subject: Us Wind Energy [print this page] US wind energy is maybe not as good as in other areas around the world, but much of this country can support a home wind turbine project nonetheless.
The question always is, what criteria must you meet to have a really good project?
Proven amount of wind - When you get right down to it, the wind that you have circulating around your property is the most important field of analysis that you need to engage in before you launch into any discussion of what you might do with the power you make. Intuitively, you would think that the wind is a fairly straightforward thing and that most people's wind would be approximately the same in any given area. Unfortunately, that is not true and it is not nearly that simple. Every specific area at your house will certainly have a different and specific microclimate.
What that means is that the average wind speed and direction, as well as frequency distribution over time will be different no matter where you choose to collect your data. So, employing the services of a small anemometer will be money well spent. You can use this device at various locations by just taping it to a poll or some vertical structure nearby and let it collect its information over the course of at least several months. Usually 6 to 12 months is enough to give you a good indication as to whether your home wind turbine device will work there with any measure of success. The success of US wind energy is dependent upon people taking enough time to adequately collect the data that is needed to assess the efficacy of any given location for installation of a wind turbine.
Amicable neighbors - The disposition of the neighbors has a lot to do with success or failure of the home wind project. That is because they have a lot of influence over whether the wind turbine kit or other device can even be placed on your property. If your neighbors do not like having a wind turbine in the area then it isn't likely going to happen. There are some locations that have restricted via permit the installation of wind turbines altogether and then there are some that just limit the type of home wind turbine and the specific location at which you can install.
A need to power something - Of course, one of the most important things is having something to connect the electricity you make to - many people just charge a set of batteries to do this. However, if you live in a location that has loads and loads of strong winds, then you may be able to power your entire house.
Summarizing, US wind energy has a lot of potential for growth, but it is essential that you pay attention to these fine points before you get very excited about the potential of the project where you are.
