subject: Problems With Turbine Towers For Wind Turbines [print this page] When it comes to wind turbine towers there are two ways you can analyze your options. You can go for accessibility or you can go for wind speed. If you go for accessibility, you will locate your turbine close to the ground a short foundation and if you go for wind speed you will turbine on a tower that is high in the air, usually 30 to 40 feet above the height of the trees and buildings that may surround your home.
The reason for installing a wind turbine on a tower is strictly to get the device up in the area of strongest wind flow. The downside is that they are very difficult to work on up that high. Something up that high is usually beyond the average person's ability to reach with equipment they may own. You typically have to have special equipment to be able to do that. That's all fine and good, but you've usually got to hire an outside source to get that done for you.
While you can certainly find turbine towers made out of other materials, they are usually made out of steel. There are two types - solid steel construction and a lattice type. The solid steel construction typically has guyed wires to support it.
There are advantages and disadvantages to mounting your wind turbine on a tower.
Here is the advantage:
You are taking advantage of the strongest wind available on most any property. You have to carefully assess whether this is enough of an advantage for you to overcome the extra cost the tower will cause you to incur. The following are the disadvantages:
The price of a windmill can be extremely high. It's almost shocking when you realize that the turbine tower can cost as much as the wind turbine device. Also, this is typically something an average person would have trouble implementing. So, you will have to outsource installation.Could kill birds and other animals, as well. If you put a turbine device up that high in the air there's a good chance that you could encounter local wildlife on migratory paths. Therefore, having a wind turbine on a tower can cause you to have a problem with environmental advocacy groups.Because of that there can be resistance from local cities, too. If the community has the tendency to complain about a renewable device, it's probably going to be a wind turbine on a tower.
In conclusion, it is wise to weigh all the pros and cons with your particular situation and then determine whether it's worth your while to invest in a tower. If the wind is strong enough up high, they could very well be worth the trouble. However, there are strong disadvantages that you must weigh in order to correctly assess whether this is right for you.
