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How can I capture wind energy?
When you own a solar array, a sunshiny day will enhance your mood and make you feel productive. Generating electricity from the wind can have the same effect. Put up a wind generator and let the wind become a power-producing friend. Instead of dreading a windy day, let it translate into more electrical power independence by utilizing this free energy.
You just can’t escape the fact that the amount of wind you have at your property determines how much power you can expect from a wind turbine. Though few people would consider placing a solar panel in the shade and expect it to work, the number of people who try the equivalent with a wind turbine is surprising.
WIND BASICS
 The power in the wind is a function of air density, the blade area intercepting the wind, and the wind speed. Increase any one of these factors and you increase the power available from the wind.
Air density varies with temperature and elevation. At sea level, the air density is 100% and this decreases to about 92% at 3000’. Warm air is less dense than cold air. Any given wind turbine will produce less in the heat of the summer than it will in the dead of winter with winds of the same speed.
The blade area intercepting the wind will be determined by how much power is needed. For example, you may see blades the size of an airplane propeller turning a 500-watt wind generator or blades as high as a twelve-story building turning a 1,000,000-watt generator, using the same wind. The larger the blade area, the more wind there is to push the blades that turn a larger generator.
Wind speed is also a function of the power in the wind. Double the speed of the wind and you increase the power available by eight times. Even a small increase in the wind speed substantially boosts the power in the wind. This is why we emphasize the importance of putting your turbine where the winds are best.
A wind generator varies its production with the weather. What does it actually produce? Here is an example of one type of wind generator advertised online. It claimed to be a 3.5 kW wind generator. When you read a little more, you find out that this output is at a maximum with a wind speed of 28mph. It only produces approximately 2 kW at a wind speed of 12mph. So, if your average wind speed is 12mph, you will average 2 kW per hour of electrical production with this 3.5 kW wind generator.
 While it is possible, generally it would be inefficient (in terms of dollars per watt) to design a system to be completely off the grid with wind and battery backup alone. Unless you can prove reliable wind for several hours each day, be sure to integrate another source of electricity production. This backup power could be solar, hydro, or fuel generators, all charging your battery bank.
The tax incentives for wind energy are as good as those for solar power. You can receive up to a 30% tax credit for the system material and installation cost on your personal federal tax return. Many state tax incentives are also available as well as local utility company rebates.
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Get more answers by clicking on these other wind energy articles.
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