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View Full Version : Wind power, a bit of a dream?


Bricky Brian
12th October 2012, 14:10
Converting anyone to any form of belief can be a confusing process as I found out when I wanted to burn some branches from a dead conifer tree. My memory from my Boy Scout days totally let me down because I thought that green or not it was bound to burn. Eventually I had to resort to methods that I’m ashamed to mention on this forum. The only saving grace was my wife who told me that as the wind was blowing in from the field at the back of where we live it would be anti-social to light a fire that would produce smoke and so I waited but now the wood is all gone.
Now for an explanation of my wife’s thinking process which must have been provoked into movement by my potentially ant-social behaviour. As is normal on her part when she attempts to provoke, encourage or force me into movement in our garden her technique is to ask a question. My response is always the C.M. Joad one which is to reply, “It depends what you mean by ????”
Her question was, “As we always get wind from the direction at the back of where we live could we, should we not set up a wind power generator?” My response in such matters is to use terms such as, “Cost Benefit Analysis” However, I fear that I will have to do some research into the matter and so my question to the forum must be, “where do I start, is there a book or magazine that ordinary people can understand or does the cost benefit analysis suggestion get me off the hook?

Rob Beckers
13th October 2012, 08:38
Hi Bricky,

You've come to the right place! :nuts:
You are in an enviable position. Most men have a wicked time convincing their wives they really ought to stick a windmill in the backyard. Maybe you ought to teach us, who are clearly not as versed in this as you, how to do it... :hail:

The place to start is by finding your annual average wind speed as best you can. There are wind atlases that can help. Depending on your country there may be meteo Web sites that have wind data for towns, cities, and airports.

You should also take a look at the wind turbine siting (http://www.solacity.com/SiteSelection.htm) article, and if you feel up to it, the one about the realities of small wind turbines (http://www.solacity.com/SmallWindTruth.htm).

After the gloom and doom of the former, some soul searching is in order (yes, harvesting wind power is not unlike religion! :angel: ). Do you want something that actually makes money in the long run, or pays for itself at the least? Or is this about generating a bit of green energy regardless of economics? Or do you just want kinetic art in your backyard? You get the idea.

That should get you started...

-RoB-