Wind Electricity For Your Home

No matter where you are in the world – even in the notorious doldrums – you will get some wind.  While the doldrums may not be quite the best place to generate wind electricity, nearly everywhere else in the world has potential to create this clean and sustainable form of electricity generation.

How Wind Electricity is Generated

How does wind electricity work?  Basically, a wind generator is a new application of the centuries-old technology of windmills, by which the blowing of the wind is turned into rotational motion.  Rotational motion is used to induce current, using an arrangement of magnets and a coil of wire.  This current can then be put to all the uses that electricity is used for – lighting, electronic equipment, washing machines, etc.

Some mainstream electricity providers are turning to wind electricity as part of the global shift away from polluting and/or non-sustainable forms of electricity production.  Mainstream electricity providers using wind electricity usually turn to “wind farms” with many large turbines to provide electricity to power a township nearby.

Using Wind Electricity in Your Home

Wind electricity is also used on a small scale by individual homes.  The generators and wind turbines used to produce wind electricity for individuals are usually a lot smaller than the mainstream wind towers, and if you’ve ever seen a large-scale wind tower, you’ll know why: they have windmill blades or arms that look like they began life as the wings of a jumbo jet on a tower that’s taller than most houses.  

If you are interested in using wind electricity on a domestic scale, a few pointers need to be kept in mind before choosing and installing your wind generator:

• If you live in a very windy area, make sure you have a tough, durable generator to cope with the high winds; otherwise, you may find the generator wearing out.  Marine grade generators are the toughest.
• Put your wind tower on the side of the house that the prevailing winds some from.  You do not have to locate the wind tower on the house itself to generate wind electricity.  Make sure, for obvious reasons, that the wind tower is not sheltered by trees, buildings or hedges.
• You will need to service your wind tower from time to time, as all machines with moving parts will need lubrication and ball bearings (etc.) replaced.  To stop this becoming a logistical nightmare, make sure that you can reach the windmill with a ladder.  While a very high tower will catch a lot of wind easily, if it’s out of reach, you will need to go through the rigmarole of lowering the tower every time you want to service it.