Solar Wind Turbines

Because fossil fuels are out of vogue and green is in, many companies recently have been developing renewable technologies especially in the wind and solar arenas. There are even a few clever companies doing both.

As a result, a couple of players in the market have invented the solar wind turbine which makes use of both photovoltaic and wind energy. The manufacturer of this kind of machine claims that the turbine can produce electricity even though the wind speed is as low as 4mph. And it will operate in a silent way which will not affect people living nearby.

During summer, the wind may not be strong. In that case, the solar cells will be useful in providing the energy especially in hot, sunny climates. Of course, when the wind speed is high the wind turbine part functions to collect the energy, so this is an added benefit and may compensate for nightfall when the solar cells won't work.

But, the double benefit of this kind of solar wind turbine is when both the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. The rotation of the wind turbines also has a cooling effect on the photovoltaic cells, another added benefit.

There are several advantages that people can enjoy from using this kind of solar wind turbine. First, the generator is located near the ground so that the costs would be lowered. For example, the cost of maintenance would be lowered and the cost of insurance would be lower because there would be a slimmer chance for the generator to be damaged.

Most solar wind turbines on the market are also vertical axis wind turbines which also have several advantages. First, the wind turbine is closer to the ground. Second, the surface area of these wind turbines especially the helical wind turbines is generally larger so more solar cells can be placed on these compared to bladed turbines.

As mentioned above, seasonal effects may affect the collection of energy from the environment if people use either solar cells or windmills. In winter, there would not be a lot of sunlight and in summer wind may not be strong. Therefore, the combination of the two types of energies would increase the efficiency.

While solar panels may make sense for mostly sunny regions and wind turbines for mostly windy regions, the solar wind turbine would make since for parts of the country that are both sunny and windy. If you happen to live in one of these parts, then what are you waiting for? Get a solar wind turbine now and start saving energy today.