Wind Power Generator Basics

Wind powered generators require wind to turn the turbine which in turn spins a pole, which creates electricity; this electricity can be connected to a meter and the electricity is used like the meter provided by utility companies.

Depending on how tall the pole which the turbine sits will determine how much energy the turbine can generate; for example, a turbine on a 20 foot pole can generate more energy than a turbine on a 4 foot pole.

Size Equals Results

The taller the pole of the turbine the more efficient the wind powered generator will be; before purchasing a wind powered generator it is a good idea to compare individual needs with what the wind powered generator is able to provide.

Most people live on the grid or they purchase their electricity from a utility provider; for people who are already on the grid but would like to lessen their dependency, a 10 foot pole for their turbine should be sufficient. These turbines are able to produce electricity at much lower speeds than the shorter versions, 10-15 miles an hour winds can produce the same amount of energy as a four foot tall generator with winds at 30 miles per hour (mph).

The shorter four foot tall wind powered turbines are better suited for boats or other areas where having something of height is dangerous; some companies may advertise the generators with 4 foot poles as being able to produce large amounts of energy, however in most areas the winds are never high enough for them to operate at peak efficiency (around 30 mph winds).

If someone was interested in living completely off the grid using no public utilities, wind powered generators alone would not be sufficient to provide electricity for a house, however if it is used in combination with solar panels, living completely off the grid is possible.

Taller wind powered generators (20 feet is usually the tallest for residential use) will be even more efficient needing even less wind to produce electricity; with a taller generator and solar panels, living completely off the grid and even possibly selling some energy back to the power plant is possible.

Benefits Of Wind Power

Wind powered generators provide clean renewable electricity to home owners virtually anywhere, taller generators (10 feet tall or more) can operate at wind speeds as low as 10 miles per hour.

Supplementing electricity purchased from the power plant with electricity from a wind powered generator can save a household money the first year it has been used.

Wind powered generators used in place of some electricity usually purchased from a power plant can reduce pollution due to the reduction of total energy produced by the utility company.