Kevin Harcourt – Center for Alternative Fuels

By: James Bratley
You may have seen the many different small home wind turbines you are able to purchase in the shops, yet you may be undecided whether one of these small scale wind turbines is for you. Before purchasing a turbine, you should do some research regarding; can your environment make a turbine efficient enough, what alternative energy sources can you harness, and which technology is the best value for money.

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.

http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/wind_turbines.html