Buying a homemade wind turbine can be a terrific way to slash your electric bill but it can also cost an arm and a leg if you aren't careful.
Many off-the-shelf wind turbines can be costly - some made out of composite materials can cost up to $40,000 before installation.
Watch out too, for the peripheral equipment that you will need that might not come along in the box - those other key parts can add another $20,000.
There are a number of ways to take advantage of the free wind energy that is around us every day without paying a fortune to get started! 1.
You can buy plans on the Internet and do the whole project yourself.
2.
Kits are available where you do part of the constructing and assembling.
3.
You can just buy a turbine from a dealer and let them do all the work.
Whichever way you go, the very first step is to make sure you get the proper turbine.
Understand the wind profile you are buying a turbine to harvest.
In other words, the wind surrounding your home is not all created equal.
The wind up high is always better.
When I say up high, I mean over 100 feet in the air or, at least 30 feet over the level of the trees and buildings.
Up that high, the wind is more steady and predictable.
The wind down close to your roof will be more turbulent and less reliable.
The "shelter effect" resulting from obstacles makes the wind down low a bit of a craps shoot.
However, it is easier to access since the cost of installation goes down the lower you are to the ground.
So, you need to sketch out what the wind profile looks like so you can place your turbine in the advantageous spot to maximize power output.
Once you have determined where the wind is best for your property, contact your local zoning office and make sure there are no insurmountable permitting issues to contend with.
There will be restrictions.
You may be limited to installing your wind turbine on your roof.
Your challenge with a homemade wind turbine project is to collect information on the appropriate variables: wind patterns on your property, permitting restrictions in your community or neighborhood, and available turbine types.
Once you understand those factors thoroughly you can match the turbine to the task and start saving!