5 Uses of Wind Energy to Power Your Home
Wind power is a growing segment of renewable energy for residential use. Generating electricity from wind produces zero emissions and is readily available all over the globe. Wind power for homes has also been increasing with smaller turbine availability growing. Depending on where your home is located, you could have large turbines generating the majority of your power or smaller ones acting as supplemental power.
Depending on where your home is located, you could go completely off-grid with a large-scale wind turbine. However, you don’t have to go completely “off-grid” to take advantage of wind power for your home. Residential wind turbines may work as supplemental power sources. They can lower a home’s dependence on the grid, reduce energy consumption, and lower your monthly energy bills.
Wind power for homes isn’t a new concept. It's been used for centuries, and homeowners find its flexibility useful in several applications. Many property owners like farmers and ranchers use a turbine to pump water from a well, generate electricity to charge batteries for their machinery or provide electricity for areas that aren’t connected to the grid.
Your specific location determines how much energy can be generated by wind turbines. Large wind turbines work in an open area like a farm, but smaller turbines will be ideal if you own an apartment building or single-family home. Contact a local expert to help you find the right equipment to generate wind power for your home.
Installation costs associated with wind power for homes can be high, but there are financial programs that remove this roadblock. Wind turbines often qualify for property assessed clean energy (PACE financing).PACE helps property owners finance the upfront cost of wind turbine installation and works with contractors for the most beneficial set up to save energy. The amount financed is then paid back as a line item on your annual or semiannual property tax bill.
If you’re considering using wind power for your home, we have outlined a few benefits and operational advantages of installing a wind turbine.
1. Going Off-Grid with Wind Power
Fully off-grid wind power systems are usually best suited for rural areas. Large turbines with towers between 80 and 140 feet tall in rural areas can rise above any ground-level windbreaks and provide more consistent power. Additionally, fully off-grid systems must contain batteries to store unused electricity that a home can tap into when the wind isn’t blowing.
City and suburban property owners often run into zoning ordinances or other regulations preventing them from building a tower. Trees and other buildings could also act as windbreaks, blocking the wind from the turbines and leading to inconsistent power.
How do you know if an off-grid turbine is practical for the situation? Analyze the average annual wind speed in your neighborhood. The wind speed must be at least nine miles per hour. A turbine won’t provide 100 percent of the energy if rates are beneath this threshold. Another consideration is if you have the land to build large turbines. Depending on zoning codes, you could be restricted by the height of a wind turbine.
2. Combined with Other Renewable Energy Sources
Wind power for homes is commonly combined with other renewable energy sources, such as solar power. This works because wind and solar are “intermittent” energy sources: they don’t provide the same amount of energy 24 hours per day.
The sunlight is only available during the day, and the wind can blow at different speeds depending on the season. Although you can’t predict, you can still estimate averages for your area. This data can provide a broad idea of how much renewable energy will be generated by solar and wind power. Ideally, both these systems will provide backup power by charging a battery-powered generator during windless, cloudy days.
It’s worth noting that wind and solar complement each other in many regions. For example, a story in Scientific American reports that wind speeds in rural Colorado were lowest during the summertime – the season with the most sunshine. In the winter, days were often cloudy, but wind speeds were average.
Since both of these energy sources often qualify for PACE financing, you could cover the upfront costs of both renewable systems.
3. Grid-Connected Wind Power Systems
Small wind electric systems are the most common type of residential wind system. These turbines allow you to remain connected to the grid to have a consistent power supply. The small residential turbines provide extra power.
Though they don’t create 100 percent of the power for a home, these units can provide significant savings. According to Energy.gov, they can lower energy costs by between 50 and 90 percent. You may be able to get a more precise estimate of savings by looking at a “wind resource map” to see the average local wind speeds in your area.
Options for grid-connected systems include rooftop turbines and tower-based turbines. The U.S. Department of Energy reveals that the restriction on structure height is 35 feet in some residential areas. This might be an issue because wind turbines must be 30 feet taller than anything within a 300-foot radius to be effective.
Be sure to check local zoning regulations to determine the requirements in your area, and whether there are any exemptions.
4. Traditional Uses for Wind Turbines
Before renewable energy became popular, wind turbines were used to power industrial operations. Windmills milled grains for centuries and were a prominent feature on many farms. Additionally, farmers continue to use a form of wind power to pump water from wells to water crops or provide water to their homes.
Modern wind pumps are more complicated than the original wind-powered bucket droppers, but they are still widely used. Most have a piston-powered pump to draw water up towards the surface from a well. Water pumps are designed to work at lower speeds, with more blades than an electricity-producing wind turbine.
5. Storing Energy By Charging Batteries
Off-grid wind turbines can store energy by charging batteries. The power stored can then be used when the turbine isn’t generating any electricity. This concept can also work on a smaller scale with turbines used to charge batteries for electrical equipment (such as an electric lawnmower, a small motor for a boat or scooter, etc.). Even mini turbines are available online to provide charging power for cell phones and laptops.
These units do not provide enough electricity for a home, but they could provide you with the resources to switch from gas-powered equipment to battery-powered equipment, saving on future gas costs.
Wind Power Can Be a Good Investment
Wind energy technology continues to evolve, especially when capturing wind power in urban and suburban areas. While going entirely off the grid requires specific conditions, supplemental wind power for your home can save you even if you remain dependent on your grid.
PACE can help you live more sustainably while reducing your energy consumption. For more information, call Ygrene at (855) 901-3999 or check your eligibility online.
