Residential Wind Turbines

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Install residential wind turbines to generate small scale wind power

Residential wind power has become very popular in recent years as home energy prices continue to rise. These smaller residential wind turbines have also been greatly improved in recent years and current models produce far more power from a smaller wind than units sold even a few years ago. These newer versions are also less expensive to purchase and install than older models and offer a great value for the average homeowner.

When the original models of residential wind turbines were released about a decade ago they were really just scaled-down versions of the larger turbines used for commercial wind energy production. Over time it became clear that these smaller residential wind turbines needed a different approach than the larger versions because the wind patterns in a residential setting were dramatically different. Slowly, new designs that incorporated innovative materials and styles were developed and the improvements continue today.

The advantages these newer models provide for the homeowner is a smaller size, quieter operation and a much better current being produced. These newer versions can also do a much better job of catching a lower velocity wind than older models and this means that they will be producing more current throughout the day. Older residential models required a fairly high and consistent wind to start spinning and they also were much heavier. This meant that they also needed a very strong wind to orient them as well. Because of obstructions to consistent wind flow, like homes and trees in a neighborhood, these larger models were not a great solution for most homes because they required a tall tower to position them above all of the obstructions. This tower typically needed approval from the town and added significant cost to the installation as well.

Because the newer models can capture a lower velocity wind, they can be mounted closer to the ground and some models can even be mounted directly to the homes roof. This makes the entire system easier to install and lowers the installation costs considerably. This helps those homeowners who wanted to install a wind power system in years past but didn't have the funding to take advantage of this new wind energy residential system.

Residential wind power with vertical axis turbines

In addition to improvements to the traditional horizontal axis wind turbine, there have been some very innovative vertical axis turbines designed and released recently. These vertical axis wind turbines have the advantage of never needing to rotate into position to catch the wind. Because their blades are vertical they can easily catch a breeze hitting them from any direction and are always ready to rotate. Many of these vertical axis wind turbines are being designed specifically to be used in a residential setting and have been engineered to exploit the bursting and shifting wind patterns found there. Two common designs of very efficient, modern wind turbine construction follow two different principles kown as the Savonius concept and the Darrieus concept.

Installing either version of these modern residential wind power turbines will give a homeowner a reasonable way to generate electricity for use in their home. This means that they will have to buy less power for their local utility each month and can offset that with the power that their residential wind turbines provide.