Is A Wind Turbine Right For You?

By James Bratley

You may have seen the many different small home wind
turbines you are able to purchase in the shops, yet you
may be undecided whether one of these small scale wind
turbines is for you. Before purchasing a turbine, you
should do some research regarding; can your environment
make a turbine efficient enough, what alternative energy
sources can you harness, and which technology is the
best value for money.

Below we shall discuss each of the three points
explained above in more detail, outlining the factors
relating to each.

Wind turbines only generally work to their full
potential in very few areas. To gain an efficient use of
a turbine, you should do some in depth research and a
site survey into how sustainable your environment is to
support a wind turbine. For efficient placement of a
wind turbine, you need to look into the average annual
wind speed and direction. There are many references
available to explain what speed the wind must be for
different sized turbines. Wind direction is only a
factor which relates to which position your place your
turbine in, yet many modern small home turbines are very
mobile and you can usually twist them to face the
direction you prefer.

It will be well worth your time to browse the market
looking for alternative renewable energy sources. This
mainly depends on your budget, but solar panels are a
very popular choice as either an addition, or a total
replacement for a wind turbine. Solar panels generally
offer you a greater pound per watt, and are also
generally more efficient for home power production.
Deciding which technology is the best value for money,
also ties in with the environment factor. You need to do
research and decide which of the renewable energy
sources is most in abundant in your region, for example
if you live on a small island off the coast of northern
Scotland, then you would more than likely choose a home
wind turbine as you are exposed to strong winds, but if
you live in the center of England (where wind speeds are
usually quite low), you may opt for a solar panel.

So, as we can see here, many factors will decide on the
right natural energy source for you. If you can afford
to integrate renewable energy production methods into
your home, it is strongly suggested, considering the
current situation with global warming, that you make an
attempt to install these more environmentally friendly
appliances.

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