Wind Powered Generators

As renewable energy sources progress and help modernize our current ecological needs, wind is emerging as one of the most common sources of renewable energy. Wind powered generators can account for as many as 500 homes worth of energy per year for each individual turbine used. So how do they work and how can they be capitalized on as a source of clean, renewable energy?

The most interesting thing about wind powered generators is that they are the oldest form of renewable energy generators in the history of mankind. Early wind turbines have been used to harvest and refine grain since as early as 200 B.C. in Persia. The energy of wind was used to turn massive turbines so the friction and kinetic energy could be refined and utilized to crush and refine grains and flour in the processing of bread. Since then, this ancient practice has been modernized to develop not only friction and kinetic energy to process grain but also electrical energy to power homes and businesses.

So how does a wind power generator work? It’s simple. A wind power generator is essentially a giant fan that absorbs the impact of the wind and turns a massive generator. The heat of the friction in the generator is then converted into electrical energy as the gears spin from the result of the wind, producing a stable source of electricity.

There are essentially two different kinds of wind powered generators. One is a horizontal axis and the other is a vertical axis. There is some scientific debate as to which one is more effective, but the mechanical difference can be summed quickly. A horizontal axis is likely the ones you see advertised on television when talking about renewable energy sources. The axis on which the blades spin lies parallel to the ground, hence the term horizontal axis. Horizontal axis turbines are very effective at gathering energy from high winds and are more efficient than vertical axis as they are always moving with the wind direction.

The vertical axis wind powered generators are the second type of wind powered generators. These function by having an axis built upright and perpendicular from the ground. Vertical axis wind turbines look essentially like a large rotating wall and are very difficult to describe without actually seeing one. They gather energy with the same essential friction manipulation of horizontal axis, the main difference being that they are built lower to the ground, create less noise and can be used from any direction. However, this does come with a few disadvantages, namely that these wind generators are less efficient since the wind will often push one side of the generator forward while the other side rotates into the wind, creating unwanted friction and slowdown. And since they are lower to the ground, they do not have access to as fast winds as vertical axis wind turbines.

The world has yet to build a manageable system to truly capitalize on the constant supply of wind available in many areas. Wind Powered Generators are a growing way of progressing the world towards energy that is safer and more constant than coal or oil. With more efficient technology being driven by demand in this field being created every day, it’s only a matter of time before this becomes a primary energy source in many countries around the world.

Another alternative for home owners interested in lowering their energy costs with renewable energy is residential wind turbines. These offer a reliable, low cost electricity source that can lower you power bills by anywhere form 50-90 percent! It’s not uncommon to see homes with a wind turbine that have an energy bill as low as 10 dollars per month, especially in areas with high wind and mild climates that have little use for air conditioning.

So what’s the cost and ROI breakdown of a residential wind turbine? Typically a wind turbine requires some sort of professional installation in order to be attached to your home, although smaller wind turbines can be self installed by the customer. After all is said and done, a residential wind turbine will usually end up costing anywhere from 2 or 3 thousand dollars to 10 thousand dollars per unit. This may sound far-fetched for the average home owner, but the truth is a single wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power more than half your home’s electrical systems throughout much of the year. How would it feel to have that energy bill reduced from 50 dollars a month to 25 or less?

That could easily pay for itself within a couple of short years, not to mention the amount of money you would save on tax rebates and incentives offered by the government for installing such a system. On top of that, a residential wind turbine would give you an alternative source of energy outside of the power company to keep your home going even in the event of a power outage. It may not seem like much, but being able to use the internet and the telephone when a power outage occurs can be beneficial on many levels ranging from a simple convenience to a life saver when there happens to be an emergency!

So is it worthwhile to get a residential wind turbine installed in your home? This would be a question best directed to a professional installer who is most familiar with the performance of the technology. If you live in an area that has high winds such as southern California or Texas, there is a good chance you will realize a significant return on investment with a residential wind turbine. This is even more true with areas in which there is a mild climate and little use for air conditioning or heating. Extreme climates may be require more energy than a single turbine is capable of covering, but regardless of the situation, it will help reduce costs dramatically over the long term.

Are you offset by the financial burden of a solar energy system but still interested in investing in an alternative energy solution to power your home? Then fortunately for you, there is a way to get cheap solar energy without breaking the piggy bank. It’s called a solar energy kit, and it’s essentially the DIY of solar energy systems. Before you decide whether or not this particular method of getting solar energy in your home is right, you need to make ample considerations about your own mechanical dexterity and ability to install electrical systems, as tampering with these systems improperly can cost you a fortune in repair bills and often mean you will end up having to call the professional installer anyways in the end.

However, it isn’t rocket science. After all, if the government and alternative energy companies want to create easier access to these systems, they wouldn’t have made them lucratively complex and overbearing on the average home owner. The real question is are you comfortable enough with installing a system like this on your own? Anyone who has a significant amount of experience working with electrical systems or even doing handy work around the house should be able to translate the manual included in your solar energy kit. And if it means saving a few thousand dollars on the installation and equipment, many borderline investors would jump at the idea of paying a few hundred dollars over a few thousand.

Yes, you read that correctly. While getting a solar energy system professionally installed in your home can easily cost you anywhere from 3,000 to 15,000 dollars in equipment and installation fees, the cost of a do it yourself solar energy kit usually starts you around 200 dollars per unit. Not a terrible alternative for the savvy consumer looking to save money! After all, there’s sure to be something more worthwhile and important to put that money to work.

And the good news is these kits are essentially the same panels and parts that professional installers use in your home anyways, so you can get the same energy cost reduction but for a fraction of the cost if you choose to go with a DIY solar energy kit. Best advice in this situation is to pay for the professional installer, if you can afford it, but if not, call any of your good friends who are savvy in electrical systems and roof work, if you have any friends like that, and get down to business doing it yourself. With the amount of money you can save on your energy bills and taxes, it would be wise to take the time and energy to install a system like this yourself if you don’t have the money for a professional, hassle free installation.

So even for those who are very tight on cash, it is still possible to reduce your monthly energy consumption and improve your lifestyle by lowering the bills. It may mean a little bit more work than with a professional installer taking care of everything for you, but the money you will save in the long term will be more than worth the effort!

Solar Energy Cost

So what does solar energy cost to the average consumer anyways? Is it realistically affordable or is the technology and maintenance for these systems too expensive and burdened with difficulties for it to realistically be worth the time and capital? The good news is, getting a solar energy system has never been more cost effective and worthwhile for the investment. As the technology progresses, this renewable energy becomes cheaper and more abundant for the average investor, and more readily available.

So what does a solar energy system cost? An average, a typical solar energy system will cost around 5,000 dollars to purchase and install. Sounds expensive, doesn’t it? The good news is that these systems generate enough energy to power up to 2/3 of your home’s overall energy usage, including cooking and heating appliances such as microwaves, ovens and furnaces which typically consume the largest amounts of electricity. Is 5,000 dollars a realistic investment to have your energy bill reduced every month?

Solar Energy System

Most experts agree that an energy efficient, renewable solar energy system can pay for itself within 2 to 3 years on energy bills alone. That doesn’t even account for the fact that many of governments around the world such as the United States or the United Kingdom will offer tremendous tax write-offs and rebates for consumers who lower their energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint with one of these systems. This makes the cost of solar energy much more realistic and affordable in the long term, which is contrary to the common ethos that it is new technology and relatively unaffordable for the average consumer.

If you are interested in purchasing a solar energy system and are concerned about costs, the truth is the upfront costs are fairly expensive, but the long term costs are cheap or even nonexistent or cheaper than standard energy sources. Consumers interested in purchasing a solar energy system should be mindful of the rebates and tax incentives the government offers and how it can affect your finances, as a reduction in taxes can most definitely make the purchase of a solar energy system more cost effective and realistic.

American consumers who need more information can go to http://www.dsireusa.org/ and have a look at the federal and state tax rebates and incentives that the government offers as a reward for owning and utilizing a solar energy system. The website offers a state by state breakdown of rebates, tax write-offs and stimulus spending that can dramatically lower your cost. It’s difficult to say how much the cost of a solar energy system can realistically be reduced by with such incentives as every state has different laws regarding this issue, so consumers interested in this product should most definitely look up their own state laws and tax codes before purchasing.

The cost of solar energy may be high up front, but with long term benefits such as these tax write-offs and reduced energy bills, anyone interested in saving money in the long term and reducing emissions would be crazy not to invest in a solar energy system.

Solar energy is one of the most untapped sources of renewable energy available in the ecosystem. Not only can a solar panel pay for itself with the energy it adds to your house that saves you money, but it is one of the few energy sources used in the world that is 100 percent renewable and 100 percent pollution free. Unlike energy sources such as coal or nuclear which produce toxic gases and byproducts that are harmful to the environment, solar energy leaves zero carbon footprint and no harmful emissions in the process of absorbing sunlight to product electricity.
So what are some of the most important solar energy facts consumers should be mindful of when making a decision about how to benefit off of the largest natural fusion reactor in our solar system? Here’s a brief rundown of important information any savvy consumer or investor should know:
-Solar energy can quickly and easily translate into usage for any other form of energy in your house! This means that anything you rely on for your mainstream energy resource can be replaced by solar energy. There’s no limitation. Cooking, cleaning, using computers and watching television can all be powered by the sun!
-A 1 kilowatt solar energy system will prevent 170 pounds of coal from being burned, 300 pounds of CO2 from being released and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month!
-The amount of energy saved on a solar energy system can easily pay for itself in 2 to 3 years of energy consumption, all while providing a healthier, more environmentally sound alternative and giving a backup energy source when power lines or plants are down or malfunctioning!
-While solar energy systems may be expensive and often times unrealistic for the average consumer, the government offers tremendous incentives including tax write-offs and discounts for consumers looking to improve the ecosystem and lower their energy bills in the process.
So is solar energy a realistic alternative to your current energy source? Most people would say that installing a solar energy system is far too expensive and unrealistic, as a solar energy generator can cost around 10,000 per unit to be purchased and installed. However, given the fact that this gives you discounts on your energy bills, the cost of purchasing the system itself, and a great alternative energy source in the event of an emergency or power line break, this is a worthy long term investment that will realize a significant return of investment in the course of a few years.

Having solar panels fitted to your roof is expensive, no doubt about it. The installation varies from $4000 to $60,000. The difference depends on the size of your house, your requirements from the panels themselves and how much electricity you are hoping to generate. In basic terms, the larger the panels and the more you want – the bigger your bill, though even a basic system can be tough on the wallet.

Firstly, most solar panel installation companies will offer some form of credit – perhaps even ‘buy now pay later’ type deals, which allow you to suspend repayments for a year or more. Almost all will offer a traditional credit scheme, where you have the panels installed and then pay them off. This is one of the most expensive ways to get solar panels installed, as you will be charged for the credit, but nevertheless it is an option.

The best way option for most is to save a dedicated fund for their solar panels. Using the old school system of putting a little money by each week, many households can afford solar panels within a couple of years without having to pay credit purchase rates.

Whichever way you choose to do it, solar panels are expensive. There isn’t any way of getting around that, though as the technology improves prices should fall. It is always worth remember, however, that solar power is beneficial both to your wallet in the long run, and to the environment.

Wind turbines are man’s primary way of generating electricity using the power of the wind. The versions of wind turbines we see now are merely an extension of an old idea; using the wind for power is no new concept. What is new is using the wind to generate electricity.

In the past, farmers would use windmills – the forerunner to the wind turbine, which in design they closely resemble – to power machinery to grind corn. These windmills can still be seen around the world, with Holland a well known location for windmills. The white structures we see across fields today are simply the 21st century version.

Wind turbines usually have three spokes, which when caught by the wind cause the mechanism to revolve. The spokes spin around driven by the force of the wind, and this in turn is used to power a machine – just like the windmills of old. However, the machines these turbines now power do not grind crops, but rather generate electricity through a traditional generator.

Wind turbines are one of the most – if not the most – effective ways of generating electricity. The energy produces is clean and, more importantly, renewable. So while these turbines may still cause mild shock when viewed in a place one did not expect them, they are nevertheless the future.

One of the major criticisms of wind farms is that they are damaging to the humans who live near them. This effect is both psychological and physical, though there is more evidence for the former. The issue of physical health problems caused by living near a wind farm are a matter of much debate in the medical community.

The psychological problems are more basic. Many of those living near a wind farm find it difficult to sleep due to the noise of the turbines. While the noise is not excessive (it equates roughly to the noise of medium-level traffic, which most of us ignore without thinking) it can be annoying for those in rural areas. As wind farms are more likely to be erected in rural areas – where the general noise level is much lower than cities – there have been complaints over the noise generated. The problem, however, is not considered to be substantial.

The physical health concerns are far more rare, and generally centre around the low-threshold noise produced by wind turbines. Continued exposure to very low noise can upset the inner ear and cause problems such as headaches, but there is no reputable study that has proven wind farms are the cause of this.

When wind turbines are erected, they do pose a minor danger to those living near by. If a brake on a turbine fails, the turbine can have blades spin loose and scatter. For this reason, turbines are constantly monitored and if one appears to be in trouble, all efforts will be made to close it down before a problem occurs.

Like all large structures, wind turbines cast a shadow. If one lives near enough to an active wind farm, this shadow may fall on your home at various points of the day. To many homeowners, this in itself is annoying, particularly if they live in rural areas and did not expect to have to deal with shadows falling on their property.

However, this is not the sole concern of those living near an active wind turbine. Unlike almost every other type of structure, wind turbines have three rotating blades. In the case of shadows cast on to a house, these blades themselves cast a shadow. However, the blades are in motion, so the shadow is a constantly moving menace that is extremely disturbing to witness. The constant passing of this shadow can occur for hours per day, and if residents are at home during that time, there is no escape.

Many energy companies refuse to exist shadow flicker is a problem, which has lead to many residents forming action groups. The solution is actually very simple, as shadow flicker will not occur if a turbine is placed 3,000 feet away from the nearest home. However, some energy companies have placed certain turbines as close to residences as 1,100 feet. Many anticipate changes in the law will prevent this from happening again, based on the evidence presented by annoyed existing residents who have to live with shadow flicker.

Wind turbines are usually painted white, so they seemingly blend with surrounding cloud. This, however, is what makes them such hazards to birds; who may not notice the turbines until they are fatally close to the revolving blades.

Statistics show that the effect wind turbines have on birds is negligible. That is, wind energy from turbines is no more costly to bird welfare than other forms of renewable energy production (such as nuclear power) and is actually 20 times less dangerous than traditional fossil fuel production plants.

While birds are safe, it is becoming apparent that bats are not. Nocturnal and blind, winged bats are becoming the silent victims of wind turbines as their usual navigational tools which help them avoid collisions are interupted by the rotating blades.

As well as collisions, bats have to deal with the low pressure caused by wind turbine tips. If they are lucky enough to avoid colliding with the tips themselves, the low pressure generated can cause a condition known as barotrauma. Bats lungs are damaged by exposure to this low pressure, and it can be fatal. Birds have more robust lungs and are not effected by this condition.

So while birds are doing well with wind farms, further research is required on the effects on the bat population. The most obvious solution is placing radar transmitters on top of turbines; bats avoid these, as they trigger their sonar navigational systems.