Using the Wind to Your Advantage
With the world’s population having relied on oil for so long, it’s hardly surprising that there is now much concern with regards to saving the planet. As a result, an increasing amount of people are beginning to look for alternative energy sources in order to power their homes and businesses. While many companies are investigating the many possibilities regarding solar power, it is interesting to note that wind power has been around since for a very long time. From the very first windmills used for grinding wheat and corn, to the modern day wind farms, the wind can provide us with an endless source of renewable energy.
While the wind is not always plentiful or abundant if you have at least a breeze of more than ten MPH, it’s enough to power some low voltage turbines. You can expect to cut your utility bill by 50-90%, with some average power bills ranging from $8-$15 for most of the year. Where it’s cooler and an air conditioning unit is used less often or not at all, this could be your electricity bill throughout the year.
In the United States, the typical household uses approximately 9,000kWh during the course of a year, which means they use more or less 780 kilowatt hours per month. Even a wind turbine which only has a 5 to 15 kilowatt capacity is able to reduce your monthly electricity bill considerably. Wind powered homes can now be found in forty seven different states with most of them appearing in the Midwest and Northeast.
Apart from the financial savings you stand to gain, installing a wind generator will also benefit the environment in many ways. For example, wind generators help to reduce noise pollution, just as they help to reduce the tremendous burden placed on the national power grids. Furthermore, electricity companies may be willing to pay you for any excess power produced which you don’t use. Once you start to see your electric meter running backwards, you’ll know that your wind turbine is not only helping to save the planet, but it’s also supplying electricity to the grid, for which you’ll be paid.
Many more companies and households are beginning to realize the profitability of wind turbine electricity. You see more and more wind farms springing up all over the country, and some farmers are beginning to turn their attentions to the wind as a viable source of income. It seems that the stronger the wind, the more wind power products spring up.
Irrespective of what changes you make, be it that you start turning off the lights when not in use, or be it that you decide to start using a wind generator, it is absolutely vital that we all begin making some changes in order to preserve this wonderful planet.
