Solar power is what many people think of when they consider "alternate" or, "renewable" energy - not wind turbine power. That's because there are many different solar power items out there - from battery chargers to power for your home. Wind energy has been rapidly gaining on solar though. It is rapidly becoming the alternate energy supply of choice in many areas of the world.
Until recently, wind's problem has been that it was expensive to install and had to be located only in areas with very high average wind speeds. Like any new technology, as early adopters have bought-in, the prices of the equipment have come down.
Now, however, there are many models out there that will function very well in very low-wind environment. There are also many wind systems that can even be mounted on roofs that accommodate the more turbulent winds found there.
There are 3 trends that are contributing to the popularity of wind turbine power:
1. Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines
These are different than the traditional horizontal-axis turbines we're used to seeing. For one thing, they have a very small footprint. They can easily be mounted on a roof, instead of having to be mounted on a tower hundreds of feet high.
In fact, you could potentially have an array of vertical wind turbines working for you out there without risking damage to your roof. Because of their vertical orientation, the normal stresses on the underlying structure that accompany a horizontal-axis turbine are not as significant. Therefore, you can have multiple vertical-axis turbines connected and supplying power in a very small space.
Due to the smaller footprint and ease of installation, the Return on Investment comes way down. Projects that would have never worked if a tower were needed are now becoming economically feasible.
2. Low Cut-In Speed Turbines
Cut-in speed is the wind speed when rotor blades begin to turn and make power. Traditionally, horizontal-axis turbines have required at least 6-8 mph, but now some wind turbines begin making power at 2 mph.
This is done through very light weight rotor blade material and high lift aerodynamic design aspects. When the blades start turning at 2 mph, the area of the world that can benefit from a wind turbine expanded dramatically.
3. Government and Utility Sponsorship
Tax credits from local, state, and federal government have been just the prescriptive tip of the dominoes the industry needed to get sales moving.
High initial production costs have kept all but the earliest of adopters from buying their first home windmills.
Now, a combination of these credits and incentives from local utilities can bring down the first cost of a wind turbine down dramatically.
Wind turbine power is accelerating quickly when compared with other forms of energy - fossil fuel driven and renewable. In the next few years more and more people will be taking part in wind energy because it is FREE and inexhaustible.