Dec
07
Posted by admin
If you have been considering a solar or wind energy solution for your home or place of business, you may have been discouraged by the astronomical cost of installed solar panels, or wind turbines.
For those small end users who don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on such extravagance, you may want to consider building a solar panel or homemade wind powered generator yourself. By building it yourself, you are obviously saving a lot of money upfront on parts and labor because you are buying the components locally, or on ebay, and assembling it yourself.
If you are concerned that you do not have the required skills for building a solar panel yourself, you would probably be wrong. The fact is that building a solar panel is really fairly easy for the average do it yourselfer. Basically you are buying solar cells, and assembling a weatherproof panel with the cells wired in series to produce electricity. A homemade wind turbine may be more complex, but these are also project that a person with an average DIY ability can create themselves.
When you build your own solar panels, or wind generators from available plans, you can take pride in knowing that you are saving money on your energy costs from something that you made yourself.
It’s a good feeling to be able to make some of your own electricity from the free sources such as the sun and wind.
May
02
Posted by admin
In 2009 a lot of folks are beginning to become more aware of the problems with the environment and are looking for ways to save money, and help our planet at the same time.
More and more people are starting to set up their own wind energy devices at home in order to do their part to help the environment, and keep more of their hard earned money in their pocket. For those of you who cannot justify a huge upfront expense to bring renewable energy into your homes energy grid, some of the pioneers in the home renewable energy market have done an excellent job of creating do it yourself renewable energy guides for our benefit.
But before you start looking for a set of wind generator plans to construct your own wind powered generator, we will answer a couple of the most common questions we get and explain in simple terms how producing energy from the wind actually works.
Q- So. How is electricity generated from the wind?
A- A tail fin orients the windmill blades to face the wind. Much like the wind vane you see that shows you which way the wind is blowing.
The wind blows against the windmills blades. These blades are designed to catch the wind in such a way that a positive pressure is created on one side of each blade and a negative on the other, much like an airplane wing. This coordinated pressure causes the blades to spin.
The spinning blades are attached to rotor that is connected to a permanent magnet style of DC (direct current) generator. The connection with the rotor is set up to spin the generator which produces electricity.
This electricity is then passed along through wiring into your homes energy grid.
Q- What happens to this generated electricity if you don’t use it immediately.
A- The short answer is that it is gone forever. Unless you store it for later use..
Q- So, how do you save the electricity so it is not wasted?
A- Batteries To The Rescue.
Deep cycle batteries, similar to those found in electric golf carts or forklifts, are often used to store this wind generated power for later use. The number of batteries needed and how they are wired together is dependent on several factors; how much power the wind generator produces and how much you will need to have on demand for your particular needs.
The exact plans for setting up the battery array is not really that complicated at all, but you should have a guide to follow to be sure you get it right.
Another question we get all the time is this;
Q- Is the direct current which is stored in the batteries capable of running typical household appliances?
A- The short answer here is yes. But only after you have installed an inverter, which is a device that converts the DC power to usable AC power.
This covers, in a somewhat oversimplified manner, the basics of how wind generated electricity actually works. There are also other components that are typically part of a windmill system.
When looking for wind generator plans, you should buy from an author who has actually built one for their own use. They will have the knowledge to be able to give you all the information you need to get started, as well as be around to answer any questions that you might have along the way. This will greatly increase the efficiency of the final product while reducing your frustration in the process.
If you don’t feel like trying to build your own wind powered generator from scratch you may want to take a look at some of these DIY Wind Turbine Kits, which will still save you a lot of money over a fully assembled or installed unit.
Apr
07
Posted by admin
Conceptually speaking, a wind turbine makes a lot of sense. After all, everyone who has ever been outside on a windy day is aware of just how much energy the wind is capable of producing. Even though wind technology is still relatively new and relatively inefficient in terms of capturing and processing this form of energy, it shows a lot of promise for the future and that is precisely why so many people are now starting to include a source of wind energy into their home renewable energy plan.
However, one thing that wind turbines are not is cheap and for that reason people have been gravitating toward the various DIY wind turbine kits and plans that are currently available on the market. Many of these are complete kits with everything you need to assemble your own home wind turbine, while others are guides that tell you how to build a wind turbine with locally available materials. The latter being by far the cheapest option.
The obvious advantage to a wind turbine either in kit form or as a complete DIY project from scratch is the cost savings. When you compare either of these options to a conventional commercially installed system you will immediately realize several thousand dollars in savings which means you will recoup your costs in a matter of a few months, compared to many years.
If you go with a DIY wind turbine installation, you will of course be assembling and installing the project yourself. Therefore, the do-it-yourself method requires you to trade time for money, which many people today are more than willing to do.
Mar
22
Posted by admin
A few years ago having a home off the grid and using renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power was impossible to imagine for many homeowners. Why? Because if you are going with a commercially installed system it was, and still is, very expensive to convert your home to use renewable energy sources from solar panels or wind turbines. And the fact was it would usually take years to recoup your investment. But recently all of that has changed.
Both solar power and wind power have become viable renewable energy sources sources in the last few years for the average homeowner. And the best thing is, you can easily build a wind turbine or solar panel for very little cost. This means you will be saving thousands of dollars by constructing them yourself, and then thousands more in energy savings after they are up and running.
Has there ever been a better time to go green? Not only is electricity still very expensive, but our planet is also in the worst shape it has ever been from an environmental standpoint. What do these two things mean to you? It means you should build a small renewable energy system and start generating at least some of your own electricity (even if it’s only 10-20% of your needs). It is not difficult to acquire the materials, and as long as you have a good guide to follow you should easily be able to implement your own system into your homes energy grid and start saving money on your electric bills.
Solar power is ideal for just about any home in America (and everywhere else). Wind power is also ideal for areas which receive a good deal of wind. You can even install both types of systems to compliment each other. On top of saving a lot of money on your energy bills, you will find that this is a very worthwhile family project which you will take a great deal of pride in.
Get started today and start saving money on your energy costs, and help our fragile environment at the same time.
Mar
14
Posted by admin
Relatively small and unobtrusive home wind turbines are the answer to small scale home wind power generation. Small wind powered turbines suitable for home use are manufactured by a number of companies and can easily be set up by anyone with average DIY abilities either on a rooftop, or as a stand alone unit mounted on its own tower. The usual recommended tower height is about 30 feet.
These types of pre-assembled home wind turbine kits, run in all price ranges depending on how much power you wish to generate but will easily pay for themselves in a relatively short time. It is by far the easiest way to start generating your own electricity without having to spend a small fortune on having a commercial system installed for you.
Some resources on this site for DIY Wind Turbine Kits:
Commercial Wind Turbine Kits
Residential Wind Turbine Kits
If you are interested in an even cheaper solution, you can build a home wind turbine from scratch with materials you can pick up locally. This setup will cost much less than buying a kit, but is far more labor intensive that buying something in kit form. That being said, it is still a viable option if you want to start generating your own electricity for a minimal up front expense.
If you decide to go this route, we recommend either GreenDIYEnergy or Earth4Energy. We have seen all of these types of guides, and these two seem to offer the most bang for the buck.
Mar
13
Posted by admin
You might be very interested in starting a solar/renewable energy project for your home. But the thought of spending thousands of dollars for a commercially installed solar system is not financially viable for a lot of homeowners, especially in the current economic climate.
If you want to use the free energy from the Sun to provide at least part, or all of your energy needs then there is another option. A complete solar kit.
These kits provide you will all the necessary prefabricated materials and components that you will need to assemble a complete and working solar energy system for you home. Such kits are a solution which might very well fit the bill, without costing nearly as much as having someone come out and install a system for you. On this site you will find solar panel kits and accessories.
A few other resources to find some good solar starter kits are;
Real Goods Solar
VESTA 2.4kW Grid-Tied Solar Electric System
EOS 1.9kW Grid-Tied Solar Electric System
Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit
Solar Panels & Solar Modules
55W Solar Power Kit for your RV.
Too Expensive?
As mentioned before, the cheapest solution is to build a solar system yourself entirely from scratch.
Building them yourself will be a far more labor intensive project, and the panels will be somewhat less efficient than prefabricated ones. However, if you enjoy building things then this will be a rewarding project that will teach you about the inner workings of solar panels, and how it is all wired together.
If you decide to go this route you can pick up one of the DIY Renewable Energy Guides in ebook form for under $50 which show you how to build a working solar panel, and how to set up your system to provide usable power. Our recommendation would be GreenDIYEnergy if you decide on this option.
Mar
04
Posted by admin
Are you sick of high energy bills? Wouldn’t you like to save some of your hard earned cash for other things and help our planet at the same time?
If so, you can easily harness the power of mother nature and make a windmill to generate free power for years on end! And the best part is, building a windmill is a heck of a lot easier than you may think!
So, what does it really take to make a windmill to generate electricity for your home? Some of the things you will need are:
- Deep cycle batteries
- Steel tubing (you can actually pick up recycled steel tubing for a lot less than regular tubing)
- Electrical wiring
- Sheet metal
Those are just a few of the supplies on the list that you will need to make your own windmill. The beauty about building your own wind powered generator is that all of the supplies needed can be acquired locally for less than $200. If you think $200 is too much, then consider this:
What are you heating/cooling costs and power usage each month?
A small investment now will literally pay for itself in a couple of months ans save you a LOT of money over the long haul. How? Because you will be using mother natures free wind power to generate your electricity!
Of course, building your own windmill requires an good set of instructions to follow. Don’t fall for the free tips you find online, as you will only become confused. The best guides provide a good blueprint that shows you how to build a windmill, step-by-step.
With that said, we recommend taking a look at one of the DIY guides we feature on this site. Both offer complete and easy to follow guide that provides full, detailed instructions on how to build your own wind powered generator, from start to finish!
Jan
28
Posted by admin
Due to the rapid depletion of the supply of petroleum products that is used to provide electricity to the millions of homes in the United States, efforts are now being undertaken to look for alternative sources of energy. One of the alternative sources of electricity currently being considered is the use of wind turbines.
Growing Popularity of Wind Turbines
Compared to other alternative sources of energy now being promoted, wind turbines are a lot more cost efficient to construct and maintain. Wind turbines tap into the power of the wind, which is then converted into usable electricity that is distributed to the different households and business establishments. Another benefit seen in using wind power as an alternative source of energy is that, unlike solar power that would only be able to collect solar energy during the daytime, wind turbines can convert wind power into electricity 24 hours a day. This further ensures that the establishments being supplied with alternative energy are given sufficient supplies of electricity.
Choosing the right location to construct a wind turbine is the most crucial part of the construction process. The location must meet a few requirements in order for households and local communities to utilize wind as an alternative source of electricity. Here are a few things to look into when deciding whether a particular location is ideal to construct wind turbines.
Wind Speed
The first thing to consider is the average wind speed that passes through your area. Wind turbines are only effective at converting wind power into usable energy if the average wind speed is at least 10 miles per hour. The best place to get this information is to contact your local weather bureau or news center. These organizations will provide you a list of areas within the community that experience this average wind speed on a daily basis.
High Altitude Areas
Select an area in your community that has the highest altitude to build the wind turbines. Wind speeds are a lot faster in high altitude areas as opposed to those that are located near sea level. This is because the drag brought about by the wind traveling through land or sea is greatly reduced the higher you go.
Flat, Open Fields
Another ideal location for constructing wind turbines is an area that is flat, open and spacious. The wind speed in a particular area can be greatly reduced by natural barriers and man-made structures such as hills, mountains and buildings. This, in turn, minimizes the ability of the wind turbine to convert wind power into usable forms of energy that ultimately powers homes and business establishments.
Les and Jane over at Windplans have put together a kind of introductory guide on DIY wind energy. Take a look at it here.
