Homemade Wind Power and What It can do for You

If you want to harness the power of the wind to generate your own electricity for your home I have good news and bad news. The good news is that homemade wind power really is a viable option.  The bad news is it may not do as much as you'd hoped it would.

Converting wind power into electricity is done by using a wind turbine, once the energy is converted into electricity it can than be sent to the grid to be used or stored in batteries for later use.

If you want to use wind power at home you will need a turbine. To get a turbine you have two options: buy one, or make one.

One thing to take into consideration, especially if you are going the more expensive route of buying one, is how long you plan on living in your house.  Buying a wine turbine for home use is going to be pretty pricey.  If you're planning on staying in your home for many years you'll have time to recoup that investment.

If, on the other hand, you're planning on moving in a year or two you won't have saved enough on your utility bills in that time to get your money back. 

There is another option, an option where it doesn't really matter how long you stay in your home.  You can build your own turbine.  The cost will be dramatically less than buying one, less than $200 for all the parts, yet you will still benefit from the same amount of savings on your utility bills, up to 80%.

Another thing you have to keep in mind is that one wind turbine won't be enough to provide all the electricity your home needs, though it will supply around 60% of what you need.

You can buy a turbine or build your own and you will see significant savings on your utility bills no matter which option you choose.  You'll just see it sooner if you lower your initial investment by building your own homemade wind power.

How To Get Electricity From Wind

Saving money and saving the environment seem to be on most everyones mind these days.  The great thing is you can do both at the same time.  There is an inexpensive way that you can get electricity from wind and you can do it all right at home.

Many people are becoming aware that they can use a wind turbine to capture the energy of the wind and convert it into electricity.  More and more of these turbines are popping up in backyards all over the country.

Unless you have very deep pockets, and/or plan on staying in your house for 10 or more years, buying a turbine most likely wouldn't be the best way for you to go.  They are expensive and it will take you a long time to recoup that investment.

It is a good idea, however, to build your own turbine. The technology has advanced to the point where turbines can be small enough to fit in your backyard yet still be able to generate enough electricity to cover around 60% of your household needs.

By building your own you get the best of both worlds: low initial cost (you therefore can recoup your money much more quickly, usually in a matter of months), and the ability to save upwards of 80% on your utility bills.

If you decide to build your own turbine there are three basic steps you need to take:

1. Buy a manual that will show you how to build it in easy step by step directions.

2. Purchase the parts you will need to assemble your turbine. These parts can be bought at your hardware store for around $200.

3. Set aside a day or two to assemble your turbine. 

That's it.  You're done.   You now have a way to get electricity from wind and save a lot of money on your utility bills for years to come.

Going Green And Saving Money, Can I Do Both?

I know a lot of people are concerned with the environment and would like to help by going green.  I also know that a lot of people are struggling financially and think that it would cost too much money to go green.  The truth is that there are many things you can do to help the environment that will also save you money.

One of the best places to start is at home,  simple changes there can save you a lot of money.

One of the biggest expenses of most homes is the utility bill.  Heating and cooling a house are where most of the utility budget gets spent.  That's why it makes sense to target these areas in your efforts to save money and be environmentally responsible.

To save money on your heating and cooling costs the first step is to make sure you only heat and cool your house, not the outside.  To do this you want to make sure you have adequate insulation as well as plug any cracks and gaps around windows and doors.

Another way to save money is to make sure your heating and cooling unit is working at peak performance. Have it inspected annually by a HVAC professional, and keep the filters clean by changing them at least monthly during heating season.

Adding a programmable thermostat is another way of saving money since you are only paying to keep your house toasty during the hours you are home. 

And last, but not lest, consider investing a few hundred dollars and building your own wind turbine.  It's easy to do, it's cheap, and it can generate up to 60% of the electricity you'll need for your home. That's 60% less you'll have to pay for.

Going green is easy.  Just follow one or more of the tips above and start today.

Easy Ways To Cut Energy Bills

Even though summer is almost over there's no need to panic.  Cry yes, panic no.  Last year many of us were wondering how we were going to pay our utility bills: incomes were falling and energy prices were rising.  This year things are a little more stable but we still want to know how to cut energy bills.

The good news is that it doesn't take huge actions to cut your bills.  While it's true the bigger steps you take the bigger savings you'll get.  But even if you're not in a position to take the big steps even small things can help you save.

So here is a list of some of the things you can do, big and small, to start saving on your energy bills. These savings will last long beyond this upcoming winter and could add up to thousands of dollars in savings.  Some of these things may even make you eligible for a tax credit of up to $1,500.

1. Add insulation to your attic.  This one thing can dramatically cut the amount of air you've paid to heat escaping to the outside.  Find out the proper 'R' value for your area.

2. Keep your furnace in top condition by having it inspected annually by a qualified professional. Also make sure to change the filters at least monthly.

3. Get insulated curtains or blinds to keep the heat loss from windows to a minimum.

4. Let the sun shine in.  On sunny winter days the sun coming into your home can help heat it.  Make sure you close the curtains after the sun goes down to help keep the cold air out.

5.  Try to cut your dependence on your utility company. Install your own solar panels and/or wind turbine.

These things are just a start, but they can still help you cut energy bills this winter and for many years to come.

Home Renewable Energy

Now that the technology has advanced to the point where home renewable energy such as solar power and wind power, are viable options, it's time to get going and cash in on the savings available by using these green energy sources.

Both solar and wind power have been around for a long time.  I imagine many people are more familiar with solar power for home use than they are for wind power.  After all, we've been seeing solar panels on our neighbors roofs for a decade at least.

Wind power, at least for home use, is a newer trend.  Of course we've seen windmills forever and we've even been seeing huge wind farms for a long time, it was pretty rare to see a small, home sized wind turbine in someone's back yard or on their roof.

The reason for that was due largely to the fact that the technology wasn't yet good enough to create enough electricity from such a small turbine.  When it comes to wind power bigger is not only better, it's a necessity.

Now that technology has advanced enough to make smaller wind turbines a reality (even though they're small they can still be worthwhile because they can generate a reasonable amount of electricity) it might be time you considered getting your own. 

With wind power and solar power you can build your own turbine and panel respectively.  Especially in the case of wind power that is the preferred way to go because purchasing a turbine simply isn't cost effective.  It would take you a very long time to recoup that investment.

Anyone can build their own home turbine all you need is a manual to follow, about $200 worth of parts, and a few days of your time.

Even though the investment is small the potential savings is not.  Most people are reporting a savings of around 80% on their electricity bills.

So start today to take full advantage of home renewable energy by using wind power, solar power, or a combination of both and you'll save thousands for years to come.

Cut Energy Bills- In 3 Easy Steps

In this article I have provided a list of items you can do to cut energy bills this winter.  Just think of this as a checklist that you can go through one by one.  Some of the items listed are very simple and inexpensive to do, but will still save you some money, others, are far more elaborate and will save you a lot of money.

1.  Have a professional HVAC inspection done on your furnace.  Your furnace is just like your car in that if it isn't tuned up properly it will work harder to run and will burn more fuel. 

Replacing your filters monthly is one inexpensive way to help your furnace run more efficiently.

2. Inspect your fireplace.  Make sure there are no obstructions in your chimney.  Have it cleaned by a professional if you use it a lot, at least once a week. 

Install a wire cap on the top of the chimney to prevent birds from building nests in it.

3. Add insulation to your attic.  This is the place where a lot of energy gets wasted.  As you know, hot air rises.  If your attic isn't properly insulated all the air you've paid to heat will just rise up and out of your house.

4. Either replace leaky doors and windows are at least add some caulk and/or an insulated window kit to prevent heat loss.

5. Install insulated curtains that you can close at night to keep heat from escaping.  Make sure to keep them open during the daytime so the heat from the sun can help heat your house.

6. Consider generating your own electricity by building a wind turbine for your home.  This easy 1 day project will only cost about $200 but can save up to 80% on your electricity costs.

Use this checklist and do one, or more, of these projects before winter hits.  That way you can cut energy bills this season which will give you more money to do other things...like go somewhere warm!

All You Need To Know About DIY Wind Power

Installing a wind turbine for your home is a very realistic way for you to save money on your electric bills.  Even one small home sized wind turbine can generate around 60% of the energy you'll need for your home use.  This article will give you and overview of everything you need to know about DIY wind power.

The first thing you need to be aware of is that if you're not planning on doing it yourself but rather you're planning on buying a turbine, the cost will be dramatically higher so it will take you much longer to recoup your initial investment.

If you build your own turbine the cost will be a fraction of that to purchase one so you can recoup your investment much more quickly.  On average purchasing a turbine will cost around $600 and up, but building your own will only be around $200.  As you can see, the difference is significant. 

It doesn't matter if you build or buy, you will still be able to generate the same amount of electricity, 60% of your daily needs on average. A 'store' bought turbine won't generate any more electricity than one you've built.

To build your own turbine you will need to purchase a manual that can easily illustrate all the steps.  You don't have to be a carpenter or have any particular skills in order to build your turbine.

All the parts you need for building a turbine can be found locally and will only cost around $200. For most people it will only take a day or so to build a turbine.

It is important to note that one turbine won't allow you to completely supply all your electrical needs.   In order to do that you'd need several turbines or combining your turbine with other sources of energy such as solar.

DIY wind power is not only feasible, it's inexpensive and will provide you with a high return on investment.

What Are The Best Renewable Energy Sources?

Now that many of us are starting to re-think how we get and use our energy, people are starting to ask questions.  One of the most common is about different types of renewable energy sources and which one is the best.

I'm not sure that you can really say one type is 'the best' across the board.  They all have their pros and cons.  To some extent which type of energy source you choose will depend on where you live.

Another factor is how much electricity you want your energy source to generate.  For the purpose of this article we're going to stick with solar and wind power. 

These are probably two of the most common, cost effective forms of green energy for individual household use today.  Technology will to continue to advance and make converting the energy from the sun and wind and then storing it for later use, even more efficient.

Even so both of these forms of energy are viable right now for household use. 

You've no doubt seen solar panels on rooftops before.  This is simply a way of gathering the energy of the sun where it can be converted into electricity and stored for later use.

Solar energy is great for certain parts of the country that get a lot of sunny days, but it still won't work at night so basically about 12 hours  out of every day you won't be generating energy with solar panels.

Wind turbines can provide around 60% of your household needs daily with just one turbine.  You can build your own for very little money and with no special skills.

Of course a wind turbine needs wind to generate electricity.

Both solar and wind power have their advantages and disadvantages.  For many people combining both types of renewable energy sources is the best option.  No matter which you choose the important thing is that you start using green sources of energy right now.

Easy Ways To Cut Energy Bills This Winter

Old man winter is getting ready to breathe down our necks again, even though fuel costs aren't quite as astronomical as they were last winter, we still don't want to spend more than we have to.  The good news is that there are simple things you can do to cut energy bills.

Just look through the flier from your local hardware store and you will be inundated with ideas of inexpensive ways to winterize your home so that the air you've paid to heat isn't escaping to the outside.

Here are a few places you can start that will help you make a dent in your utility bill, not just this winter but all year long:

1. Have your furnace inspected by a professional to make sure it's running at peak performance.  Also don't forget to change the filters monthly.

2. Add a programmable thermostat, that way your home can be nice and warm while you're home but the temperature can be lowered automatically when you're not there which will save money.

3. Add insulation to your attic.  You can also add an insulated blanket to your water heater.  There are foam insulating products made specifically for pipes and behind electrical outlets too.

4. If you can afford it, replace old, drafty windows and doors, you might even be eligible for a tax credit.  If you can't afford to replace your windows you can buy a window insulating kit to help prevent heat loss.

5. Use wind power and build your own wind turbine.  Don't laugh, this is very easy, and cheap, to do.  Anyone can do it and it can save you 80% on your electric bills.

If you want to cut energy bills this winter just follow one, or all, of the steps listed above.  The savings can be significant and with the money you save maybe you can take a trip to someplace warm!

How Can I Benefit From Wind Power?

Windmills have been around a very long time.  People have been harnessing wind power and putting it to work for them long before the technology we have today was available.  Thanks to the advances we've made we can not only use the wind too, we can use it much more effectively.

While the huge wind farms with the gigantic turbines have been around in the U.S. for a while now, it's only been fairly recently that the technology has advanced to the point where we can convert the energy of the wind into electricity more efficiently therefore making smaller scale turbines feasible for home use.

Before you go out and buy a windmill though, there are some things you need to keep in mind. For one thing, you have to decide if you want to buy a turbine or build your own.  Just keep in mind that buying one will be expensive and will therefore take you longer to recoup the investment.

On the other hand, you can build your own simply and inexpensively without sacrificing the amount of electricity you will generate.  Either option, buying or building, will allow you to generate around 60% of the electricity your home needs daily.  That will add up to about an 80% savings on your electric bill.

Multiply that savings by every month for the next ten years, or so, and you can see that the savings is going to be huge, well worth the investment particularly if you've built your own unit and have much less 'start up' cost.

If you build your own turbine for $200 you can probably recoup the savings in a month or two, whereas if you've bought one for a few thousand dollars it could take up to a few years to recoup that amount.

So, yes, you really can benefit from wind power.  The only real question is how fast do you want to recoup your investment?