You can power your home with wind power, but should you?

Everything seems expensive these days, but one of the most worrisome charges to your bank account is your home energy use. From gas to electricity, the cost of keeping our lives bright, warm and connected won’t come down anytime soon, so people are increasingly turning to renewable energy sources to fill the budget gap. No wonder (and, incidentally, makes the world a little more sustainable).

The most obvious option for your home is solar power. This is because there are a number of government programs offering tax relief and an increasing number of contractors offering installations. But not all roofs are ideal for solar power. Also, not everyone likes the idea of ​​bolting huge panels to the roof, which makes repairs more complicated and more prone to leaks. If that’s you, there’s another option: wind power.

You’ve probably seen images of a huge field of wind turbines standing in the middle of nowhere, spinning peacefully and generating electricity. If you’re not so into solar power, or just want a rainy day option to keep the juices flowing when the sun isn’t out, you could in theory install a wind power system in your home. perhaps. Here is an overview of things to consider:

How to know if wind power can work for you

Before you get too excited about this option for having free electricity, consider whether you can actually install a turbine on your property. Some considerations are:

• position. Home wind turbines don’t have to be towering monsters in the middle of nowhere, but they do have serious space requirements.Generally speaking, wind turbines are at least 30 feet tall Stay away from nearby structures (including homes) or geographic features within 300 feet of the location. Because these structures block the wind. You’ll also need to choose a location that encourages wind, so you’ll need to survey your property to determine if you have a suitable location. A small turbine can also be installed on the roof.
• Zoning and Permits. The next thing to do is check with your local government and/or Homeowners Association (HOA) to see if they are allowed to install your wind turbines or if you need to go through a permitting process. Turbines can be noisy and people often have aesthetic complaints about them, so it’s worth checking out.
• wind speed. The wind speed in your home is obviously important, but it’s more complicated than you might think. All wind turbines haveinterruptSpeed ​​- The minimum wind speed that produces power through the turbine.Usually these Speed ​​is 6 to 9 miles per hour (mph)which isn’t exactly high winds, but you usually won’t get much benefit from your turbine investment unless you get at least that much steady wind speed. Rating The speed at which the turbine produces maximum power. If the wind doesn’t get too high, the turbine will work, but not at full power. Wind turbines also havecut outIf the wind exceeds the maximum allowable value, the windmill will stop.
• Power required. To understand the upfront investment required for a wind farm, we first need to know how much electricity is required from the wind farm. If your goal is to power your entire home, you need to know how much power you need. on average, US households use approximately 886 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month, which is 886,000 watts. That’s a lot of wattage considering that many small domestic wind turbines are rated at 3,000 watts or less. This means you may need to install multiple turbines to reduce your power needs.
• bird. yes wind turbine kill a lot of birds every year (also bats). Painting the blades black can help, but if your area has a lot of birdlife, be prepared to spend time picking up dead birds.

Well you did your research and you know you can Install wind turbines on your property. Another question that needs to be answered is:

Is it worth installing a wind turbine?

Whether a wind turbine installation is wise depends on what you need to get out of it and whether you can achieve those goals. Consider the average cost of setting up a wind turbine to meet your home’s power needs, given the ability and location to install the turbine(s). about $12,000 rear government incentivesthe return on investment (ROI) for that setup would be: up to 15 years.

Even if you could handle the install, it would never produce if the wind rarely exceeded the average cut-in rate of 6-9 mph. Any Also, if the wind speed does not rise to the rated speed of the turbine, you will not be able to take full advantage of the wind speed. This will adjust the ROI calculation and the amount of power that can be generated depending on the turbine.the U.S. government maintains Nationwide wind speed database It may help, but it’s not comprehensive.you can also buy an anemometer Take measurements over weeks or months to get an idea of ​​the types of wind speeds to expect.

Conclusion

Conclusion?A wind turbine (or some) is a good idea if you are looking for supplement You want an electrical supply for your home or a good emergency backup power supply, When If you plan to stay at the property for the foreseeable future, you will get a return on your investment. Wind turbines are not the best choice to rely on completely (unless you have experience). many the amount of wind on your property), and if you plan to sell your property in the future, According to research, the turbine is exactly zero Impact on property value— that is, you can’t make money for your home just because your turbine is pumping full of juice. It’s a difficult calculation.