Windpower

Massachusetts has always been a hotbed for Weatherization and energy efficiency, owing to extreme weather conditions and the age of the homes in the area. Since JOEGREEN is all about helping the "average Joe" go green, we love talking to homeowners and answering the various questions they might have, from insulation and furnaces to sustainable landscaping and solar power. While at the Lynn Home and Garden Show 2009, a light bulb lit up in our heads (yes, it was a CFL bulb), when we noticed that people kept asking us the same question: What do you know about Wind power?

How it Works…

Well, here is a brief and simple introduction to Wind power, which is an alternate way to generate power and reduce environmental impact. If your focus is more long term it will save you money. Once up and running, it could really help you get "off the grid". In some situations, it can reduce your energy bills by almost 90%, especially if you have a total-electric home.

The ideal wind turbine works like any other household appliance. It collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.

After it is installed and connected to your electric meter, you’re done. Nothing changes inside your house. It works in tandem with your local Massachusetts electric utility to power your house. When the wind isn’t blowing, the utility supplies your electricity. But when it's windy out, your wind turbine pivots to catch the best wind and provides clean, quiet electricity. When it generates more electricity than you need, your meter can actually spin backwards— which means you're essentially selling electricity back to the utility. In most cases, the utility will install a second utility meter to measure how much surplus electricity it is purchasing from you.

Things to Know…

The first consideration is how windy your location is. In a perfect setup, the average wind speed needs to be at least 10 miles an hour.

The second consideration is finances. The initial cost is very high for commercial windmills. On the flip side, constructing a residential wind turbine setup is much more viable. There are a few things to keep in mind if you’re serious about going down this path. A residential wind turbine can be a relatively large device and is not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is ideal.

The economics of a wind system are very sensitive to the average wind speed in the area, and to a lesser extent, the cost of purchasing electricity. As a general rule of thumb, if economics are a concern, a wind turbine owner should have at least a 10 mph average wind speed and be paying at least 10 cents/kWh for electricity. The good news is that of most of the Residential Wind Turbines installed so far in the United States, the majority have been the Northeast and Mid-west, so this is definitely a viable option for consideration in Massachusetts.

Once you have an Energy Audit conducted at your home, you will be able to determine exactly how much power you need and if your situation is ideal for Wind Power. Since this is a big renewable energy investment you should ensure that you are getting the best deal you can.

A wind generating system is a fantastic way to reduce your overall impact on the environment, but to get the maximum return on your investment, it is highly recommended to first weatherize your home. Eliminating the wasted energy being emitted from your home will increase the value of the power being generated. All in all, Wind Power is a solution worth considering, just like any other renewable system. However, to ensure that you get the most out of it, make sure that you do your research and that the solution makes sense for you and your home.