Wind turbines are probably more popular then you realize. They are considered a great alternative to using fossil fuels. Because of this wind turbines are being used all over to help generate power. And the great thing is that making one of these for yourself is not very difficult at all. It is actually a fun project you can do with your children.
To get going you will need quite a few supplies. A wood dowel, a one inch diameter cork, wood blocks, wood glue, a 7 inch drinking straw and scissors just to name a few. There is a good chance you have some of these materials laying around in your shed. What you don’t have can be purchased at your local hardware store.
There are actually two types of wind turbines. The horizontal axis and the vertical axis. The horizontal axis is the more prevalent type. Windmills actually use wind turbines for power. With the horizontal axis the wind turbines work by facing the propeller blades into the wind. The vertical axis works somewhat the same way but there are different aspects. For instance the rotor shaft is vertical versus horizontal. And unlike horizontal axis, the vertical axis does not need to be facing the wind.
According to Tree Hugger wind turbines can run anywhere between $8,000 and $10,000. The cost will depend on several factors. The main one being the area of installation. And while that might seem pretty expensive, when you think of the potential savings it will quickly cancel that out. By using wind turbines you can save from $500 to $800 a year in electricity costs.
After a few short years you will have recouped the amount of money it cost to install it. The great thing about wind turbines is that you will never be without electricity. If there is no wind the electricity can automatically turn back to the normal electric company until there is enough wind.
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