There is a lot of noise out in the ether now about wind turbine purchasing for the home. You would think that would lead to making things clearer for us buyers. Not the case. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there. The same unit can literally cost multiple thousands of dollars different.
There are 2 myths regarding wind turbine purchasing that most folks believe that I would like to put to rest:
1. The roof is always the best place for wind energy systems
2. You can put up a wind turbine anywhere you want on your own land Our first myth (your roof is where it's at for wind) is an interesting one.
There are a lot of options developing for locating a wind turbine on your roof because they are easy to install.
There is a lot of wind up there and if you select a place to mount your turbine carefully, you can definitely create some power there. But, it is not ideal. The best wind is always found above the tree line. That's where the wind is unobstructed and blows the strongest.
The wind on your roof is turbulent. That can be a problem for certain types of wind turbines, like horizontal-axis, due to their design employing a tail that seeks the predominant wind.
Turbulent or chaotic wind can be an acceptable source of power though. You have to take Roof Effect into account. Roof Effect is an aerodynamic principal that dictates that the eve of the roof as the best place to locate a windmill. That's because the wind accelerates up to 3 times its initial velocity as it travels up the slope of the roof.
Our second myth - that it is wise to check with your local political jurisdiction to see what the limits are on mounting a wind turbine on your property. It would be an unmitigated mess if you were to buy the turbine THEN find out it wasn't allowed or at least restricted in some way.
Although wind turbines are very popular in the press, they are not universally accepted. Your adventure into the exciting world of wind turbine purchasing could be a wreck if you were to buy something before you check this out.
Some of the reasons communities try to limit wind turbine installation, (even on private property), is that they have been known to endanger local migrating bird populations if they are in their path of flight. Many times they aren't outright forbidden, they just require a permit and have to be limited in height.
In summary, there is no paint by the numbers with wind turbine purchasing. You have to assess your specific local circumstances. Dig into the details and ignore the myths.
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