In the past few years much has been made of building wind generators at home. Their was a time when the only wind turbine kits on the market were grossly overpriced which led the average home owner with the decision pay the high price to experiment with alternative energy or to try building one on their own. If you search the internet you will find people that have used a wide range of methods to build a do it yourself wind generator at there home. Brake drums ,washing machine motors, computer tape drive, ceiling fan motors have all been scavenged in the name of wind power. Some being more useful than others.

A few years ago now some enterprising folks put together a booklet describing in general terms how a home made wind generator could be built out of a Ametek 38 servo motor. Interestingly enough that particular motor was not a good wind generator motor at all, but the e books for all estimations had to have been a best seller. The price of components to build wind turbines at home went through the roof. Even today tape drive motors that were not worth twenty dollars three yeas ago are now selling at over two hundred and fifty dollars .

The ametek 99 motors has been denoted the most sought after and rarest of finds and now sells for around five hundred dollars. The whole thing has spun out of control. The initial purpose was to save money, that is how the do it yourself wind mill was born. My observation is currently consumers are more willing to spend five hundred dollars on a tape drive motor that was worth twenty dollars three years ago that they are to spend a similar amount on a reputable all inclusive wind turbine kit.

Many of these consumers are sorely disappointed when the discover the brushes on the 20 year old tape drive motor are not made anymore and once they are wore out is worthless. I am not necessarily a proponent of wind turbine kits and paying manufactures prices, I just believe it is unfortunate when I see home owners throwing away money going about wind energy in a way that is not likely to meet there needs. There are other choices now for the home owner inclined toward the do it yourself type of wind generator. Hurricane Wind power has released a series of wind turbine generators that will out perform any of the generators currently sold that cost less and are maintenance free . When building a wind generator it is very important to get the motor to charge with as few RPM as possible. This is the essence of building a good wind turbine as the lower RPM equate to lower wind speed it take to charge batteries .

These generators not only produce 12 volts with 40 rpm, they have a dual stator that has a non iron core to decrease magnetic drag and ensure the lowest startup speed on the market. Basically no brushes, super low RPM, and less torque to start up patented technology made in the USA.

A few months ago I was down on the idea of home made wind turbines. I however see promise again as the technology now available to the home builder allow construction of long lasting turbines that are cost effective. While the supply of DC motors that can be used as wind generators has dwindled and the price on the remaining rare items has skyrocketed it is now again possible to make a make this project worthwhile. The Hurricane PMA can produce as much as 200 volts at direct drive speeds with no gearing needed. It is now a fact that not only is it rewarding and a good family project but the home made wind generator will simply out perform the kit from the manufacturers such as Southwest. So yes it is again a good idea to build a home wind generator as long as you stay away from overpriced obsolete generator heads.

I am Anthony Jones MA owner of Hurricane Wind Power. We are a quality customer oriented wind power store specializing in, wind turbine complete kits,wind generators wind turbines grid ties and DIY products Http://Hurricanewindpower.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/suddenly-the-prospect-of-building-a-wind-generator-seems-like-a-good-idea-again-1615264.html

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Now, bright, clean, renewable solar energy is turning to its darker side; the Charleston County jail in South Carolina.

Unlikely perhaps, but the large flat roofs of Charleston County detention center, also known as, “The House”, which aims to improve its status as one of the nation’s most crowded inmate facilities with an ongoing $100-million expansion slated for completion next year.

The solar array will also improve power consumption figures, which already reach 4.25 million kilowatts a year, through regional utility S. Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G). This is expected to double on completion of the new facility.

No mention has been made where the panels are to be placed, but the logical assumption is that they will go on the new expansion, some 323,000 square feet in size (or only slightly less than the original detention center, built in 1966, and its 1993 expansion), largely because of the two previous sites older roofs.

The plan is to cover said roof with American-made solar panels to offset a portion of the detention center’s electricity needs, through a $1.1 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, which provides funding for governmental entities and schools to install energy efficiency devices like solar power. The grant competes for $2.8 million allotted to the state for renewable energy projects through ARRA.

The county believes the panels would more than pay for themselves through energy-cost savings, and some officials even speculate that the installation could help attract “clean energy” companies to the region. This would benefit S. Carolina’s citizens, who already hold a record as the sixth largest electricity consumers in the nation.

The solar photovoltaic “farm”, described as potentially producing 640,000 kilowatts a year, or enough to power about 5,300 homes, will also be responsible for eliminating 460 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide from coal-burning generation plants. This is the same as taking 84 cars off the road, or planting 11,785 trees, or preserving 104 acres of S. Carolina’s pine forests.

S. Carolina’s electricity generation mix currently consists of 61-percent coal-fired power plants, with the state’s electric cooperatives getting fully 80 percent of their electricity from coal. The solar proposal couldn’t have come at a better time, with Waxman-Markey in the wings and S. Carolina residents waking to the dangers of burning coal or piling the ash alongside streams and communities.

Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar panel resources and solar energy page contains articles and tools to help with your solar project.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/inmates-enjoy-solar-energy-in-jail-1615127.html

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