Domestic Wind Turbines

Can you imagine living off the grid, or depending less on it, by generating your own electricity? More and more people are doing that either by installing solar panels on their rooftops (the most common method) or installing domestic wind turbines. Let’s have a look at the latter. The American Wind Energy Association says domestic wind turbines can reduce a building’s electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent, depending on the location and the capacity of the wind turbine in question. The U.S. are the current world leaders in the production of domestic wind turbines, the ones that produce up to 100 kilowatts of power. WindEnergy Corporation is one company that has introduced to the market a very efficient domestic wind turbine. Its trademark product is called Windy, which the company says is bird-friendly (bird collisions are one of the setbacks associated with wind power), quiet, works well in turbulence and look good, too.

The sail height is 6 meters (19’7”), the diameter is 5 meters (13’1”) and the weight of the sail, generator and control systems combined is around 3,000 lbs. The cut-in speed is 7 mph, it performs to 40 mph and survives up to 120 mph. Sail is locked down at 40 mph.

It’s a fairly big sculpture to have on a rooftop so customers can choose the color, add their logo or graphics to customize the look to blend in or stand out at their building. There is an option for the sail to rotate on its own during low or no wind periods. It takes about one to two weeks to install it and the customer is responsible for securing permits, which will vary according to the jurisdiction where the building is in.

Because of their large sizes, domestic wind turbines are more suitable for larger homes located outside city centers. The AWEA recommends at least one acre of area and at least 10 mph average wind speed. In the United States, this type of wind pattern is more easily found, but not restricted to, the Midwest and Northeast of the country.