Residential Wind Turbines

Residential wind turbines are quickly becoming one of the most sought after commodities in the alternative energy field. And, the fact is the residential wind turbines are not new, since people have been using windmills to pump water and grind grain for centuries.

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But, the new kind of residential wind turbines are being used to create electricity for one's home instead of and in addition to the other purposes. Residential wind turbines have moved into the cities and suburbs in the past few years expanding territories from the farmhouses.

It's no secret that wind energy is the fastest growing segment of alternative energy in the United States. In 2007, the U. S. installed 5.2 gigawatts of new wind energy, which far exceeded both China (3.4 Gw) and Spain (3.5 Gw).

In addition, for every 10,000 Mw of wind turbines that are installed, it replaces 33 million metric tons of CO2 from coal-fired power plants. But, while some big players such as T. Boone Pickens and his Pickens Plan want to focus on large utility scale use of wind energy for the masses, many homeowners are also interested.

Homeowners are interested in residential wind energy because the term "energy independence" does not only have to be in reference to our country getting off the grips of foreign oil, but as individuals and families retiring from the dependency we have upon the large utility companies.

So, people are turning in droves to residential wind turbines in order to reduce electricity bills, reduce greenhouse gases and become more individually energy independent. Residential or home wind turbines generally come in two different varieties including horizontal axis wind turbines (the most common) and vertical axis wind turbines (the fastest growing segment).

Residential wind turbines with a horizontal axis may be placed either on a rooftop or in the yard, mounted upon a tower. In some locations, the farther distance from the ground, the higher the wind speed and the faster the home wind turbine will turn. In other locations, rooftop mounted wind turbines provide enough energy and are generally cheaper and require less maintenance than those that require towers.

Home wind turbines that have a vertical axis generally can be mounted closer to the ground or upon a rooftop. These are impact less by winds that change directions, work at lower wind speeds and can have a more pleasing aesthetic design than other models.

Rolling back the household electricity meter and reducing greenhouse gases is important to many. Residential wind turbines help many consumers fulfill these two desires.