The company that specializes in plastics, partnered with Swift's Scottish designer, Renewable Devices, to install the revolutionary small wind turbine in the U.S. households.

What sets the Swift apart from other small wind turbines is the reduced noise it produces. In addition, the turbine can be attached to rooftops instead of towers.  With it's five blades and "outer diffuser" ring, the company claims vibration is reduced, resulting in only 35 decibels of noise.

With the turbine's seven foot diameter and two fins to help it face the wind, it can rotate 360 degrees and it automatically shuts down in very strong winds.  All the elements of its unique design allow the Swift to generate up to 1.5 kW of power in 14 mile per hour winds.  This equates to approximately 2000 kilowatt hours per year, which is about a quarter of the electricity consumed by a typical U.S. household.

At a cool $10 000 to be installed, this turbine does not come cheap.  However, the upfront cost is significantly lower when state tax credits of $1000 for households, and $4000 for businesses is taken into account.

According to Jessica Lehti, Cascade's senior product marketing manager, this Michigan-based plastics company has already installed 9 Swift turbines in America, and still has at least 25 orders to go.

With a customer base split between residential consumers and businesses, the company is in high hopes that it can sell the Swift to anyone with economic or environmental purposes in mind - even while the economy is in turmoil.

But we disagree with Cascade - not anyone is going to fork out $10 000 just so they can help the environment.  Furthermore, the electricity savings realized by households will only cover their investment after 12 years!

Unless people have the money, we are not sure why anyone would want to waste $10 000, when they could easily make their own small wind turbine at home. Although it would be less efficient than commercial ones, if you built enough of them, you could easily make 2000kW hours of power per year.

In fact, many people all over the U.S are making their own power systems at home, and they are showing others how to do it with step-by-step instruction manuals.  We have a list of these manuals in our reviews section if you feel the need to make your own energy at home.

To conclude, as much as we like the commercial Swift wind turbine, it is not affordable enough for average households to install. So, until technology and prices improve, we are better off making our own renewable energy solutions at home.

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. He recommends you Try Earth4Energy For FREE before you go out and start any home solar power project.
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Wind Turbine Generators.

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Wind Turbine Generators.

What is a Wind Turbine?

A wind turbine is a simple machine that collects kinetic energy produced by wind currents and converts this energy into power that can be used in the home. Wind turbines are installed on high towers; these towers are usually around eighty to one hundred and twenty feet high. Towers must be high enough to allow the turbine to be above any turbulence generated by objects on the ground. The higher the altitude also results in higher wind speed and in turn, a higher amount of energy can be produced.

How do Wind Turbines Work?

Wind energy is used to create mechanical energy. Turbines have blades that are turned by the wind; these blades turn a shaft to which they are connected. The shaft is then connected to a generator; the mechanical energy is transferred into the generator through the shaft and converts the mechanical energy into electricity. This electricity can then be used in the home for any electrical need. Homes that are using wind turbines to produce power are still hooked up to the power grid. Being hooked up to the power grid allows the home to still have power when wind currents aren't strong enough to produce electricity. Another benefit of continuing to be connected to the power grid is that at the times your wind turbine is producing more power than your home can use, the utility company is absorbing the extra energy and paying you for it. This can lead to very low electric bills. A wind turbine can lower your power bill by 50-80% depending on the amount of wind in your area.

Types of Wind Turbines

There are two main types of turbines: horizontal- axis turbines and vertical-axis turbines. Turbines also come in different sizes as well. Utility companies use wind turbines that can range in size from 100 kilowatts up to several megawatts. These larger turbines are found in groups on wind farms. If you ever drive over the Temecula pass in California, you can see large wind farms along the highway. It is a spectacular site. Small turbines, 100 kilowatts or less, are used at homes. These are place on towers on the homeowner's property and then used to provide some of the energy needed to run the home. Since the size of the tower is quite large, they are usually used in areas where the home is on one acre or more. There are very small turbines on very small towers that may be able to be of use in urban areas or on smaller lots.

The Future of the Wind Turbine

In September of 2008, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that grants a one-year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit. If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives the tax credit would be available until December 2009. Wind power is a viable part of the solution to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels. Wind power is a renewable resource and produces no harmful pollutants. The future looks bright for wind power and hopefully, as a result, there will be a bright future for our planet too.

Detlef runs Wind Power Savings, where you can learn more about saving energy in your home.
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Wind Turbine Generators.

So, how does a home wind turbine make power?

A home wind turbine makes power by spinning a generator. The generator is attached to the rotor, made up of three aerodynamic blades, that is then attached to a tower. To keep the turbine facing the wind, the rotor has a tail, that acts as a weather vain.

The generator is basically an electric motor. As the coils in the motor spin past the magnets, an electric current is produced. The power produced is stored in batteries, which are connected to an inverter to change the direct current to alternating current, which can then be used to power your home. The advancement of motor efficiency, is the reason wind turbines have become so popular for home use.

Depending on your area's wind conditions, the tower can vary in length. If you live near the sea where it is windy, the tower can be shorter, but in low-wind areas the tower needs to be taller to catch as much wind possible.

Over time the blades have improved drastically as researchers developed lighter, stronger, more efficient blades, with the capability of turning even in the lightest breeze. Back in the day, wind turbines had five blades, and looked similar to windmill water pumps, but recently they have moved to three blades, taking the form of over-sized airplane rotors. Like the tower, the blades vary in size, according to your wind conditions and energy requirements.

While so far we have been explaining the typical horizontal axis wind turbine, there is another design that is starting to gain popularity for small-scale projects. It is the vertical axis wind turbine or VAWT. Very different to the standard horizontal axis turbine, the VAWT spins on a vertical axis, and almost looks like a waterwheel put on its side. Since the VAWT tends to operate low to ground, it needs far more wind to make it turn efficiently, so it is not the ideal option for homeowners or small businesses. The VAWT has also been accused by ecologists of interrupting and harming various migratory birds, making it less attractive for green enthusiasts.

Before going out and installing a wind turbine, it is best to ask yourself the following questions:

- How big is the property?

Wind turbines generally operate better in large areas that cover an acre. This is because wind flow is not deflected by any nearby buildings.

- What is the average wind speed?

The recommended wind speed should be at least eleven miles per hour, but if that isn't the case then you may have to use a taller tower and larger blades to catch higher altitude winds.

- What else can I use the wind turbine for?

If you could use the turbine for other purposes, such as pumping in water from outside, then it may be useful than you think. This is the reason you see so many windmills scattered over farms - they help pump water from reservoirs to the farmhouse.

- Does my house need a constant power supply?

This is why so many people want to get a small wind turbine in the first place - to keep the house powered during blackouts, and prevent economic losses. Although the wind turbine may not power the house all the time, it's stored power can be used in emergencies, when the utilities are just not enough.

Answering these questions will give you a good idea of how much power you need, how big the tower a blades need to be, and how much it would be worth investing to start making your own power at home.

The great thing about technology is that it is always improving. So much so that motors have become smaller, efficient and cheap enough for us to attach a few small turbines right on the roof, and produce the same power as a larger turbine on a tall tower.

Although professional home wind turbines can run into several thousands of dollars, it is possible to make your own for a tenth of the price, with components found at home and your local hardware store. Furthermore, the U.S. offers both state and federal tax credits that you can use to offset the installation cost. So not only will you reduce your electricity bill, but also your tax at the same time.

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to make your own home wind turbine, get off the grid and save thousands on your electricity bills, then try Earth4Energy for free before you start any renewable energy project.
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Wind Turbine Generators.

Wind Turbine Generators.

Below we shall discuss each of the three points explained above in more detail, outlining the factors relating to each.

Wind turbines only generally work to their full potential in very few areas. To gain an efficient use of a turbine, you should do some in depth research and a site survey into how sustainable your environment is to support a wind turbine. For efficient placement of a wind turbine, you need to look into the average annual wind speed and direction. There are many references available to explain what speed the wind must be for different sized turbines. Wind direction is only a factor which relates to which position your place your turbine in, yet many modern small home turbines are very mobile and you can usually twist them to face the direction you prefer.

It will be well worth your time to browse the market looking for alternative renewable energy sources. This mainly depends on your budget, but solar panels are a very popular choice as either an addition, or a total replacement for a wind turbine. Solar panels generally offer you a greater pound per watt, and are also generally more efficient for home power production.

Deciding which technology is the best value for money, also ties in with the environment factor. You need to do research and decide which of the renewable energy sources is most in abundant in your region, for example if you live on a small island off the coast of northern Scotland, then you would more than likely choose a home wind turbine as you are exposed to strong winds, but if you live in the center of England (where wind speeds are usually quite low), you may opt for a solar panel.

So, as we can see here, many factors will decide on the right natural energy source for you. If you can afford to integrate renewable energy production methods into your home, it is strongly suggested, considering the current situation with global warming, that you make an attempt to install these more environmentally friendly appliances.

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Wind Turbine Generators.