Building DIY Wind Turbines

In this day and age of environmental destruction and finite power energy sources, wind stands out as being abundant, cheap, clean, and simple to take advantage of.  In countries where there isn’t much sun available for solar power, wind is becoming an increasingly attractive power source. Wind energy on a major scale now vies with other sources of electricity linked to the national grid. However, small beer, domestic wind turbines are not quite at this level yet which means they can be expensive to build at first, even if they will save you bills in the long term.

Building DIY wind turbines is not as difficult as it might seem given that most of the materials you will need are available in your local DIY store.  There are a number of informative texts offering information about diy wind turbine generators and wind turbine diy construction.  Websites also focus on offering detailed information about diy wind turbine generators and wind turbine diy construction as well.  The rest can be found in junkyards, dumps and salvaged parts stores.  Then you will be ready to take control over your own power needs and feel the buzz of being truly self-sufficient.


The Advantages of DIY Wind Turbines

Wind energy does not damage the surrounding environment, because no fossil fuels have to be burnt. Turbines are space-effective, as their bases only have to occupy a few square meters, giving them a clear advantage over other energy-producing systems. Space can be freed up around the turbine so that you can devote it to other aspects of your domestic life. If you live in a remote area, wind turbines may be your best option of harnessing the power you need for your daily essentials. If you can combine wind turbines with solar panels (the installation of which is now subsidized by many governments), you can achieve a steady and constant flow of electricity.


How Wind Turbines Work

Building a standard 1000 watt DIY wind turbine will require magnet disks and coils as key elements.  The permanent magnet alternator generates three-phase AC which is then rectified to DC and aligned to a charge controller. Wind turbines must be big in relation to the power they produce because they only work effectively with thin air. The average-sized modern home must be powered by a turbine with blades spanning 5 meters tip to tip. In the trade this is known as ‘rotor diameter’.

The vast majority of wind turbines are actually used for charging batteries, with car alternators a popular choice.  But these must be driven at a very high shaft speed to provide any kind of output worth providing. Rotor blades will have to be used in tandem with it which will reduce the efficiency. Blades can be carved relatively easily by the DIY enthusiast from wood, although you can buy them ready made from various stores. If you are concerned about the expense of this aspect of the turbine then it really is worth doing a fair bit of research before you weigh up effort versus cost and reach a final decision.


Can You Rely On The Wind?

One consideration before embarking upon your DIY wind turbine is whether your locale is windy enough for the system to work.  Most residential locations are no use given that the wind power tends to be stifled by trees and buildings. The best sites for DIY wind turbines are on open high ground or on the edges of the sea.  The best option is a very tall tower, but these can tend to be regarded as eyesores by neighbors who may not share your passion for saving the world.

Some DIY wind turbine builders have even been met with petitions and campaigns from people who believe that the biggest issue facing the natural world is its aesthetic appearance, and not the threat to the world ecosystem posed by humankind’s voracious appetite for energy consumption.  It may be worth discussing your proposed wind turbine with your neighbors before you actually go ahead and construct it. Another issue worth considering is that when wind speed is low, more efficient generators are required to harness the power available.

Most of the power in very light winds will be used to energies the magnetic field in the turbine, with nothing surplus left over to actually power the contraption.  Thus it is worth installing a custom-built magnet generator which is hard to make from scratch.  The generator, however, is crucial to the whole success of the overall DIY wind turbine project.  


Safety First, Safety Always

Perhaps slightly unbelievably for such a benign machine, safety is a very important issue regarding DIY wind turbines.  When the wind is hard and fast, windmill rotors can become very destructive indeed. They can break internally or externally, with bits of their bodies flying off and possibly injuring people. There should be built-in protection systems to defend against all negative eventualities. These aspects are as important as anything else about the turbine.


Some More Information

There is a fair amount of information on the web that will help you with building DIY wind turbines.  You will have to be careful about which sources to trust.  These few resources should help you on your way:
http://www.cat.org.uk/index.tmpl?refer=index&init=1 – here at the Centre for Alternative Technology® you can purchase a book by Hugh Piggott about building DIY wind turbines.
http://www.smallwind.co.uk/index.php - interesting article which suggests designing the wind turbine using CAD software.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine - good informative description of wind turbines in general, their history, future, current uses, variations and designs.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Types-of-renewables/Microwind - sound advice on all kinds of energy saving including harnessing the puissance of wind power.
http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/wind_turbines.html - sound arguments for wind turbines and the way in which they have become part of the landscape of most developed, environmentally-concerned countries.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_how.html - this is an article about exactly how DIY wind turbines exactly work, located on the renewable energy and energy efficiency website of the US Department of Energy.