Make A Residential Wind Turbine

Making and installing a residential wind turbine used to be something of a novelty, perhaps a bit of a gimmick, unless you lived way out in the wilderness where there was no access to the national grid.

Now, with the cost of fossil fuels going through the roof and only going to get worse, home wind turbines are being viewed much more favorably.

In fact, household wind turbines are now on the ‘must have’ list for many people concerned about the environment and cutting living costs.

With many countries introducing feed-in tariffs, where the domestic wind turbine owner can get a good return on electricity fed in to the grid, having a residential wind turbine now makes a whole lot of sense.

Buying a ready-made unit can easily cost anywhere from $12,000 to $30,000 so it is interesting to consider homemade wind turbines instead. And it is really very easy, with some people claiming to make a home wind turbine for as little as $200.

For this sort of money you will not get a very large machine, but you will be able to make really significant savings on your utility bills.

Possibly even make some money.

 

Click here to check out the best residential wind turbine plans kit

 

So, what does it take to make a home wind turbine?

These are some things to consider at the planning stage.

Average wind speed in your area

Whatever others might tell you, small wind turbines do not operate very well in average winds under 10 mph. The US Government publishes detailed wind resource maps, which are worth checking before fitting a home wind turbine in your backyard.

Local building regulations and codes

Check these to see if wind turbines are allowed in your area. For a small wind turbine you probably will be OK, but it’s best to make sure before installation, not after!

Space available on site

Plan on roughly half an acre for residential wind turbines.

Neighbors

It is sensible to include your neighbors in your plans to use wind turbine energy.  Be prepared to overcome their objections to potential noise, interference with TV reception and similar concerns.

Wind turbine size

No point in making a huge wind turbine that will generate more electricity than you need, unless you plan on significant sales to the grid utility.

Feed-in tariffs

Make sure that there is a feed-in tariff that applies, or will apply soon, to domestic wind turbines in your area if you intend to sell any surplus electricity.

Storage

If you intend to live off-grid you will need to have batteries for electricity storage. These can cost you nothing if you know the secret. Or plan to use your diy wind turbine to partially offset your utility bills.

 

These are some of the reasons why it is often best to seek advice from industry experts when planning to build wind turbines for the home. You will then be able to select the right plans for your circumstances.  It is really a good idea to make sure these plans include full lists of materials needed for the assembly as well as clear-step-by-step instructions, wiring diagrams and such, unless you are already an expert in turbine construction and assembly.

You need only a few components to make your home wind turbine generator. Typically these are:

  • A propeller (usually 3 propeller blades fixed to a hub)

  • A DC motor
  • A fantail to keep the propeller facing into wind
  • An axle to which these are fitted
  • A mounting pole
  • An inverter, if AC is required
  • Storage batteries

With some electrical wiring and a few fasteners you will have everything needed to build your own residential wind turbine. You probably have most of the necessary parts in your shed but, even if you have to buy everything, you will find it possible to get all required items for under 200 dollars.

Putting them together and installing the turbine on your site can be done in a weekend.

We have stressed the simplicity of making and installing a wind turbine for yourself, but it is also easy to get it wrong without the right instructions and drawings.  There are several very good planning kits available online, but our own favorite is Earth4Energy. Their kit not only has really comprehensive plans and instructions for making home wind turbines but also full details about making your own solar panels – often included in a well-balanced home energy plan (see build your own solar panel).

If you decide to make a residential wind turbine for yourself – and we urge you to do so – then the Earth4Energy plans kit and manual is our strong recommendation.  For only a few dollars we believe it offers the best value for money, and it has a full, no hassle refund guarantee which we demand for any online purchase these days.

Oh, by the way, did we mention that making your own wind turbine is also a lot of fun?  And very satisfying.  Why not build one next weekend?

 

Click here to check out the best residential wind turbine plans kit