Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Things that Influence Output from a Wind Turbine

By John Ashbury

When you are considering installing a wind powered system for your energy needs there are certain important factors that you should bear in mind, as they influence the way your system will work. Although some people opt for solar energy sometimes wind energy is the smarter option.

The average wind speed is a factor that is a big influence on how much electricity that can be produced from a wind turbine. The more wind speed that you have then the higher the production of electricity will be. This means two things.

You will need to take into account the amount of wind that you receive where you live. If you receive lots of wind and often that wind is strong, you will know that using a wind powered system, or wind turbine, would be the smart choice for your energy needs. However, if you live in an area that does not experience much wind then you will not be able to generate much energy from the wind turbine.

The size of the rotor is another contributing factor. Small rotors might cost less but they are not going to be able to create and store much energy. That defeats the purpose of a wind turbine. It makes far more sense to spend the extra money and buy a rotor that is as large as you can afford as this will produce far greater energy output for your home. Cost should not be a contributing factor in this instance.

The height of the tower is another factor that makes a big difference of how much output of electricity you receive from your wind turbine. This is because a wind turbine collects strong gusts of wind to convert into energy. Slow movements of air up to 10 mph don't mean anything. The stronger winds are higher in the air and not so close to the ground. To get the most electricity you need to have a tall tower to capture the higher wind speeds. This will allow for more wind to be caught in the turbine.

Although you might be considering choosing to use solar power you need to remember that those systems are dependent upon the sun. If you live in a place where there are not many days of sunshine per year that system will not be the choice you should make. Even if you do experience enough sunshine, other factors can still prevent the system from working adequately, such as clouds, rain, snow and even debris. Also, most solar systems have panels which require electricity in order to operate.

Wind turbines, on the other hand, only require wind and the wind blows irrespective of where you live. The chance of you living somewhere where there is never wind is highly unlikely.

There are many things that are big influences on the amount of electricity that can be generated and stored with a wind turbine system. This type of system relies on these things to be able to function properly and put out the most electricity possible. When these factors are met then you have a very good wind turbine. These include a high average speed of wind often, a big rotor diameter, and a tall tower that stands at least 75 feet.

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