How does home wind power work?

A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic (motion) energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.

In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) the minimum speed to spin the blades - there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, many utilities institute a policy called “net metering” whereby the extra electricity is sold back to the utility. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern, grid-connected residential wind system.

Small wind systems for remote (off-grid) applications operate somewhat differently and often charge batteries so electricity is available when the wind isn’t blowing.

There two basic types of wind turbine - Horizontal axis and vertical axis.

The images above only show one example of each basic type of wind turbine - engineering and aesthetic design can result in some very exotic looking turbines, but the principles of each type remain the same.  A horizontal axis wind turbine rotates horizontally and a vertical axis wind turbine spins vertically to generate power.  The two basic designs offer different advantages and one may be better suited for power generation depending on location.

Horizontal Axis

• Works best in straight-line wind with few or no obstructions to disturb wind flow.
• Can be elevated above tree-line with the use of a pole or tower, however, with altitude come increased maintenance challenges.
• Very common design, widely available.
• Small scale to very large scale, can generate a lot of power.

Vertical Axis 

• Able to take advantage of omnidirectional wind, so power generation is possible in areas where straight-line wind is obstructed by trees or buildings.
• Can operate at ground level - Does not necessarily require elevation.
• Because wind speeds increase with elevation, ground level vertical axis turbines require greater efficiency in design to achieve similar output to a less efficient horizontal axis turbine at higher elevation.

Links for more information:

Michigan DELEG - Wind and Solar Energy

Information from the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth,
including: programs, case studies, and publications about zoning, building
                  guides and more.

MSU Extension - Wind Power MSU Extension's goal is to provide landowners with information through workshops, this
website and on-farm consultations to provide them with a good basis for deciding whether
                  to include wind energy as part of their operations.

The Michigan Wind Institute The Michigan Wind Institute is a collaboration between OEM’s, utilities, universities,
government, and other interested parties to create and foster the wind industry in the state
                 of Michigan.

Green Coast

Great Lakes renewable and wind energy news and information blog.


Michigan Wind Energy Companies:

• ADCO Circuits - Control systems
• Ann Arbor Machine Co. - Gears and gear boxes
  
• Cascade Engineering - Maker of the Swift Turbine
• Citation Corporation - Machined, cast and forged components
• Cobasys - NiMH batteries
• Danotek Motion Technologies - 80kW to 3MW generators
  
• Dowding Machining - Utility scale turbine components
• Great Lakes Gear Technologies - Gears and gear boxes
• Hov-Aire Inc. - Rotor and blade fabrication
  
• K&M Machine Fabricating - Machined, cast and forged components
• Kaydon Corporation - Bearings
• Lake Effect Energy Corporation - Engineering and Installation
  
• Mariah Power - Maker of the vertical axis Windspire turbine
• Merrill Fabricators - Generators
• Moran Iron Works - Tower construction
• NSK Corporation - Gears and gear boxes
• Ricardo Engineering - Engineering and systems integration
  
• Rockford Berge - Utility scale wind farms
• Siemens VDO Electric Drives - Controls
• Steel Industries Inc. -  Machined, cast and forged components
• Su-Dan Corporation - Machined, cast and forged components
• Three M Tool & Machinery - Gear boxes and machined components
• Tool North Inc. - Machined, cast and forged components
• Trenton Forging - Machined, cast and forged components
  
• Triad Services Group - Machined, cast and forged components
• Wahoo Composites - Machined, cast and forged components

     Reading & Resources
   
     Science News for Kids - (Article) Power of the Wind
     U.S. Energy Information Administration - (Resources) Energy Kids - Wind power

     Hands-on Projects!

     Build your own Savonius Wind Turbine - Download the plans (PDF)
     Build a "Pico Deluxe" Wind Turbine - Download the plans (PDF)
     Kite Building - Links to many plans for building your own kite!
     Make a pinwheel (color) / (black and white) - Download the plans (PDF)
     Science Fair Projects (wind energy) - Links to many plans from Energy Quest

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