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Home wind turbine reviews5/27/2023 ![]() I have seen mention on blogs about using an anemometer or portable weather station for this task. Depending on where the readings were taken, they may or may not do you much good. Make sure if inquiring from an airport that you find out what height off the ground the data was taken at. Yet another source of wind data might be a local airport. The good news is that there are plenty of areas around the country that provide enough wind for a small wind turbine kit. A wind atlas is another source for trying to find more localized wind stats. Maps like the one pictured below can show you if you’re in the right part of the country, but they won’t really help determine if your property is conducive to producing the kind of winds needed for a home wind turbine to be successful.Īs you can see, the Great Plains and ridgelines have great wind production, but you’ll want to dial into a state map for other zones. You can also find average wind speed maps on individual states. NOAA provides average wind speed maps for around the country. The other popular way to check wind speeds in your area is via NOAA’s website. Not to mention, the addition of the weather station will likely help you locate an optimal site location and assist you in troubleshooting if you have issues during the home wind turbine installation or later down the road. A weather station can be sited far enough off the ground to get true readings where the wind turbine will be up in the air. The first, and probably most accurate, way is to utilize a home weather station. Not sure what kind of winds you get on your property? There are a few of ways to check wind speed and direction. For instance, a 10 mph wind will create less than 1/3 rd the power that a 15 mph wind would on a home wind generator. Here’s an example of how to better understand the relationship:Īs you can see in this equation, even slightly more wind speed will product much more power. The amount of wind is so critical because of the cubic relationship it has with the energy produced. They over-estimated the amount of wind they get and they’re disappointed with the power output. This is the largest source for pain after a consumer’s purchase of a home wind turbine. Please be realistic with your expectations based on wind speeds at your property. And then, it’s VERY little power until higher speeds are reached. Most home wind turbines require 5-6 mph winds (called the cut-in speed) before they even start generating any power. What wind speed is needed for a wind turbine? Of course to make this work, you’ll need wind. The first thing you should determine is if residential wind turbine will even work in your locale. In fact, these are exactly the criteria we used during our extensive research for the Best Home Wind Turbine list above. Of course, performance, physical size, build quality and materials, ease of use, and pricing should also be considerations when buying a residential wind turbine. ![]() Wind production and the power output you need are two of the most important things. Things to Consider When Buying a Home Wind Turbine The tower, or pole, is the component that gets the rotor far enough off the ground so that it sees much faster, stronger winds that we normally feel down at ground level. The tail on a home wind turbine is used to keep the rotor facing into the oncoming wind for the most efficient energy production Tower/Pole This is done to reduce the risk of damage to the turbine. This brake is used to stop the rotor from spinning during major storms and periods of extreme winds. ![]() You’ll find a brake on many of the best residential wind turbine models. This is where the faster output shaft comes in and the kinetic energy from the wind is turned into electricity. ![]() The generator is where the magic happens. It converts the slow moving input shaft from the rotor to a much faster moving output shaft that turns the generator. Not shown in the image above, the gearbox is between the rotor and the generator. Rotors very in size and shape depending on the size and manufacturer. The blades are shaped in such a way that the wind spins them without much effort. Rotors for residential wind turbines most often contain between 3 and 6 blades. ![]()
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