Wind Power

Today's growing grass roots movement toward clean, renewable and sustainable energy and environmental responsibility owes a great deal more to financial expedients on the part of individuals and business than it does to any innate desire to save the planet, but the end result remains the same: significantly more interest in and development of technology that can bring clean, renewable and sustainable energy utilization into the mainstream.

Wind power, much like solar power, is the concept that has been around for a long time but rarely used. The last five years, however, have seen utilization of this renewable energy source increase exponentially. In the Midwest of the United States, there are several examples of diverse cooperatives acquiring land or at least leasing rights to build large farms of wind generators to supplement their electricity generating capacity and to reduce the cost of electricity to their customers. While this is a promising development from an environmental perspective, the average customer sometimes does not experience a significant reduction in their monthly electric bill.

Wind power for the average private residence is possible. Although it is technically possible to go off the grid by using wind power, this is in advisable as it is not as reliable when compared to solar power. However, residential wind power generators do make sense in that they can greatly reduce one's electric bill. In stark contrast to the large, imposing towers with gigantic propellers that the electric cooperatives use, residential wind generators are often small, compact and usually inconspicuous.

These residential wind generators are usually 20 to 30 feet tall, freestanding or mountable on a tower which itself is mounted on the roof of the house. The residential wind generator does face some challenges that the solar power user does not. One of these is the requirement that the configuration of the wind generator generally requires that the propeller be at least 20 or 30 feet off the ground, especially in a dense residential area.

Depending on the neighborhood, some residents may well be restricted by zoning policies that forbid the erection of a tall tower on or around their property. However, this is the exception rather than the rule and the majority of homeowners will be able to install their wind generator with a minimum of trouble and expense.

Most wind generators are relatively affordable and the initial outlay can be recouped within the first two years thanks to the savings in the monthly electric bill that they facilitate. People are often surprised at how little wind is necessary to generate a significant amount of wind power. This, of course, will vary according to region, but most locations will have sufficient wind to generate at least some wind power every day.