All this while, I have been writing about Do It Yourself home solar energy system on this blog. I thought of changing the topic slightly and write on another renewable energy source…the wind.

Couple of weeks ago, I wrote on how to build a DIY solar panel for less than $200. In actual fact, it can be done for less than $100, but you have to spend a lot of time sourcing for cheap solar cells.

It is the same case with a home built wind generator. You can really get the project cost down if you are willing to spend the time to source for the parts and building material.

The list below is a cost breakdown of a home wind turbine that I got from a very popular residential renewable energy guide.

Just in case you can’t see the list, let me break it down for you.

1) Motor / Generator from Ebay – $26.00

2) Miscellaneous pipe fittings from a hardware store – $41.49

3) Pipe for blades from a hardware store – $12.84

4) Miscellaneous hardware – $8.00

5) Conduit – $19.95

6) Free wood and aluminum from scrap pile – $0

7) Power cable from an old extension – $0

8) Rope and turnbuckles which are already at hand – $0

9) Electric parts from hardware store – $18.47

10) Existing paint – $0

11) Relay from auto parts store – $13.87

The total for of a domestic wind generator with 11 items is $140.62. Well, I guess it’s fair to add couple of dollar for the items that you do now have laying around in your garage.

Remember, the project costing above excludes the home battery storage system. Sourcing and setting up the battery bank is a different project all together.

As you can see, the most expensive portion of a domestic wind generator is in the pipe for blades and miscellaneous pipe fittings. The heavy duty PVC pipe forms the blade structure to capture the kinetic energy of the wind.

The second most costly component is the motor or electric generator. To be fair, the actual cost for the motor will vary.

According to the author of the manual, we can find relatively inexpensive electric generator from Ebay. The trick is to know what type of motor to look for.

There are a couple of criteria you have to follow when sourcing for motor in Ebay. You should look a generator that have:

1) High DC Voltage

2) High current

3) Low Revolution Per Minute (RPM) rating

It is recommended to look for permanent magnet alternators. However, they are usually more expensive but there are designed for wind turbine use.

Finally, the 3rd largest cost in a residential wind generator system is for controlling the power from the electric generator. That is the electronic parts for the charge controller and relay.

Regulating a battery storage for home DIY power generator is a tricky process. Too much power and it will damage the deep cycle batteries. Too little and you will not have enough electricity to run your home electrical appliance.

If you are planning to power your home with wind, you will need the charge controller to charge up the battery. When the batteries are fully charged, you will need a mechanism to dump the extra power on to a load.

Easy Wind Generator Plans

Remember the popular residential renewable energy guide that I got the wind generator construction cost above? It is actually the Power 4 Home e-book from John Russel.

According to John Russel, you can make your own wind power generator for $140 or less. The key is to know where and how to get inexpensive construction material. For more information, check out the Power 4 Home review on this blog.

Related web pages: 1) Electricity Generation Using Small Wind Turbines at Your Home or Farm

2) What do I need to know to purchase a residential wind turbine?

The residential wind energy industry is booming. The technology is slowly coming to age with better, more reliable machinery and a greater understanding of how and where to use wind energy for homes.

Due to rising energy cost and heightened concerns about our environment, many home owners are opting for renewable energy sources such as wind generator.

However, if you were to engage a professional contractor to build the wind generator, be prepared to invest up wards of $10,000. Some people do not have that kind of budget.

Alternative, many home owners are building their own residential wind power system via Do It Yourself (DIY) approach.

The following is a list of 5 essential components of a homemade wind energy system:

1) Generator.

The generator is one of the key components of the home wind turbine. The function of the generator is to take the kinetic energy from the spinning blades and converting it into Direct Current (DC).

The Direct Current can then be used to charge up a deep cycle battery. The power from the battery will then go to an inverter to change the DC to Alternate Current (AC). The power from the inverter can then be used to power our household electrical appliances.

2) Blades and hub.

The blades of a wind generator are another crucial element to the system. The function of the blades is to harness the potential energy of the wind and then transferring it into the hub.

The blades can be made from various types of material. The most common material for a homemade wind turbine is either PVC pipe or timber planks.

The best material to make the hub is aluminum due to its light weight.

3) Mounting.

The generator, hub and blades are all affixed on a mounting system. In order to make the blades face the direction of the wind, a piece of heavy aluminum sheet is attached to the back of the mount to act as a wind directional tail.

4) Tower.

The completed wind generator is to be placed high up on a tower. A minimum of 10 feet from the ground is recommended.

To make sure the town is sturdy, it has to be strung tight with steel cables anchored to 4 big wooden stakes on the ground.

5) Charge Controller.

The charge controller is where the cables from the turbine will be connected to. The main function of the charge controller to charge up a deep cycle battery. The controller will stop charging the battery when it is full. Overcharging will reduce the lifespan of the battery.

Another function of the charge controller is to prevent any backflow of current from the battery to the generator. Without the charge controller and when the blades are idle, the generator will slowly drain the power from the battery which took hours to charge.

Homemade Wind Generator For Under $100

Do you want to know how to make your own home wind generator for under $100? If you do, check out the “Build a Wind Generator Plans” manual from Les Oke.

Les Oke and his family have been living off the grid for more than 15 years. He will show you step-by-step how to building an inexpensive residential wind power system on his guide.

==> Click here to read more about Build a Wind Generator Plans now!

Interesting web site:

1) www.windturbines.net is positioned to be the largest social network for the wind turbine community where the public and profession can come together to get advice, share ideas and network for career advancement.

Here’s a video of home wind turbine in the UK. It is a new wind turbine being tested in the Midland areas. The goal is to get the results to help green energy companies to produce better design in order to produce more electricity from the wind generator.

The wind turbine was imported from Holland and setup in a test site in Shropshire, UK.

One thing is certain, the wind turbine cost 3500 pound sterling and it could provide one third of the electricity power needed for year.

There’s a disclaimer though, you have to live in a rural countryside area where the wind is strong and constant. Check out the video below.

Related web sites: 1) Earth 4 Energy & Power 4 Home Review

2) Power 4 Home Review – A Complete Review of John Russel Power4Home

3) Power 4 Home Scam – Is Power4Home Just Another Scam?

Other related web sites: