (4) concerns over greenhouse gas emissions.

Did you know that you can save 75% or more off your monthly utility bill with residential wind power?  Some people have actually reported a zero bill!  That’s right – a savings of 100%!  Many times, any excess energy generated can be fed back into the grid for credits from your utility company, through net metering.

When you combine wind and solar, you can get even better results.  Why not take advantage of several weather conditions?  Sunny, bright days can generate solar electricity, while blustery, breezy days will give you wind power.

Wind turbines for home energy

For many people, it makes sense to use both wind and solar, and then rely on the combined power of both.  Look into meteorological conditions in your region to determine if wind, solar or a combination is best for you!

When you generate your own energy, you win on a number of levels! Residential wind power advantages are plenty:

• Reliable energy – even in the case of a grid failure or power outage, you can still cook, bathe and make phone calls
• Cheap power – when you generate your own, it may cost you next to nothing
• Green, green, green!  Most of the grid-based power is from fossil fuels, which results in CO2 emissions – go green by switching to wind energy which has zero greenhouse gas emissions

Whether you wish to purchase a wind power generator, or build your own, you’ll need to determine the proper size for your needs.  This depends on the power requirements for your home.  In general, these range from 700-2000 watts of power.  In general, however, you can probably use a small generator, rather than a large industrial type.

Why not build one?

When it comes to wind turbines – commercial or DIY – be sure to consider these factors:

• Sound construction
• Height to properly capture the wind to generate a constant supply of electricity
• Prior wind studies to estimate the amount of watts that may be generated
• Consideration of net metering incentives by your local utility, and any caps that may be imposed

In summary, residential wind turbines can save you some serious cash each month on your utility bills.  Upfront costs can be minimized with tax credits and also considering the investment as long-term and beneficial over many years.

Have you converted to wind power?  Please share your experiences in the comments below!