Wind Generators for Home Use

When today's homeowners start thinking about ways to save money on their ever increasing electric bills, they usually consider the benefits of a home wind power generator. The average homeowner can realize significant cost savings with a home wind power generator, and at the same time help to  save the planet from the damaging effects of burning fossil fuels.

At first blush, home wind power generators look high-tech and difficult to build, but that is not the case. While the generators function is a technological marvel, its construction is that of a simple machine comprised of nuts, bolts, wood, plastic, a motor, and some windmill blades. All the materials and components needed to build a home wind turbine generator can be found in most home building supply stores or from the Internet, and are available at a reasonable cost. All you need to do is provide a few weekends of labor to build and install your own home wind power generator.

Most communities encourage the use of alternate energy sources, but it would be wise to check the local, state, and federal laws regarding the installation of wind generators for the homes in your area. As a minimum, you'll probably need a building permit and an inspection of the finished generator before placing it into operation. After you have fulfilled all necessary legal requirements, you must determine whether you want to install a horizontal axis or vertical axis machine. The horizontal axis machines are currently the most popular and most readily recognized home wind turbine generators.

The DC motors used in these home wind power generators are actually run in reverse to generate electrical power rather than be controlled by it. The size of these motor/generators will determine how much power your system can generate. The length of the wind turbine's blades and the rotor diameter will be determined by the motor size. Wind power generator rotor blades can be made from PVC pipe, cut to shape, or from stainless steel. The latter is preferred for durability and long life.