GreenAdvisor.com - Small Wind Turbines as a Renewable Energy Solution for Homeowners and the Community
Small Wind Turbines as a Renewable Energy Solution for Homeowners and the Community
by Mateo Chaskel
Advances in small wind have helped this technology transition from theory into practice. This article covers ways homeowners and the community can benefit from developments in recent years.
Introduction
The renewable energy industry has seen significant advances in the past two decades. Starting from new and innovative methods to capture the energy from the Sun, wind, and earth, advances in the industry have been evident to both manufacturers and end-users. One of the areas which stands out as having seen noteworthy progress in the past five years is small wind energy, where significant research investment and technological enhancements have allowed advanced technologies to transition from theory into practice.
For those unfamiliar with the renewable energy industry, it may be difficult to grasp how this new technology can impact their everyday lives. An example using one of the first and simplest electrical inventions in the world, the light bulb, may help understand the application of renewable energy. The conventional light bulb used in homes and businesses throughout the United States is the 80 watt (W) light bulb. As wind turbine technology is brought from the lab into the marketplace, the efficiency of small wind generators is constantly increasing while the price of them is progressively declining. The small wind industry is now populated with multiple cost-effective turbines that can reliably generate in excess of 4000W of electricity. That’s enough to power 50 light bulbs. How many light bulbs are in your home?
