Electricty from home Wind Power/ Kit suppliers?

itchytrig

Anyone using wind power yet at home or work?

Have seen the kits at B&Q, seem a tad expensive, any other sources do please let us know! I hope we can compile a list here.

Also were they easy to install/setup?

I am keen to try it if it is feasible. :j

Ken68

Not economic itchy, and depends where you live anyway.
Wind too turbulent for urban areas so no planning permission will ever be granted.

Cardew

If you go on the Green Board you will find plenty on these devices.

They are a complete joke in Money saving terms.

ScoobyCanDo

They sound good in theory, but could you imagine one in every back garden in the country? ...................... plus think of the noise they generate as well? ................ Have you not HEARD one running ................ some of the cheap ones cause so much noise, if you lived in a town, you would want to place it in a neighbours garden, several hundred feet away from your home! (You'd need NICE neighbours, who are DEAF for this ???)


If you live in a remote location, where it would be astronomical to have a mains power line installed, then they may just be viable, but their energy output is far too low for the average home and when you get a day without wind, you'll need some form of Back-up (just in case) and to have a Stand-by generator would set you back a few thousand pounds (if installed correctly to current wiring regs) and would make a total nonsense of any Ecological savings!!!

Scooby:cool:

tillson

These domestic wind turbines are a complete waste of time and money. You will never recover the purchase cost through money saved energy bills. And, the energy required to manufacture these things will contribute more to environmental damage than you will prevent by owning one. They are just another “Greenie Con Trick”.
If you want to do something for the environment, don’t buy anything Chinese instead. That will be much more effective.

moonrakerz

tillson wrote: »

If you want to do something for the environment, don’t buy anything Chinese instead. That will be much more effective.

You won't spend a penny !

itchytrig

Hmmm, OK thanks for the replies so far...

I guessed it wouldn't be cheap, but it really bugs me that there isn't a way of using more of our natural resources around us.

The only 2 available sun/wind, of which both are expensive and ugly (...ish) are solar panels and wind turbines. Unless you leave near a river of course!

Solar

The technology for solar cells is getting better (alleg.), so even on no-stop typcial British cloudy days, they can still raise a charge. But again large, bulky and unsightly on the rooftops of homes.

Wind

I dare say, the optimum design for grabbing the most out of a slight breeze will still drive one round, the alternator technology uber efficient for raising a charge again, but the cost! Noise... well not having heard these pelting round nearby I guess you cannot changes the laws of physics when moving air.

Could either of them be mass produced/better designed in a way that they are not ugly and cost less. Or have our perceptions of what we expect a home to look, like got to change? Can the 2 be designed into 1?

:idea:What next for the humble home??? Ion charged devices that create electricity from the air around us?

Just feel a tad frustrated that's all! Keep em coming...

SwanJon

I think these type of things, along with combined heat & Power boilers, will have their day, but it isn't today.
As the price of electricity rises, they beomce more economical, and as time passes they should become cheaper and more efficient.

As to how it looks, not many people see my roof so solar panels wouldn't be an issue. If only we could combine the turbine with a satellite dish...

Micro

Itchy some strange replies on this site continue. The sound is no longer an issue unless you live two foot from the biggest and oldest ones you have seen. Pop along to the new massive ones in West Wales and sit under on a windy day - the noise is not an issue. Cost is expensive but people forget about massive cost of energy increase in the next few yrs, they do not understand tripple bottom line assessment and they dont understand grant aps and planning permission. The fact is that you in one reply you simply cannot say whether or not your turbine will be cost effective or not. The first thing to think of is size - think about it the larger the turbine the mor money you will save or even make. Thats why you have so many people moaning about the number of wind farms i.e. if they were not cost effective they would not be putting so many up. Kinda obvious really. The smaller ones are more marginal I agree but marginal is the key and depends on so many issues. Pls dont belive the rubbish that is written here. And before any one goes on about me having an business interest, yes I do, but I also have all the facts and experence too !!

Cardew

Micro wrote: »

And before any one goes on about me having an business interest, yes I do, but I also have all the facts and experence too !!

And it shows - the business interest that is! AGHSolutions by any chance?

Domestic turbines are not money saving - full stop. I personally have never seen any independant organisation that even claims that they are money saving.

So please give us "all the facts" about money saving!

Produce independant evidence, result of trials, anything! that shows that they can save money.

Discuss maintenance costs, loss of interest on investment, proven output, length of warranty - Facts please.

By all means give us your assumptions of future energy price rises.

There are a lot of technical people on this forum - some who work in the industry(and would never buy a turbine) and others who take a very keen interest in turbines, who will be very interested in your facts.

This thread may interest you.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=273400

Micro

As stated I have an interest in this area. Thanks for the link but if you are basing your information of B&Q products and a link that is 18 mts old no wonder your getting your facts wrong ! Technology, grants, planning restrications have all changed since that time let alone the cost of a spark.
For people that are actually using the technology and reporting their successes try this http://www.renew-reuse-recycle.com/. You will find an abundence of the facts that you are after.
I realy am surprised at your negativity here. You seem to simply rule out a number of factors and simply quote B&Q - now thats what a call a gimick. !