Find out how to build a wind generator so you can regain control of your power supply. With electricity prices increasing and fossil fuel supplies being imported from unstable regions, now is the time to insulate yourself from potential supply problems. Building a wind generator is easier than you think and it could save a large proportion of your monthly electricity bill.

In the West we’ve become rather too comfortable with our high-resource living. Almost everything we use at home needs electricity.  It’s silent and convenient.  Can you imagine what it would be like to live without though?

Could you survive without air conditioning?
Or with no TV?
How about no hot water or heating?
Even if you use gas or oil for heating, chances are the controls need electricity.

Unfortunately, most electricity is generated from fossil fuels like coal, gas or oil.  In the US around 70% of all electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels – the numbers in other western countries are similar – more than 50% in the European Union, and about 90% in Australia.

There are just two problems with this:

Fossil fuels are a finite resource – once we’ve used them up they’re gone.  And in some parts of the West they are already running out (North Sea oil & gas, etc).
The places where there are still large reserves are either quite remote, making them expensive, or they are in regions which are less stable, or less friendly towards the West.

Either way it makes sense to find an alternative.  Obviously the big changes to come will be controlled by the big energy companies and governments.  So don’t hold your breath waiting – they make take some time.  In the meantime you could start generating your own electricity so that you are insulated from the problems of the global energy markets.

The simplest way to generate your own electricity is to build a wind generator.  Solar panels work, but only during daylight hours, and they tend to be expensive for the amount of electricity you can gain.  On the other hand, most places are windy enough to generate a useful amount of electricity from a turbine, and they are surprisingly easy to build.  The main components are:

A generator – just like the alternator on your car.  Spin the rotor and electricity comes out.  Simple!
A blade to fit on the front of the generator.  Like an aeroplane’s propeller in reverse, wind blowing onto it makes the blade (and therefore the generator) spin.
A tower to hold the turbine up in the wind stream, i.e. not at ground level where the wind could be blocked by buildings, etc.

In addition you are going to need some simple electronic gizmos to convert the electricity to the right voltage for your TV, and some kind of storage batteries, so you don’t waste the power which was generated while you were out at work.

It really is pretty easy.  All you need to find out is where to get the components you need, how to put them together, and what local rules and regulations need to be complied with.  The last of these is probably the most tricky, as the rules are different everywhere.  You just need to find out who to talk to, and then get them to tell you what you need to know.

Now you can build a wind generator and start saving money on your electricity bills.  If you want to save yourself the experimentation of making your own system, you can find out more about  how to build a wind generator at http://how-to-build-your-own-wind-turbine.blogspot.com It’s really very simple, when you know how.

©2009 Rob Knowles

Rob Knowles wants to cure the planet of its ills.  Might be a bit too much for one person to manage… but that won’t stop him trying!  Helping people generate their own electricity is just one of his latest ideas.

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