Many people wish to improve their sustainability and reduce their overall impact on the environment. Renewable energy production at home is a great way to reduce your emissions and even save some money on your electricity bills. Installing domestic renewable energy systems can be a large investment, leaving some unsure of how to approach the installation, becoming worried and getting cold feet. If you too are one of these people, today is your lucky day! Here is your TESUP step by step instructional guide to buying a wind turbine. It goes through a few things to consider when looking into installing a wind turbine for your home or business and how to get the most out of your turbine setup!
Power Independence
Step 1: The first step for a prospective wind turbine owner is to simply imagine owning a wind turbine. I know this might sound silly but envisioning a wind turbine installed on your property and all the benefits it might bring is a great step in ensuring a wind turbine is a good fit for you. Imagine the sense of generating your very own electricity would bring you, the sense of accomplishment in producing electricity! As well as being safe in the knowledge that you are helping to reduce emissions, reducing your effect on the environment.
You can also think of the tangible benefits. Through generating your own power you can sell electricity directly to the grid, profiting from your turbine. Even if you don’t choose to take this route, the money saved by not paying the grid for your electricity will be great to have. This is especially true for the current energy markets which have seen higher and higher electricity prices around the world. You can avoid this kind of politically motivated market forces by simply becoming independent from the grid, giving you the peace of mind that as long as the wind blows you will have power!
Wind Turbine Sizing
Step 2: Start researching turbines to get a general idea of how big a turbine might be and how it could fit into your property. Make sure to scout your property and consider different locations the wind turbines could be installed. Consider a range of mounting options, many people mount their wind turbines to the roof of their properties, many people also opt to mount their wind turbines on mounting poles in an open space on their property. Which is best for your application depends on your local planning laws and space availability.
Check out these blogs for some tips on both!
Plan your budget
Step 3: Step number three is related to financing your wind turbine. Installing a wind turbine on your property can be a big investment. Although the upfront cost is quite large, remember the savings and potential profits your turbine can net you can pay back the cost of the turbine within a few years. The average cost of a TESUP domestic wind turbine is approximately $1100 (USD), bear in mind that you will also need a suitable charge controller to operate the turbine safely. A TESUP charge controller, suitable for all TESUP wind turbines, can be purchased for an additional $210 USD. An array of batteries is also necessary for most wind turbine setups to store the electricity your wind turbine generates. A good quality Lithium Ion battery, the most commonly used type of battery for this application, will cost approximately $300 USD but could be higher depending on the storage capacity you need for your setup . If you would like to sell energy generated by your wind turbine to the grid and generate a direct profit from your turbine your setup will also need to include an inverter. This equipment converts the power signal from DC to AC so it is compatible with the grid. A compatible TESUP inverter can be purchased for $520. All told, the investment is likely to be ~$1600 USD without an inverter and ~$2100 USD with an inverter.
Types of Wind Turbines
Step 4: How to choose the turbine that is right for you. Now you have thought about how a wind turbine can fit into your property, it is time to select the model of wind turbine best suited for your needs. There are a couple of main considerations, namely, the power rating of your turbine; how much electricity your turbine produces every second and the type of turbine; horizontal or vertical axis. The power rating can be found in each of the wind turbine product descriptions, essentially the higher the power output, the more electricity a turbine produces. Suiting this value to your electricity requirements within your home is a good approach to select the right value. The second main consideration is the type of the turbine you install. In terms of TESUP turbines your options are either vertical axis drag type turbines such as the Atlas models or horizontal lift type turbines, namely the Magnum5 and MasterX models. This type of turbine generally has a lower starting speed, beginning to spin under lower wind speeds, resulting in the turbine spinning more frequently. This type is generally quieter than its horizontal axis counterpart. Horizontal axis wind turbines are more efficient at converting kinetic wind energy into the rotational movement necessary for power generation. As they have a higher starting speed stronger winds are usually needed to operate this turbine. A Magnum 5 horizontal lift type turbine.
Step 6: Set up your wind turbine. Follow the instructions provided in your operation manual to assemble and install your turbine. TESUP recommends consulting an electrician when installing electrical equipment such as wind turbines, charge controllers or power inverters.
Enjoy your right choice!
Step 7: Sit back and enjoy your turbine! Sit in your garden and watch the turbine gently spinning and generating power for your household, have a look at your energy bills from time to time and see how much having your own power generation helps to reduce it, it will be paid off in no time! And finally, appreciate your role in reducing your impact on your environment and helping to create a more sustainable future for all!