In these tough economic times, we are all looking to save money whenever we can. Adding wind power can be an energy saving add-on to your home if you live in a strong wind zone. However, buying cheap parts to build your wind turbine or buying an inexpensive wind power kit may not produce the home energy savings you are hoping for.

The main parts of a wind turbine are the generator, blades, mounting, tower and control panel. That doesn’t sound too difficult to put together, but the most expensive wind turbines are designed with computers for a reason…to maximize energy production.

To maximize your energy production and save the most on your energy bill, these are the wind turbine parts you should focus on:

Generator: One of the wind turbine’s most important components that transfers the kinetic energy of the spinning wind blades into DC electricity by reversing the spinning direction of a DC motor. Car alternators, old electric lawn motors, or inexpensive DC motors in power tools are other options for generators if your goals for energy production are not serious.

If you want to take it up a notch, invest in a good generator such as those produced by Ametek and focus on the RPM, voltage, amps and size of the motor. Ideally, you want to focus on a motor with a low RPM rating under 400 RPMs, which produces over 12 volts.

With a low RPM rated generator, more electricity is produced with lower wind speeds. So unless you live in an area with high winds, or planning to generate your energy production from multiple hurricanes, an RPM rated generator under 400 RPM is usually your best option.

If dirt cheap is still on your mind, you can attach the wind blades to a larger hub and use a belt to drive the DC motor, basically like shifting gears on a bike. This will allow the motor to generate electricity at lower wind speeds. However, this will require more torque from the wind blades which will result in lower RPMs. Use a meter and test which configuration works best.

Wind Blade: The wind blade is another important wind turbine part that generates RPMs by capturing the wind, which is offset and slowed by the wind resistance of the blades. Blades, which are homemade, can have poor RPM efficiency if they are not balanced correctly, which will add additional stress to the generator shaft bearings.

The most expensive wind turbines use the three blade configuration due to low wind resistance, good balance, and efficient wind capture to maximize RPMs.

If you decide on a low cost, high RPM rated generator with the large hub setup, using a five blade configuration will increase your wind blade torque but drop your RPMs due to increased wind resistance. Taking this approach requires some testing to mazimize your energy production.

Making your own wind blades out of PVC pipe or wood can be a low cost solution to building your own wind turbine. However, wind turbine blades designed with computers and made out of carbon fiber can be purchased from a commercial vendor for a relatively low cost and produce more electricity than homemade blades.

Taking the inexpensive route on wind turbine parts may be the best path in the short run, but choosing to purchase quality parts at relatively low cost can provide you with a wind turbine that will last longer and provide you with more usable energy for your home in the long term.

About The Author: Keith Garrett is a wind energy and solar power enthusiast for the home. His website at www.solarwind4homes.com provides tips and knowledge to homeowners looking to transition to renewable energy in the 21st century.

The interest in using alternative sustainable methods of supplying power to our homes is increasing. More and more people today are thinking of installing a home wind power generator to do this. When it comes to this form of energy supply, one has the choice to either hire a professional to install the system or build it themselves.

The types of home wind power generators that people decide to use for providing another source of energy to their homes will typically incorporate the following parts: a base, a tower, a shaft, a generator and blades. The models of generators that obtain their power from the wind to supply to a home will have blades made from plastic, that when rotates will generate energy for the home.

On average the speed at which the blades need to rotate in order to produce sufficient amounts of energy to power your home is about 9 – 12 miles per hour. Also when purchasing such a system to provide additional energy for one’s home you need to calculate the size of it so you purchase the right generator. If you don’t then it won’t be able to create enough energy to power what you want it to.

What can this source of energy be used for?

There are a number of reasons why people decide to have a wind powered generator installed on their property. Below we look at what a couple common reasons are.

1. Power some or all electrical devices in your home. Most people can’t afford to buy or build a system that can power everything in their home, but instead opt for a system that powers some of their key appliances. This alone can still reduce your electric bill by 30 – 50%. Plus, you can always install another system at a later date when your budget permits.

2. To generate energy to power the heating system in your home through the cold winter months.

What benefits can you gain from the installation of a home wind power generator?

1. You may find that not only do you reduce but eliminate the amount you spend on an annual basis to your power company.

2. You’ll never need to be concerned with what is going to happen should you lose power during a storm or disaster. These systems come with batteries that allow any residual energy created to be stored until it may be needed.

3. There is no need anymore for you to be 100% dependent on the utility company that supplies electricity to your home. If your anything like me, I hate being totally reliant on anyone or anything.

4. Another benefit to you using this form of energy is that it is environmentally friendly and so you are helping to prevent any further adverse affects on the environment. So you are in fact helping to make sure that for generations to come our environment remains greener.

Warning: If you are considering installing a home wind power generator you must check with the local authorities about what planning and building permissions are needed. You may discover that your system must not reach above a certain height and that you must install it a particular distance away from your home and any other buildings that are in close proximity to yours.

pssst… Check out this detailed online guide with step-by-step video instructions that will show you how to build a “Home Wind Power Generator” for less than $150 at BuildingaWindGenerator.com

Today you will discover that their are many Ads in both magazines, newspapers and online offering a wide variety of wind generators for sale. But before you go out and invest money on this alternative energy source there are a number of things that you should take into consideration first. Below we look at what some of these are.

Factor 1 – Quality

Before you go out spending money on wind generators for sale you should look at the standard of finish. A good quality one may cost more initially, but will save you money in the long run as you won’t have to get it repaired so often because the blades have either jammed or malfunctioned. Go for those models where the manufacturer offers a warranty of 5 years or more on their products as this shows that they have confidence in what they produce and are willing to ensure that their profits remain high because they don’t use substandard materials.

Factor 2 – Find Out How Much Electricity You Need To Power Your Home Each Year

The first thing you must do to determine this is to contact your utility company and ask them to provide you with a summary of what your kilowatt usage is annually. This way you can then work out what size wind generator you will need in order to provide enough energy for your home usage each year.

After working out how much energy you will be using then you can choose what sort of generator to install. Ideally, look for those that offer a way of storing energy simply using a direct DC supply. Make sure you also purchase a separate inverter so that this stored DC energy can be transitioned over to an AC supply and power the appliances in your home. Avoid buying models which have a built-in inverter because if it becomes damaged it will cost quite a bit to replace as opposed to a stand alone inverter.

Factor 3 – Do You Need To Obtain Planning Permission?

In most cases if you intend to install a free standing wind generator then certain planning permissions will need to be obtained before you do. This means contacting your local planning authority as to what these are. However, you may discover that if you choose to install a small roof top model then such permission may not be needed.

Factor 4 – Your Budget

This is the biggest factor that you will need to take into consideration when shopping for wind generators for sale. Okay, the price for purchasing such a system may look good, but don?t forget that you need to take into consideration how much it is going to cost for installation. If you are installing a free standing one then you need to consider that you may need to make alterations to the area where it is to be installed, which may include having a concrete foundation laid to support your system. Plus, there may be additional costs involved relating to having the wiring in your home modified to meet the specifications of the system so that it doesn’t cause any damage to the appliances that are going to be using your new source of energy.

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It is likely that you know that you can now be taught ways to live off the grid these days without it costing you all your life savings.

The initial method that can be used to enable you to live off the grid is to buy a wind turbine generator.

There are two ways that you can approach this. One thing you can do is spend some money and get a wind turbine erected by an experienced company. This method could be be incredibly expensive. It could cost you as much as $20,000, this in turn may take as long as 15 years to see a return on the money you have invested. You can always go and discover how to construct a wind turbine for yourself.

Building a home wind turbine has been done for below $200. Almost all of the parts needed to construct one, can usually be purchased from just about any local hardware shop. You can even recycle old vehicle parts to use with your project. This way you should get yourself in profit extremely rapidly.

The next live off the grid approach is to buy a solar panel.

In the same was as wind turbine generators, getting the solar panels fitted by a company will be an costly option, and as as you will have seen with wind turbines, you can make a solar panel for yourself very cheaply. Building a solar panel is really not as difficult as you may think. Nearly all of the parts you will require can normally be picked up locally.

You can hopefully understand that it’s not hard at all to do. All you will need are the pieces from just about any local hardware store and you will also need to have a reasonably high amount of open area in your workshop. You should be able to finish each project in a weekend.

If this seems like a lot of work, why not speak to your next door neighbor and see if you possibly could work with each other on these projects. In addition to to saving money as well as helping the environment you should also have enjoyment building them.