Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

jchait — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In April an article appeared in the New York Times; Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines, a clear sign that wind power is becoming more mainstream, as the article actually goes on to relate.

Excerpt:

“Back in the early days, off-grid electrical generation was pursued mostly by hippies and rednecks, usually in isolated, rural areas,” said Joe Schwartz, editor of Home Power magazine. “Now, it’s a lot more mainstream.”

That above excerpt sums up the situation pretty nicely. I remember being amazed when I saw wind power in, I think, Mother Earth News. It was surprising, because I knew so little about it, and that was around 2000 or so. It just hasn't been a big topic among the conventional world.

The New York Times relates the following points about the new up a coming wind power acceptance.

Technology has made it simpler to have a wind system set up, without a bulky battery source as backup.
While federal incentives for wind power do not currently exist, many states have their own incentives set up for those using wind power.
It's estimated that eco concerns, more than cost savings are driving wind power installs.
Urban folk, more so than rural, may be unhappy seeing big wind towers set up.

Of course the article goes more in-depth. Read the whole article.

To learn more about wind power check out the following:

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind Into Gold

Find Out if Wind Power Will Work on Your Land

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine - Wind Power - Alternative Energy for Your Home

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

What YOU Should Know About Wind Power!

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?

Residential Wind Power

What YOU should know about wind power!

Julia — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

There is a small town, very close to where I live, that is in the process of converting entirely to wind power. This isn’t the only place where wind energy is taking off either. Between 1996 and 2004 wind power production has increased four fold, and goals are currently in place to boost wind to 20 percent of American energy.

This is huge! The fact that there is a very feasible way to create and power electricity by natural means, and we are not using it on a large scale basis, is insane. Thankfully, people are starting to catch on to the craze and are no longer skeptical about its quality or performance. Renewable energy IS the answer, and yet there are certain myths that still persist, despite the truths about wind energy that are out there. Here are some of the myths to be aware of that may float your way…

Wind is sporadic and impractical- This is false. In reality, the overall decline in pollution emissions makes up two fold for the financial losses that could potentially occur when the wind is not blowing to strong capacities.
Wind power is too expensive- There was a time in the early 1980’s when wind energy was really expensive, but these days, production costs are under five cents per kilowatt-hour.
Wind turbines endanger wildlife- Loads of research has been done in this are, because it obviously would be a big concern for all environmentalists. The prospect of wind energy would be a lose-lose situation if this were the case, but wind farm experts believe that, when carefully place, turbines pose minimal danger to birds. The death rates of birds hitting buildings and cars are actually much higher- in the billions.
Wind farms undermine local economy- No one can say that they really want a wind turbine in their backyards. Studies show, however, that there is no evidence of wind energy hurting tourism or undermining local business. They also produce hardly any noise, which is another common assumption.
Wind farms are ugly- Okay, so they aren’t the prettiest of features, but that’s a poor excuse for denouncing them. Besides, the consequences of global warming already look a lot worse!

So be wary of the skeptics who may throw these myths your way. Now you have the evidence to back up all of the benefits that wind energy can produce. Spread all of the good news in environmentalism!

Want to learn more about wind power?

Wind Turbine Power: Farmers Turning the Wind Into Gold

Inexpensive Residential Wind Turbine—Wind Power—Alternative Energy For Your Home

Can You Harness Wind Power or Not?

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

Can You Use Wind Turbines to Power Your Home?

Residential Wind Power

wind turbines

Home Wind-Power Turbines Going Mainstream

What YOU should know about wind power!