When one thinks of a home wind turbine, what most probably comes to mind is a gigantic tower with jumbo-jet sized spinning blades. But, with everyone becoming more aware of conserving energy, the technology has advanced so much that it is now possible to have your own small-scale wind turbine at home. Even better is the opportunity for us to make our own, without having to rely on the professionals.

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.

The tower is usually quite tall to help the blades catch as much wind as possible. But in open, windy areas, such as near the ocean, the tower can be a little lower.

The advancement of the blades has also come a long way. They are now, stronger, lighter, and more aerodynamic, helping them to turn in even the softest of winds. Before the improvements, most small turbines had five blades, but now they mainly have only three. And like the tower, the blades come in a variety of sizes, depending on the wind conditions and power needs.

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.

What you need to know before you buy a home wind turbine:

Size of your property:

Home wind turbines tend to work better in open areas expanding over an acre, where few nearby buildings can deflect the wind.

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.

Could the wind turbine be used for any other purpose?

The more uses you can think of for your wind power, the more attractive it will be to get one. Windmills have been used for centuries to pump water through irrigation systems, and farmers still use them today.

Do you suffer from random power cuts?

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 nice thing about technological developments is that the motor are becoming small and lighter. This make it possible to install to a few smaller wind turbine right on the roof, and make a similar amount of power to one larger home wind turbine.

While commercially available wind power kits can cost up to $100,000, you can learn to make your power for a fraction of the cost, with part and materials sourced at home and the nearby hardware outlet. Even better news is that the United States and other countries offer tax relief for green energy homeowners, so not only can you cut your electricity costs, but your tax expenses too.

Electricity is a wonderful thing without which much of modern life would be inconceivable. However, it can also be a significant expense, one which we usually assume we have no choice but to continue forking over our money to the utility companies for each month.

Especially if you have a large family, electricity costs can become a large part of your household budget. It’s hard to keep costs down and many even decide against purchasing new electronics because of the increased energy costs their use would involve.

There are also very good environmental grounds for wanting to reduce your energy usage. Most of the electricity which comes into our homes is made by burning fossil fuels; these are no-renewable energy sources and it is not at all unimaginable that some of you reading this right now may see a day when these fuels have been depleted. If you’re interested in protecting these finite resources, the best thing to do is not to use less energy, but use energy which comes from a different source.

You can use renewable, non polluting energy sources to reduce your household’s carbon footprint and save money on your bills at the same time. Solar and wind power plants are already up and running in some places and other alternative energy sources are in the works. At the moment, solar and wind present the most useful forms of alternative energy for the home user.

Your household could begin using these alternative energy sources to lower your dependence (and your bills) on the local utility companies, instead using environmentally friendly energy. For some homes, it may be possible to become completely energy independent and make electricity bills a thing of the past.

While solar power is a good alternative energy which is known to work well, it’s also far too expensive to be a realistic alternative for most people. Solar panels are not exactly cheap and if you want to power your home this way, you’ll need quite a few panels.

Wind turbines are a more viable option for most of us. You can build your own wind turbine from parts which are easy to find and inexpensive. The materials you need can be bought online or from your local recycler. There are also a lot of different instructional manuals and even videos online which show you how to build your own wind turbine and begin powering your home with this clean, renewable energy source. If you have the necessary space, then you may be able to set enough turbines to power your entire home.

Wind turbines represent the future of electricity generation because homeowners have proved how effective they are and how much savings can be made as opposed to using fossil fuels. It also remains environmental friendly just like solar energy, but doesn’t have as many disadvantages regarding cost and usability.