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The vertical axis windmill may be just the breakthrough needed to make real progress toward bringing wind generated electricity to the average home owner. It is no secret that the cost of just about all forms of energy has been rising at an unprecedented rate. Yet, we are surrounded by so much clean, free wind energy that just goes to waste day after day.
Homemade power plants for generating electricity, whether using vertical axis windmill designs or the more familiar horizontal axis type, are not exactly a new concept. But, one of the biggest reasons that they have not been utilized by more homes is that they are just too expensive. New commercial systems can cost from $8,000 to well over $20,000 to purchase and install.
The Make-Your-Own-Windmill Movement Solved The Price Problem
Along came inexpensive and sometimes even free materials including the Low cost DC motors necessary for generating power. This, along with good windmill plans for making simple but effective horizontal axis windmills, has forced the cost down to about $200 with an investment payback range from only a few weeks to a few months. (Horizontal axis windmills look like a large airplane propeller).
Horizontal Axis Home Windmills Are Effective But With Some Public Relation Problems
These horizontal wind turbines are very effective for taking a huge chunk out of electric bills but there are still a few nagging problems that have been left for vertical windmills to solve. Windmills sometimes face resistance in neighborhoods where the homes are relatively close together. So much so that in some cases zoning boards have disallowed these projects. The typical worries have to do with noise, appearance and blade safety in high winds.
Vertical Axis Windmill Designs To The Rescue
The vertical axis windmill is designed so that its wind catching blades spin around an axle that is vertical as opposed to the popular horizontal airplane propeller style of windmills. The Advantages Of The Vertical Windmill Design Over The Horizontal Axis type are as follows:
1. The vertical windmill generates more electricity with less wind. It can be 50% more efficient in generating electricity because it captures wind from all directions with out having to shift to face a change of wind direction.
2. Quieter
3. Safer in high winds
4. More esthetically pleasing because the blades can be designed artfully for blending into the surrounding environment
5. Birds are much less likely to fly into this windmill design
6. Easier and safer to maintain because the electrical generator is located at ground level.
7. Solves many of the typical residential windmill concerns in neighborhoods with homes located relatively close to each other.
It all Starts With A Clear Plan
There has never been a better time for building a home windmill. The need to slash the cost of electricity has never been at such a high level. The necessary strong but light-weight technology in the form of inexpensive or even free materials is readily available. And importantly, there are now some excellent illustrated instruction manuals written by authors willing to share their successful hands-on experience in building horizontal or vertical axis windmills.
Be sure to read my detailed reviews of some of the top homemade windmill plans. Learn which guides are excellent and which ones to avoid. Just follow these links: http://www.wind2electricity.net/Home-Made-Power-Plant-Review.html and http://www.wind2electricity.net/Earth4Energy-Review.html
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