Building Your Own Residential Windmill Power System

A windmill is a device that captures wind energy and converts it into other types of energy. Wind powers rotating blades, making mechanical energy, which in turn produces electrical energy.

airbreeze1 Building Your Own Residential Windmill Power System

The windmill is a very useful machine in times of energy crisis. In the past, windmills were used to pump water, grind corn and towing boats. Only lately it has become a popular method to produce energy.

What are the basics for setting up a windmill?

There are two important basics for a windmill:

With today’s worldwide energy crisis, looking for alternative energy solutions makes a lot of sense. Especially on farms and in the countryside, windmills are a great option. Although it may not be the best solution in highly populated areas, even in larger cities, windmills are increasingly seen on the rooftops of apartment buildings and family houses.

• Ideally, the place where the solution is to be implemented should have an area of at least one acre. It is not advisable to set up a windmill in a smaller area as the windmill blades will not be able to capture enough wind power for the windmill to work. Having said that, accessible rooftops can work well in some circumstances.

• The average wind speed should approximately be 11 miles per hour. Where high rise buildings and towers block the wind, setting up is not recommended. The speed of wind should be consistent.

What are the main parts of a windmill?

You will need the following components to make a windmill:

• Blades: Typically made of wood or plastic, the blades are responsible for capturing the wind energy.

• Tower: The tower holds the system high enough to get most of the wind. They are generally made of hard material such as polyvinyl chloride.

• Shaft: Joining the blades to the tower, the shaft holds the blades and at the same time allows them to rotate freely.

• Base: The base holds the tower and the blades

How do you set-up a windmill?

There are several windmill kits in the market. It’s always advisable to consult an expert to choose the one that best suits your place and needs. If you would like to choose the components personally and set the windmill on your own, make sure you seek professional help; not getting the size of components right will make your windmill useless.

You can read how Michael Harvey, a renowned renewable energy enthusiast, has put together a great system that details how to build a windmill by clicking here.