Wind power help.

[kansasblue]

I'm also looking into wind power. I think I can build my own wind mill but I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on generator.

Thanks,

kb

[phantom power]

1. I would not recommend building your own turbine.

A lot of the efficiency comes from advanced aerodynamic design. Just me.

[Lerkfish]

2. correct. I researched even the more advanced wind turbine company

closest to me, and although great idea, they don't generate enough to get you offgrid unless you're willing to get enough of them and rethink your current usage of electricity.
I figured out for my trilevel home, running tvs and computers and electric heat, I would need at least four of them for an average month, and the cost became prohibitive...somewhere in the neighborhood of tens of thousands of dollars, at least 40K if I'm not mistaken.
At that point, it was more expensive than current normal rates and would take 25 years to even recoup costs.

I'm hoping they get more efficient in the future, but for home use, I think you would have to have quite some capital to get them going, enough to support a normal usage pattern.

IMHO

[kansasblue]

3. I don't expect to replace electric from the grid.... more educational.

and for when the grid is down.

kb

[Lerkfish]

5. try this link, then....

http://www.third-sun.com/

they were the best bet in my geographic area as far as cost and features.

[phantom power]

4. I thought these looked interesting:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/stormblade_the.php

And these:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/magwind_vertica.php

I think in general the vertical-axis designs are superior, but I'm no expert.

[Up2Late]

6. This site looks like it would be worth a look...

...but don't rule out non-U.S. companies. the Germans seem to be well ahead of us, as far as Wind Power goes.

<http://www.awea.org/faq/smsyslst.html>

But if you want to go completely "off the Grid," you might want to look into adding a Hydrogen generator/storage/Fuel Cell system to it later too:

Here are a few links: <http://www.hydrogenics.com/products_strategy.asp>

<http://www.h2.ca/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1>

[piedmont]

7. Try otherpower.com

They've built many wind-turbines and alternators for them, and they have well-illustrated pages documenting some of their work.

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.html

[TheWraith]

8. Try this link out.

http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.html

They won't replace grid power unless you build yourself a bunch of them, but they're kind of cool and could make a nice project.

[One_Life_To_Give]

10. Ward's Cabin is off grid

My favorite part about that site is Ward's solar cabin. And of course the video of the windmill test mounted on the front of the Model A Ford.

[Dead_Parrot]

9. If it's for self-education, rather than "real" power...

...ages ago, I knew a guy who made a mini turbine out of an old Ford Fiesta, which cost him about £150. He clipped, beat and welded some of the panels into a basic anemometer-type windmill, mounted it onto one of the wheel bearings, hooked up the alternator via a fan-belt and ran that into the car's battery: That then ran the radio/cassette and a headlight. He sold the rest of the engine for £75...

Took him a while, but great fun for the mechanically minded.