Silicon Solar › Wind Energy Basics

Wind Energy Farms are growing across America saving hundreds of dollars each year.

One of the most cost-effective forms of Renewable Energy today is Wind Energy. More and more large wind farms are popping up all across the United States and around the world, and small wind generators, at homes and businesses are becoming increasingly more popular today than they ever have before. But why?

The answer to that question is a little long, but it is simple. The main reasons are price and availability, both of which are major attractions and benefits that wind energy has over traditional energy sources, and even over other forms of Renewable Energy.

• Price – Wind Energy Systems, typically a wind generator, inverter, charge controller, and a battery bank to be charged, are far less expensive than Solar Energy Systems, geothermal systems, and even micro-hydro systems. A small Wind Energy System for a home or small office can cost only a few thousand dollars, whereas a Solar Energy System for the same property could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
• Availability – across almost 70% of the United States, and around most of the world, there are enough wind resources to provide a major portion of the electric needs of the homes and businesses in that area. Also, whereas there is a supply shortage of Solar Energy Systems, which is leading to high prices, there is no such shortage of Wind Energy Systems. In fact, there are dozens of suppliers around the world that can provide more than enough wind generators (large and small) to go around.

Now, yes, purchasing and installing a Wind Energy System will cost you several thousands of dollars. It is, however, an investment in your future and you should understand that a Wind Energy System is a smart investment for all of the following reasons.

• Protect yourself against today’s high electric prices
• Protect yourself from future increases in the price of electricity
• Save hundreds of dollars in electric costs every year
• Your Wind Energy System can pay for itself in just a few years
• Over the lifetime of your Wind Energy System, you can save thousands and thousands of dollars in electric costs

And, if you are thinking about purchasing your own Wind Energy System, you should understand exactly what you need in a Wind Energy System – meaning the components that make a Wind Energy System work for your needs. A good Wind Energy System includes most, or all, of the following.

• Wind Generator (sized to meet your needs and budget)
• AC to DC inverter (to turn the DC power from a wind generator and battery bank to AC power used by most household appliances)
• Charge Controller (controls the flow of energy charging your batteries, and ensuring that they are not overcharged and damaged by your wind generator)
• Battery Backup (used to store the energy generated by your wind generator to be used later to meet your power demands)
• Wind Tower (securely holds your wind generator way up in the air where the wind is constant and strong, and can generate as much energy as possible)

These are the basics of wind energy – the most cost-effective and affordable form of Renewable Energy available today. If you are looking for great information on Wind Energy and great Wind Energy Products at affordable prices, there are two great sources to check out, a company called Silicon Solar, which can be found at www.siliconsolar.com, and another at a great website store – www.windenergydirect.org.