Home Wind Power
The venerable wind mill which ran a water pump from a well to feed cattle was a common sight in Texas for over a hundred years. Today there are wind farms in mostly the western part of the state. Concerns about potential damage to flocks of rare migratory birds like the Whooping Crane have lead to environmental objections to wind farms in central and eastern Texas. At least one commercial enterprise, H.E.B., has plans to build a wind power generator in Weslaco, Texas.
Most of the technological and commercial development of wind power has centered on building farms of wind power generators with sometimes hundreds of turrets. On the other hand the development of home wind power is less developed.To power a typical household of 10,000 kwH generally requires two blades with a 20 foot diameter on a tower approaching 100 feet in height with an average wind speed of 12 miles per hour. Most systems will have a battery storage system as a backup for when there are winds below energy producing velocities.
At this point the cost of building a single wind power generator at home is still relatively expensive. Our research indicates costs would be around $16,ooo at least. The conversion of wind power to electricity in small home versions is not nearly as effective as the larger commercial units found on wind farms.
To effectively capture the winds energy, the blades are best placed on towers which can be as high as 500 feet off the ground. Wind turbines low to the ground or on roof tops may not get enough wind to function properly. Most cities require fallways for towers which means the tower might have to be a larger lot then most residences.
In addition, the tower might not be allowed due to proximity of an airport. Most wind towers if allowed would require constant flashing lights. So most single towers for home use are usually found in rural settings.
Wind farms have been criticized by some as being noisy. The American Wind Energy Association reports that they generate about 35 to 45 decibels of sound. Unfortunately, because home turbines are smaller and rotate at higher speeds than their commercial counterparts they can actually generate more noise.
Future developments in technology may might make urban home wind energy harnessment more feasible.