Traditional sources of energy have two problems. Firstly it is becoming increasingly expensive and that is likely continue into the foreseeable future. Secondly the generation by the utility companies is becoming an increasing risk to the environment, relying as it does on nonrenewable fuel. These considerations are encouraging people to look into alternative means of generating electricity for domestic purposes. One such means is windmills electricity — that is, electricity that has been produced with the use of windmills. Windmills are better known nowadays as wind turbines.

The viability of wind turbines for electricity generation depends on a number of factors. The first is the attitude of local government, for in some cases wind turbines are not allowed to be placed on buildings. Another consideration is wind consistency and strength. Generally speaking the most favorable sites for wind turbines would be in suburban and rural areas that have consistent medium to strong breezes.

Given favorable conditions the next consideration would be cost. Commercially produced wind turbines can cost many thousands of dollars, whereas a home-built turbine can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. The principal consideration is the so-called “payback-period”, which is the time it takes for the savings in the purchase of electricity to equal the cost of installation of a wind turbine. This payback-period can vary between a couple of years and 10 to 15 years depending on those factors of costs of installation and of grid supplied power.

The best source of information for the layman in relation to the building of DIY wind turbines is the many guides that are available on the Internet. I have read as many as I can find, and in my view the best of them is produced by Green DIY Energy of Denver CO. Visit my blog here to get further information about this excellent guide.