Wind Power Generators. Do you love them, hate them or are they just there? Or even not there? Have you ever really thought about them – what they are, how they do what they do, are they any use to anybody? A lot of the big (and also the not-so-big) power generating companies around the world are starting to see them as a truly viable “free” source of cheap, renewable energy.

Free energy? Well, there is still the question of paying for them in the first place, but once that has been done and the units have been installed, the only thing necessary is periodic maintenance – the same as with anything. Sure, for the large units this can be quite a chore and a cost – but when the cost is measured in terms of the “free” energy being obtained from them, that cost is relatively cheap.

But what about the ordinary man-in-the-street - just like you and me? At the moment, all we are doing is paying for these things, just the same as we are for energy created by any other means – coal (still used in some parts of the world), hydro, nuclear, solar, tidal, whatever. The average power consumer like you and me just keeps on paying for it.

But what if – IF – you could have your own “free” power generating system? Not as big as the power companies of course, but what if you could create your own little power generating system and get “free” power yourself – just as “free” as the big boys get it?

Is it possible?

Yes – it certainly is possible. There are a lot of different designs that have been produced over the years for wind powered generators. The requirements are fairly basic.

1.    a reasonably reliable supply of wind. You may think that requires being out in the wide-open countryside on top of a large hill exposed to all of the weather elements. Certainly that would be a good place for wind power and it is a typical place that a larger power company would choose if they could. But how many times have you been walking around a built-up urban area (a town, city or even your local village), walked around a corner and thought “that wind is strong”. Often that “wind” is movement of the air caused by vehicles, people or the positioning of a building enhancing or multiplying any existing air movement. The point is that you should not immediately dismiss your location without investigating it first. Get a cheap wind speed meter (it does not have to be a complete weather station) and monitor the wind where you live. Put it on a post – move the post around your property and see what position will give you the most wind. That information will help you to determine the best place to put your generator. However, you may find  that there is too much wind turbulence for a wind powered system to be practical. It is better to find that out now, rather than later.

2.    an electrical generator. Most people think of these as noisy petrol or diesel powered machines, but in this case you will be using wind as the driving power – not a petrol or diesel engine.

3.    batteries. You cannot guarantee when the wind will blow or for how long or how strong it will be. With some storage batteries, you will be able to store the excess energy and use it when the wind dies away. Of course you are only going to be able to store a certain amount of energy in these batteries and they will not power every electrical item that you have, but it is amazing just how much you can run off some of these wind power generator systems. Look around – I have been told that it is possible to get batteries very cheaply. Apparently in some places, it is even possible to get free batteries (but not where I am)!

The big advantage of these wind power generators is that they are not restricted by the time of the day or by the time of the year. Some other systems such as solar power do not work very well in the dark or do not work as effectively at some times of the year. Depending on your location, you may have a plentiful supply of wind all year round – both day and night.

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