Wind Power: Is it Right for You?

The high cost of electricity in most of the country has forced most of us to take a close look at ways to save money on our bills. We have replaced our old incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or the new LED bulbs; we have turned our thermostats up in the summer or down in the winter. But what if we could generate our own electricity by using the things that Mother Nature supplies us in abundance for free?

Depending on where you live there are two things that you can usually count on that are free, the sun almost always shines and the wind blows at least part of the time. We have all heard of both solar and wind power by now, but not many of us know that we can harness them for use in our homes. The truth is that these technologies have been around for a very long time, it's just that when electricity was cheap and readily available nobody worried about it.

Today with high utility prices and global warming, people are beginning to look at these ideas with a much keener interest, whether it is to save money or save the environment; these are products whose time has come. According to a report on Green Living Ideas last year over 7000 people bought small wind turbines for their houses. Many of the same people coupled these with an active solar panel array to completely get off the grid and become energy self sufficient.

Now the truths about wind power, yes it can be used to supplant your energy consumption from the grid but, there are exceptions. For most people living in urban areas the location is not practical, current technology does not have a small wind turbine that is capable of producing enough power. That being said it is still possible, for example in a report seen on ecogeek.com, in New York City installing a wind turbine system on the roof will cut one apartment building electric bill in half.

On the other side of the coin, if you live in a rural area you are probably starting to see the wind farms popping up everywhere, we have several in our area. These massive windmills are capable of producing large quantities of power for free as long as the wind blows. For the farmer or rural home owners there are several companies that offer systems for homeowners.

While a small turbine will not necessarily power your whole house, it can definitely help reduce the cost of your electric bill, especially if you couple it with an active solar system. There are several things you should consider before you run out and buy your turbine though. First do your local laws allow for you to put a turbine up? Second you might want to talk to your neighbors and tell them about your plans, they can cause a lot of grief if they object to your new turbine for any of a number of reasons. Finally according to a report on Green Living Ideas, the average cost can run anywhere from $12,000 to $55,000 for the turbine and installation.

As a last thought there are several incentive programs being offered by various states to consumers in the form of rebates or incentive programs, to help pay for wind turbines and many electric companies will buy unused energy form you. So before you go out and buy your new wind turbine make sure you have all the facts and any necessary permits lined up so that you don' end up spending more than you will save.

Sources: ttp://www.ecogeek.org/, http://greenlivingideas.com/