Do-It-Yourself Wind Turbine – How Do I Know It Will Work For Me?

If you are looking into making electricity from renewable sources, then a do-it-yourself wind turbine must be on your list to investigate.  That being said though, you need to make sure of a couple of things before you get too far into this.  It could be that it won’t work for you.

With all the media play about shrinking fossil fuel supplies, saving money on energy is on most people’s minds these days.  Renewable energy offers a great way to supply at least part of the power requirements for your home.

If you do take the time to make the home windmill yourself you will save literally thousands of dollars – no question about it.

There are 3 things you need to check before you do any pricing of do-it-yourself wind turbine products:

• What do I expect to accomplish with the electricity I make?  Your goal can be anywhere from charging a battery bank to exporting the electricity you make to the grid.  The simplest way to get started is to focus on charging batteries though.  The power you are saving for later can be used to power a small, intermittently run device, like a pump.  Or, batter power can be used to back up a critical appliance like a freezer, in case of a power outage.

• Do I have enough wind available to meet my goals for power creation?  To answer this question you need to survey your property for several good locations for a wind device – preferably one that doesn’t attract undo attention from the neighbors.  Then, take some data there with an anemometer.  An anemometer is just a small windmill with data storage capability.  With the anemometer, you can collect wind speed and directional information for a few weeks and temper what you learn with your knowledge of any seasonality to the wind flow on your property.

• Do I live in an area with permitting restrictions that may limit what I put up?  Check with your local government – city or county – about permitting for wind turbines.  What is required to put one up on your property and learn if there are any limitations that will keep you from getting the exact wind device you want.

If you are thinking about a do-it-yourself wind turbine, as opposed to one you just buy ready to install, you also need to assess and be honest with yourself as to whether this is something you will actually complete.  It is a lot of work to finish a project like this, but well within the capabilities of someone who does DIY projects around the house and is reasonably competent with power tools.

In conclusion, a do-it-yourself wind turbine can be a great project, but you have to make sure you have your bases covered before you buy a system to install.