| True Costs of Wind Turbines |
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| Environment - Environment |
| Written by Brian Bradley |
| Friday, 19 June 2009 07:04 |
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The cost of a wind turbine is a vital consideration, but it is rarely answered by the currently available information sources.
The cost of a wind turbine is a vital consideration, but it is rarely answered by the currently available information sources. Some say that you could do it for under $50, but this is tough unless you happen to have lots of spare metal and other hardware at your house already. What materials will you need and what will they cost? Here's a quick overview: 1) First, you need a generator - try to get a 30-40 vdc one on eBay for between $30 and $50. This will work well at lower wind speeds as well. 2) Sheet metal for the construction of the tail and body is available online or at the store for around five dollars. 3) You'll need PVC pipe to make the rotor blades for your wind turbine - this is available for around $10, either online or at the hardware store. 4) To attach the blades of your wind turbine to the motor, you need a "hub" - either make it yourself from circular metal alloy, or buy it at your hardware store for $10. 5) Now you need a shaft (or "tower") to support your wind turbine - for this, you can pick up an old satellite TV tower or purchase other materials for around $10. 6) A deep-cycle battery for energy storage can be purchased online for around ten dollars, but you can probably get one free at a golf course or forklift distributor that may have old batteries. 7) A charge controller to protect your battery from the elements is also a good idea - expect to spend about $25. 8) You'll also need a dump load to dispose of "extra" energy - use an old water heater or back-up battery pack for this, so it doesn't cost you anything. 9) If you're using the wind turbine to power your appliances, you'll need an AC inverter - around $50 to $75 depending on your power requirements. 10) You need hardware to attach the blades to the hub and tools such as screwdrivers, sockets, a grinder, a jigsaw and sandpaper. If you dont have any hardware or tools already, allow about $10.00 for purchases at the hardware store. Taken together, all these parts might cost you between $160 and $225 - or you could go even lower if you already have a few of these parts on-hand. About the Author: Brian Bradley is the Founding Author of DIY Clean Energy, where he writes about wind turbine costs and how to build wind power, based on his own success going green and cutting his utility bill. |