By A Renewable Energy Enthusiast

Is it really possible to live off the power grid by using a Do It Yourself (DIY) renewable energy sources? It is not impossible because many people have done it. One thing is for sure, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and you may also have to change your lifestyle.

Because you are living off the power grid and have limit power to use, your family lifestyle has to be changed to suit the limited power available.

A couple that I know which managed to live off the grid through their own personal effort is Les and Jane Oke from Canada. In fact, the Oke’s family has been living off the grid for more than 15 years using solar and wind energy.

Les has also written a couple of books on DIY home renewable energy system. One of it is how he managed to make a residential wind generator to supply the power needed for his home.

Les’ home wind generator plan is available from his web site at www.windplans.com. I have read few of Les’ books before and I thought of doing a quick review on his wind generator blueprints.

Have you wonder how much would a DIY home wind generator cost? How long would it take to make a home wind turbine? I have researched extensively on home solar power system, but my knowledge on wind generator is limited. Therefore, reading Les’ wind guide was really enlightening.

According to Les, a 1000 watt homemade wind generator can be built with as little as $100. However, there is a lot of preplanning to be done.

A home wind generator can be built by using old parts and components. Even the blades of the generator can be made from PVC pipes. The biggest challenge is to spend time sourcing for all the parts.

After reading Les Oke’s how to build a wind generator guide, I understand now what’s involved in making a system to harness to power of the wind. It is a simple process but it does require a lot of hard work.

If you don’t feel like doing all the work yourself, you can actually buy a readymade wind turbine from major hardware stores. But that will set you back a couple of hundred dollars.

Nonetheless, if you are a true DIY enthusiast, you can make the wind turbine all by yourself. What you need now is a good step by step instructional guide. Les Oke’s home wind generator guide will come very handy for you.

==> Click here to visit Les Oke’s web site!

A home wind generator system is very similar to a home solar power system. Instead of solar panels to capture the energy from the sun, a home wind generator uses a wind turbine to turn the kinetic energy of wind and converts it into Direct Current (DC). The video above shows how a typical residential wind power system will look like. The turbine is setup 5 feet in the air to capture the wind. It uses a 12 volt generator and is kicking out 600 – 800 watts of electricity. Similar to a home solar power system, the wind generator is connected to meter gauges, controller and finally, the power is stored in deep cycle batteries. An inverter is used to convert the Direct Current (DC) from the batteries to Alternative Current (AC). The AC can then be used to power all the electrical appliances.

DIY Home Wind Generator

If you are planning to build your own home wind power system, check out the guide from GreenDIYEnergy. The program comes with e-books on homemade wind turbine and High Definition (HD) step by step instructional videos.

==> Click here to visit GreenDIYEnergy now!

If you are searching for easy wind power for homes system that works, one of the best solution is to build it yourself. Building a residential wind turbine is not that difficult. In actual fact, you can get it done with a budget as small as $150.

There are many components that make up the home wind generator system. One of the key parts is the DC motor. In this blog post, I am going to share some information on choosing the right DC motor.

Where To Find Cheap DC Motor

Some people may be wandering where they can get their hands on some cheap DC motor. The first place that I will normally do my research is at Ebay.

There are literally thousands of motor listed in Ebay. What type of motor you should keep an eye on?

Here are a few criteria. Look for a DC motor with:

1) High Direct Current (DC) voltage.

2) High current output.

3) Low Revolution Per Minute (RPM) rating.

Here’s a tip. Look for permanent magnet alternators. Usually, these motors are more expensive, but they are designed for wind turbine use.

Choosing The DC Motor

Here’s a rule of thumb on DC motor you can use when searching on Ebay.

1) Look for a motor that can generate at least 12V at low RPM.

2) If a motor is rated 325 RPM at 30 Volts, when used as a generator, you can expect it to produce 12 volts or more at some reasonably low rev.

If possible, find a DC motor with RPM rating of under 400.

3) The shaft size of the motor should be over 5/8”. The DC motor on a home wind generator goes through a lot of wear and tear throughout its life time.

Therefore, the motor needs adequate bearings or bushings to accommodate the constant spinning and harsh outdoor treatment it will receive.

It took me a couple of minutes of searching in Ebay and I managed to locate 2 offers that meet the criteria. See the screen shots below.

DC Motor from a Scooter

DC Motor from a Treadmill

Easy Wind Generator Plans

If you are looking for a complete DIY home wind generator plans, check out the Power 4 Home manual. The guide can be found on its main web site at www.power4home.com.

Power 4 Home was written by John Russel who is a Home Energy Expert and an electrician. The manual covers both DIY solar panels and residential wind generator. For more information, read the Power 4 home review on this blog.

Related web pages: 1) Is It Possible To Power Your Home With Wind For Less Than $140?

2) 5 Essential Components to Build a Home Wind Generator

3) IEA Wind – Implementing Agreement for Co-operation in the Research, Development, and Deployment of Wind Energy Systems