When you think of wind energy these days it usually conjures up images of wind farms covering vast stretches of land, populated by enormous (and very expensive!) electricity generating wind turbines.
As is often the case with “alternative” technology such as wind energy, your perception of that technology is often shaped and limited by the information you are provided with.
Very often those sources of information have been to some degree manipulated to make that technology seem far more complicated and inaccessible than it really is.
Wind power electricity can not only be easily understood by the average person but it is also a relatively easy method by which the average home owner can supplement their household power needs very cheaply.
What are Wind Energy and Wind Power?
Wind energy is just energy provided by the motion of the wind and generally describes ways in which to convert that energy into a useable form.
Man has used wind energy to drive mechanical devices such as windmills and water pumps for centuries.
Wind power describes a method by which we use the energy of the wind (motion energy) to drive a device that converts that energy into electricity.
This conversion process is very simply explained.
If you send electricity into an electric motor the motor spins. This is the process of converting electrical energy into motion energy.
If you reverse the process and use motion energy to spin the shaft of the motor and hold on to the wires coming out of the motor you will feel electricity. This is just motion energy being converted into electricity.
The science behind this is quite simple.
Attached to the shaft of the motor are coils of (usually) copper wire and on the inner surface of the motor casing are magnets.
If you were awake during high school physics you may remember that when a magnet passes close to a copper coil there is an electrical charge created in the coil.
On the other hand if electricity is fed into the coil and the magnet is close by, the magnet will be pushed way from the coil.
This is really the only principle you need to understand regarding electric motors. Supply it with electricity and you get motion, supply it with motion and you get electricity.
Think about it this way. Your local wrecking yard, second hand shop or recycling center doesn’t just have a bunch of used electric motors lying about the place… they have a bunch of cheap electric generators lying about the place!
Obviously it is going to take a little more than picking up an electric motor to get yourself set up with a wind powered electricity generator in the backyard or on the roof.
However building, installing and connecting your own “do it yourself” wind power generator is much easier than you may think.
You can take a look at the video below to get an idea for yourself of just how easy it can be but before you do I want to explain why I have referred to that particular product.
The downside of home wind power generators is pretty obvious… no wind, no power!
The ideal situation would be to utilize the two most accessible green home energy solutions in combination with your existing electricity supply.
Those two solutions are wind power and solar power.
The Green DIY Energy system thoroughly covers both of these sources of energy within the one package unlike many others who are solely devoted to either wind power or solar power.
To get an idea of the solar aspect just click on one of the links in the menu to take a look at their solar power solutions.
Click Here to See the Green DIY Energy Wind Power Program
Click Here to See the Green DIY Energy Wind Power Program
