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What Is A Residential Wind Turbine?
Residential Wind Power On The Rise
Residential wind power is becoming more pratical.
Traditionally, residential wind turbines have been limited to remote areas of the world where connection to the power grid is not an option, but now more and more consumers are choosing to purchase what are called "grid-connected" turbines or home wind turbines to power their homes.
On December 13, 2007, The New York Times ran an article casting small wind in a very positive light. In the article: Homespun Electricity, From the Wind, writer Kristina Shevory profiled a number of success stories. One explained how Rena Wilson Jones and her husband took advantage of the high winds blowing through their property near Urbana, Illinois by erecting a 56-foot wind turbine. It was spinning by early September, and their electricity bills dropped sharply, from $90 to $10 for November, one of the windier months. The article also went into some detail about the growth of the industry in recent years and the reasons for it before touching on some of the hurdles that have yet to be overcome.
A more recent edition of The New York Times provides an update on residential wind power. The article: Technology Smooths The Way For Home-Wind Turbines outlines the progress being made and the contributing factors. One key reason being cited is that the newer turbines can connect directly into the power grid. This eliminates the need for batteries as a backup power source, since homes can take power from the grid when wind speeds drop below optimal levels.
From the article:
"The big shift happened in the last three years," Mr. Schwartz said, because of technology that makes it possible to feed electricity back to the grid, the commercial power system fed by large utilities. "These new systems use the utility for back up power, removing the need for big, expensive battery backup systems."
For more information, see: Residential Wind Turbines Getting Some Positive Buzz.
Wind Turbine Arizona
Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine
"The future of affordable, renewable residential wind energy is here."
The Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine was released by Southwest Windpower of Flagstaff, Arizona in the United States on June 27, 2006 and was named one of Time Magazine's best inventions for 2006. The product was touted as "the first fully integrated wind generator desiged specifically for the grid-connected residential market" by the manufacturer."Skystream will change the way many Americans power their homes and take control of their energy costs," said Andrew Kruse, co-founder of Southwest Windpower. "Wind energy for the individual homeowner is finally main-stream."
Skystream is grid-conected, so it supplies power directly to the home power supply and contributes when the turbine is turning. When the turbine is not turning, the home is powered by the electric utility. According to the tech details for the product on Amazon.com, this small wind turbine delivers 1.8 kW rated and 2.4 kW peak power at 20 MPH wind speed. It provides 400 kW per month in a 12 MPH average wind and works in winds as low as 8 MPH.
The Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine used to sell on Amazon.com for $5,499.00 USD. It is no longer listed on Amazon, but is carried by the AltE Store under their Grid-Tie Sub Category of
Wind Systems and the list price is $6,212.00. Once installation costs are factored in, initial investment will typically be in the range of $12,000 USD to $15,000 USD. Rebates and incentives reduce the purchase price significantly in some areas.
For more information on the Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine, visit the product website at http://www.skystreamenergy.com/skystream/.
Installation Video
Skystream 3.7 Residential Wind Turbine being installed.
Skystream 3.7 Installation Ohio
This video shows the DIY installation of a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine in Oak Harbor, OH. It took less than 45 minutes to lift the turbine and attach it to the pad, remove the straps, add the collar and wire the turbine into the breaker box. We tested it out and it ran fine and shut down immediately when the power was disconnected. To find out more visit my site at http://www.joshuajanes.com
Runtime: 435
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curated content from YouTube
Helix Wind Turbine
The Helix Wind Turbine is a wind energy system for the small wind market manufactured by HelixWind of San Diego, California in the United States. They define small wind as "typically just enough power to meet the demands of a home, farm or small business" and their first product is the Savonious 2.0 (a 2kW system).According to the company, the unique design of the Helix wind generator provides many advantages over other systems. These turbines can operate at very low wind speeds as their design allows them to harness wind from any direction. The turbines operate silently and do not provide the danger to birds that traditional turbines do. The cost of this product is not available on the company website, but it looks like an interesting option if the price is right.
For more information on the Helix Wind Turbine, visit their website at http://www.helixwind.com.
MWP Aeropoint Turbine
Marquiss Wind Power (MWP), based in Folsom, California, manufactures a unique series of ducted wind turbines called MWP Aeropoint Turbine. These turbines stand 19 feet tall, are square in shape and were designed for use on rooftops in a commercial or industrial setting. According to their website, Marquis Wind Power is targeting commercial buildings of 1-3 stories in the United States to take advantage of "some of the windiest real estate in the country".The three products listed are: the AeropointT500, AeropointT1000 and AeropointT1500. The AeropointT500 is rated at 5Kw and is said to work well in average wind speeds of 6-10 MPH. The AeropointT1000 is rated at 10Kw and is designed to work optimally in areas with higher average wind speeds. There are no details listed about the AeropointT1500, but it is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2009. Prices are not given for the Aeropoint series of wind turbines, but the manufacturer boasts an ROI of 2-7 years and payback twice as fast as solar. If those numbers ring true, there will be a bright future for this product line.
For more information on the MWP Aeropoint Turbine, visit the Marquiss Wind Power website at http://www.marquisswindpower.com.
Sunforce Wind Generators
Sunforce and Amazon helping to make residential wind turbines mainstream.
Sunforce Products, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has to be one of the most successful companies in trying to make residential wind turbines mainstream. With a distribution channel that includes both Internet giants as well as established brick and mortar chains that cover North America and beyond, getting started with renewable energy has never been easier for the average person.The company vision is explained on their website as providing "simple renewable energy solutions to consumers" and making those solutions available everywhere from Amazon to WalMart to Cosco, sure makes those solutions easy to find.
Another strong suit for Sunforce is the number of options it's product line provides. Products include the Sunforce 44444, Sunforce 44445, Sunforce 44447, Sunforce 400 Watt Wind Generator (Pack of 3), Whisper 100, Whisper 200 and Whisper 500.
Build Your Own Wind Turbine
Building your own residential wind turbine may not be as difficult as you would expect.
Although there are a number of products available to help you take advantage of the wind as a renewable energy source, another option is to build your own wind turbine and go off the grid. It's amazing when you do a little bit of research and find out a lot of people are doing just that!There are many resources available to guide you through the process step by step. One such resource is an e-book titled: Homemade Energy Guide to Wind and Solar Power. The gentleman who wrote the book is Bill Ford and he doesn't just want to teach you how to make your own turbine ... he wants to teach you how to do it on the cheap! He promises to show you how to make a 1,000 watt wind turbine for less than $150.00 and a 3,000 watt wind turbine for about $220.00! That also includes the instructions and cost of building the tower.
I haven't read the book or gone through the process of building one of his turbines, but he claims you can make the three blades required for free in about an hour. He also provides tips on how to find a free forklift battery and recondition it for your power supply. He gives tips on what kind of generator you need and how to get the best prices.
Another resource available is Efficient Planet Guide to Building Your Own Wind Turbine. The author's name is Edward Fowler and he claims that other plans he's seen are just too complicated. He promises easy to use instructions that will show you exactly how to build a 1,000 watt turbine for less than $100.00.
I'm not what you would call a do-it-yourselfer, so I wouldn't even attempt a project like this. For those of you who like to get your hands dirty however, this might be worth looking into.
Earth4Energy DIY Wind Generator
DIY Residential Wind Turbines Just Became Mainstream!
I just came across what looks like a great product for those interested in residential wind power or residential solar power. Earth4Energy is a complete step-by-step, fully illustrated manual that promises to teach you everything you need to know.From the website:
"With the ever increasing costs of living there is no better time then right now to start producing our own electricity. Whether you want to simply reduce your power bills or completely eliminate them - Earth4Energy has a solution for you."
"Why pay $1000's for solar power or wind power when you can build your own professional system for less then $200!"
I have not yet seen this product, but the idea of building your own wind generator seems like a great idea. Help the environment and save money!
Other competing products include: Efficient Planet, Home Made Energy,
Free Energy Options and Energy4Green.
Wind Turbine Parts and Plans on eBay
In addition to turbines, wind turbine parts and plans are also up for auction on eBay.
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Renewable Energy In Action
Some home wind turbine videos I found on YouTube.
Residential Wind Power Blog
What are people saying about residential wind power?
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Residential Wind Turbine Blog
Making you aware of your options when choosing a residential wind turbine.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHave You Considered Installing A Home Wind Turbine?
Comments about the lens are welcome too!
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- steve1717 steve1717 Sep 28, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
- nice lense if you want to read about the more technical sie of things explained in plain english you may want to visit my lense ..well done steve http://www.squidoo.com/Iwant-togo-green
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- SemperFidelis SemperFidelis Apr 17, 2009 @ 10:46 pm
- Blessed by a SquidAngel today! www.squidoo.com/squid-angel ~ Colleen :o)
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- allaboutcovers allaboutcovers Nov 16, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
- This is great info. Do they come with a DC to AC converter? Or do you have to install DC lighting?
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Reply
- Sunshine804 Sunshine804 Oct 13, 2008 @ 2:25 am
- Nice lens! This is great information that people need.
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- Kyanisunrise Kyanisunrise Sep 30, 2008 @ 11:00 am
- Great lens! Wind power and solar power are the means to getting a net-zero efficient home. More people need to be looking at these sources to help create clean power sources.
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Residential Wind Power Books
Here are some books that will help you get up to speed on residential wind energy.
The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower (Mother Earth News Wiser Living)
Amazon Price: $21.24 (as of 12/23/2009) 
The Homeowners Guide to Energy Independence: Alternative Power Sources for the Average American
Amazon Price: (as of 12/23/2009)
The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living
Amazon Price: $21.56 (as of 12/23/2009)
Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems
Amazon Price: (as of 12/23/2009)
Wind Power, Revised Edition: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business
Amazon Price: (as of 12/23/2009)
More Books About Wind Turbines
Here are some more technical books about how wind turbines work.
Wind Energy Handbook
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $136.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $170.00
Used Price: $119.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Wind Turbines: Fundamentals, Technologies, Application, Economics
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $236.86 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $299.00
Used Price: $215.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $93.60 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $117.00
Used Price: $124.37
Usually ships in 24 hours
Developing Wind Power Projects: Theory and Practice
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $65.70 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $85.00
Used Price: $57.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Grid Integration of Wind Energy Conversion Systems
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $136.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $170.00
Used Price: $125.36
Usually ships in 24 hours
Even More Books About Wind Power
Experiments With Energy (True Books)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $6.95
Used Price: $1.42
Usually ships in 24 hours
Alternative Energy (True Books)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $19.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $25.00
Used Price: $6.69
Usually ships in 24 hours
Wind Power (True Books)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $25.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $25.00
Used Price: $0.75
Usually ships in 24 hours
Generating Wind Power (Energy Revolution)
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $8.95
Used Price: $5.10
Usually ships in 24 hours
Green Power: Eco-Energy Without Pollution (Science Frontiers)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $8.95
Used Price: $5.00
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Residential Wind Turbines At Amazon
Did you know you could order a residential wind turbine from Amazon?
Sunforce 44447 900W Whisper Wind Turbine
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $2,199.99 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $2,300.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
SunForce 400 Watt Land Wind Generator (Pack of 3)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $1,791.38 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $1,799.97
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $450.00 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price: $799.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sunforce Air X Marine Wind Turbine
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $703.64 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price:
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sunforce Air X Wind Generator - 24 Volt, Model# 44445
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $599.99 (as of 12/23/2009)
List Price:
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Wind Power T-shirts at CafePress
Show your support for wid power with a t-shirt.
Residential Wind Turbines on eBay
Here is a sample of the selection of home wind turbines currently up for auction.
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