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turbines were used to carry and distribute water for irrigation or to mill
grain. Nowadays, wind turbines are used to generate electricity. Due to ongoing progress in wind turbine technology, more homes now are capable of harnessing
wind power to satisfy their electricity needs.
Even if you are one of those few skeptics that discredit global warming, it
still makes sense to consider generating your homes electricity with a renewable
energy source. Rising costs and degradation of air quality are reason enough to eliminate the use of carbon based fuels such as coal and oil. Who would not
like to breathe fresher air and at the same time thumb their noses at the
utility companies? People are looking for ways to cut down the need for
conventional sources of electricity, eliminate their electric bills and preserve
the beauty of the environment. One of the effective ways of doing this is with
the use of wind turbine generated electricity.
Wind turbines produce no pollution and by using wind power you will be
offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company.
Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2
tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of carbon dioxide and other gases.
In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds are below 7-10 mph there will
be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the
utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of
power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, the extra electricity is sold to the
utility. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern residential wind system.
Over the course of a year a wind turbine typically lowers the electricity bill
by nearly 90 percent. It is not uncommon for wind turbine owners with totally
electric homes to have monthly utility bills of only $8 to $15 per month. The
wind system will recoup its investment through utility savings in as little as
six years, after that the electricity it produces will be virtually free. Many
people buy wind systems in preparation for their retirement in order to avoid unpredictable increases in utility rates.
Currently, prices are as low as $6,000 to have a wind turbine installed in the
average home to provide most all electrical needs. Homes use approximately 9,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year or about 780 kWh per month. A wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts would be required to meet this
demand. A wind turbine is easily retrofitted to virtually any home without the
need to change any wiring or appliances. In most cases, the utility will install
a second utility meter to measure how much surplus electricity it is purchasing
from the turbine owner.
Most small turbines have very few moving parts and do not require any regular maintenance. They are designed for a long life (up to 20 years) and operate
completely automatically. Over the long term, a wind turbine is an excellent
investment as it saves money, reduces environmental pollution and also increases property value.
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