subject: Do-It-Yourself Wind Generators for Your Home [print this page] Do-It-Yourself Wind Generators for Your Home
Yes, you have read it right. You can now build wind generators for your home. Not only that, your own locale could also make wind generators if the residents would want to and have lower electric bill!
You might find this unbelievable. Maybe you are thinking how in the world are you going to make your own wind generator? The answer is simple. Stop imagining the wind generators that you can see at postcards. Those wind generators are enormous and can supply electricity to a whole town or more and the wind generator I am pertaining here is a smaller wind generator that is meant to supply electricity for your home only.
Before doing anything else, it would be wise to have an analysis of the wind first in your area. This is important because wind generators need wind to run and winds do not always blow in the same direction. There are also online records of wind atlas where you could get some details to use in wind analysis in your place.
Buy the materials you will need in making the wind generator. Select the generator that is capable of supplying the electricity you need at your house. This is important because it is the generator that converts the wind energy to electricity so we can use it. Make sure that the blades are of equal size and space to achieve high efficiency. Or if you want, you can make your own blade! This would require some carving skill for wood blades. For metal blades, you must know basic welding ability. Take note that your determination to do it is vital.
You would also need batteries. People who have wind generators preferred rechargeable batteries. They are used in storing the excess electricity produced by the generator. Stored electricity will be used when the wind slows down and the generator cannot gather enough energy to convert to electricity. You must take note that the electricity gathered here is DC and our appliances make use of DC so you need a converter. Use a wire to connect all the devices. Aside from that, establish a cable connection from the wind generator to your house so you could make use of the electricity it produces.
Then find a firm tower where you could mount the generator. It could be mounted at your rooftop or at a tower placed strategically so that the blades could get maximum winds. There should be no obstruction to the wind generator like trees or your neighbour's house. This will block the wind and your generator will have a very low efficiency or may not function at all. Make sure that the tower is securely fixed on the ground or your rooftop is sufficiently strong to withstand strong winds. We do not want wind generators falling at your house and cause accident to any family member.
