The escalating use of fossil fuels to supply all of our needs for power in the form of gasoline for vehicles and as electrical energy for our homes is causing environmental damage. As far as damage to the planet is concerned, the problem is self-correcting; the fossil fuel that is causing the problem is being depleted at a rapid rate. When the fuel runs out, there will be no more fossil-fuel-based environmental damage. That’s good news for the planet, but bad new for energy. We’re going to need a replacement source, and now would be a good time to begin using it.

Solar, wind, and water power are obvious sources, and we now have technologies for exploiting all of them. We have pretty much fully utilized our waterpower resources, although tidal exploitation offers large scale energy production. Only solar and wind power, however, offer the small scale technologies that make it feasible for use by individual homeowners.

Wind power generators generate electrical power by harvesting the winds. Energy from wind power is clean, green, and free. In some areas, Home Made Wind Power is unfeasible because the prevailing winds are weak and unpredictable. In those areas, however, that have consistent prevailing winds of at least ten miles per hour, home made wind power can be king. All that is needed are wind power generators that can be located high enough to efficiently gather these winds.

The technology of generating power from the wind is quite elementary. The wind turns a windmill. The windmill turns a generator that produces DC electrical energy that is stored in batteries. When needed the DC power from the batteries is converted to AC power and used to run the home’s electrical devices. While simple in principle, these wind power generators are quite sophisticated in design. These modern windmills are provided with abundant safety features, wind-shear stability, electrical overload and lightning protection, and emergency shutdown capability.

Installation of these home made wind power systems is straightforward, but requires that certain local conditions be satisfied to ensure efficient operation. The space available for the installation must be adequate. Prevailing winds should be in the order of ten miles per hour minimum. Zoning must permit installation of a tower at the optimum height to capture the prevailing winds. Other less predictable factors include general safety, noise, and neighborhood acceptance.

Despite the efficiency of wind power technology and equipment, homeowners who generate their own wind power do not rely upon that source exclusively. Even normally windy areas experience periods of wind drought – calm days. Alternate energy sources should supplement the wind power, and that could be solar power systems or continued attachment to the power grid. Nonetheless, despite this occasional reliance upon alternate sources, home wind power generators provide efficient, dependable, and inexpensive power that benefits the environment and your household budget.

If you are handy, adventurous, and looking for a new challenge, a DIY home wind power building project could be fulfilling. Do-it-yourself guides are available at bookstores, building supply stores, and on the Internet. With a little reading, a little time, and a moderate investment, you can create your own source of wind generated power, saving you money and giving you the satisfaction of knowing that you have a good handle on controlling your energy costs.

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