Using wind power to produce electricity for your home hasn’t been very practical until now, since most U.S. residential areas don’t receive consistent winds of 8 m.p.h. or more. However, wind turbines are now available that:
- Work in winds as low as 2 m.p.h.
- Weigh less than 100 pounds.
- Are only 8’ tall.
Watch this video to find out more.
Further Information
- WindTronics Wind Turbine for Your Home (video)
- Installing a Wind Turbine to Generate Electricity (article)
- Living Off the Grid: How to Generate Your Own Electricity (article)
- U.S. Wind Map (windpoweringamerica.gov)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
We’ve talked a lot about taking advantage of the sun as an energy source, but there’s another power maker out there that we can harness – the wind.
Until recently, this hasn’t really been a viable option for homeowners because wind turbines were so large, and it took a minimum breeze of eight miles an hour to turn the blades. Another obstacle is the fact that over 80 percent of the U.S. residential market has winds less than that most of the time.
But there are now residential wind turbines only six feet in diameter, about 8 feet tall, and only 95 pounds in weight. Even better is the fact that they’ll start producing energy with only 2 mile per hour winds.
This won’t become your sole energy source, but it will show a drastic reduction in your utility use, up to 30% less in fact. A system like this is going to run you between four and five thousand dollars to put into place, but once you’ve got it, life can be a breeze.
