Solar Power Sucks: Cut Your Power Costs Up to 90 Percent With Inexpensive Home Wind Turbines
Author: Nick
Category: Money
Topics: energy, environment
Wasn’t it just over a year ago I was saying that everyone should be using solar power because it’s so awesome and cheap?
Yeah, strike that.
More than a year later and there’s been no significant drop in the cost of solar panels and other equipment you need to get your home off the local power grid and running completely on natural, wonderful sunshine. I’m sorry, but when it costs $32,000 to install a solar power system, I think I’m going to stick with writing checks to the electric company for about $50 a month.
And while I don’t necessarily mind writing a $50 check to Pepco each month, I’m running low on checks, and a check reorder is expensive! Like, 12 bucks! Plus shipping! That means it’s once again time to reconsider alternative energy sources. And what’s the Punny Money energy du jour? Why, it’s Mother Nature’s other natural power source: moving air.
While I was sitting at home last night listening to winter winds pound our home at up to 50 miles an hour, it occurred to me that I could be running our whole home off those gusts right now if I had a turbine sitting on my roof. A quick trip to the internet later and I was pricing wind turbines and accessories. Here’s what I found:
- A small and sleek wind generator for under $500. Providing up to 400 watts of power, this model is simple to install and can be powering your blender just minutes after you take it out of the box.
- A higher-end, higher-powered turbine for just over $2,000. You can get up to 900 watts with this thing, and that’s enough power to run most of the gadgets and appliances in your home.
- The grand-daddy of residential windmills for $5,500. You’ll laugh at cold winter winds as you run your electric furnace off this baby.
Compare that to a solar panel which could set you back $80 with just enough power to run your night light.
So what’s stopping everyone from running out and slapping wind turbines on their homes right now? Not a dang thing. Except for these five things:
- Equipment and installation. Unfortunately you can’t just plug any of the above turbines into your home and start running your dishwasher and A/C off wind power. You’ll need to purchase separate equipment, like converters and wiring, and probably have all of it professionally hooked into your home’s electrical system. This could add a couple thousand dollars to the cost of getting your wind power system off the ground.
- Building permits. Many areas won’t allow their residents to install even tiny wind turbines because they look silly or for another reason we’ll cover in a minute. Because you’ll need to place your generator high, you might need to install a tower or large pole, and most places require you to obtain a special, hard-to-get permit when adding parts to your home that exceed certain height restrictions.
- They can be noisy. Small wind turbines are a lot quieter now than they used to be, but one that’s big enough to power your home will probably make at least as much noise as a well-tuned clothes washer. So unless your neighbors already do their laundry on their roof, you might get some objections to the noise levels coming from your turbine.
- They’re still not that cheap. Sure, you may be able to power an energy-efficient home off that $5,500 model, but it will still take you several years to recoup the costs of installation. Fortunately the typical wind generator lasts 20 years with little or no maintenance, and you’d be able to make most of that money back if you sold your home.
- You need wind. Here’s the kicker for about 70% of Americans: the average wind turbine won’t spin in anything less than 8-10 mile-per-hour winds, and you won’t reach peak energy production without sustained winds of 20 mph. That said, even if you go most of the year with just a gentle breeze running along your sidewalk, you’d be surprised how much the wind can pick up just 50 feet above your home. That’s why turbines are much more effective the higher you can install them.
Unfortunately for us, our off-the-grid energy possibilities are pretty much nil thanks to an abundance of trees (no solar power, lower wind power potential), lack of steady wind (no wind power), and retarded local governance (so no building permits for a 100-foot-high turbine). I guess that means I better tell the hamsters to get back in their wheels.
(For more information on residential wind power, visit the American Wind Energy Association’s Small Wind website.)
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39 Responses »
1.
Centsible Shopper
December 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I can’t help the price of solar power, but there are less expensive checks to be had.
http://www.walmartchecks.com/ starts at $5.96 a box, with budget shipping for $2.50.
2.
Mrs. Micah
December 17th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I heard those winds too! All I could think of, actually was making sure they don’t get in here. But your idea is good too, I had a professor who outfitted his home quite quietly with two small windmills. They live at the top of a bluff, so it’s perfect. And they’re on about an acre, so it didn’t bug the neighbors. Not the prettiest, but it had a kind of “ooh, alternative energy” coolness vibe.
3.
Aaron Stroud
December 18th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Nick $32k for a solar setup doesn’t sound so expensive when you’re building a new house. We spent over $17k bringing power 1,300′ to our new house (and we laid the conduit ourselves!).
Of course, you’d be hard pressed to find financing for an off-grid home, so it’d probably be cheaper in the long run simply to go with grid power.
4.
Obbop
December 24th, 2007 at 4:12 am
Unsure of all locales but in some areas, at least, the electric power provider HAS to pay YOU for the power you pump into the grid, thus offsetting some of the total cost of ownership.
Imagine, your handy dandy electricity creating contraption pumping away at night while the bed bugs are feasting upon your mangey carcass and your electrical consumption is minimal (a refigerator cycling on and off, perhaps an electric clock) the excess flowing electrons pass through your electric meter in an outward direction.
Individual electrons are not counted but “packets” of them are. It is conceivable that instead of you sending money to the electric company that they will be mailing you a check.
Hey!!!! There ARE news storys out there in the Wide Whacky World of Webdom about this occurring.
Next, all you gotta’ do is shoot at some food that results in bubbling crude and run an oil pipeline to your neighborhood refinery.
For those with a year-round creek on their property a home-built hydro-electric system can provide electricity with the excess sld to the power company.
Better yet, perfect nuclear fusion (vice fission) and become a trillionaire within a year.
So many opportunities and so little time.
5.
Jerry
March 6th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
GREAT post. I’m a eco-minded fella myself and we’ve been looking at flex fuel vehicles and doing our part to the environment. Wind energy, I just heard, is going the be the next big thing. I hope it leads to changes. I heard on NPR that they want it to replace coal in providing 40% of the world’s energy. That’s a little insurance for our future, wouldn’t ya say?
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com
6.
Mr Eco Dishwasher
April 8th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I’m an Eco NUT! but I can’t afford the cost of making my own electricity. The way forward in my opionion is to reduce the amount I use, that way I save money in the short-term, which could pave the way for me to save up for wind power!
My passion at the moment is dishwashers (How sad!) and how bad they are at being Eco! Where are the new Eco Dishwashers?
Start small, build big.. unless you can afford Wind power with on ROI of 10 years!!
Loz
7.
Chris Hutcherson
September 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Haha, I would love to get off the grid, but you are right, when it cost mega $$$ it is easier to keeping paying the piper. Need some mass produced solution to drive down cost.
8.
Solar Company
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I’d have to disagree here. Installing Solar panels on a home is almost like any other investment for you home only this investment can give you returns right away. In the form of energy savings cost. Basically your electric bill can be reduced significantly with the help of solar power. We’ve installed panels for commercial buildings as well and their monthly savings are incredible and most say the wish they would’ve done it sooner. Can it be expensive? Yes but is it worth it? Yes.
9.
iSolar
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:24 am
$32,000?!?! I’ve never seen any system that expensive!! Where have you been looking?
10.
green renewable energy
June 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Well the article is from over two years ago, so I am happy that its no longer 32k to get all the equipment and installation paid for. It is still quite expensive thou, and there are cheaper ways.
I am glad your bill is that cheap, mine is well over $100 a month, depending on the season.
11.
Debbie solar power
July 4th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
The solar home power is a great way to conserve part of our natural resources.
Plus a great way to cut down on our own electric bill every month.
12.
DIY Solar Panels Guide
April 13th, 2010 at 2:45 am
Looks Really Great, Keep it up.
13.
Darren Fleming
May 7th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Fortunately the cost on installing diy alternative energy solutions have gone down over time. You can now actually install a complete diy home solar energy panel system for less than $200.00 in most cases. You do need to have a good guide that explains the entire process in complete detail, if you’ve never done this type of project before. Here is the best place that I know of to get a complete review of the top 5 diy home solar guides
http://gpe.alternative-sources-of-energy.com/
14.
Jihan
September 9th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
Generators of solar power are still a practical solution . Their prices will be reduced in the future .
how many solar panels?
http://www.energy4living.hottipsonly.com/how-many-solar-panels-do-i-need-to-power-a-house.html
15.
Mike W. The Sorlar Energy Facts Man
September 15th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Clever and well written. As much as we love solar energy, wind power and such its still a bunch of hurdles to jump over to be able to use it easily. In Oregon they have implemented tax breaks and incentives to make solar power costs more affordable for small business.
16.
Tom H. To the sheltered ones
October 2nd, 2010 at 10:08 am
I am a solar energy consultant in CA. Most often, I’m designing systems with payback periods of 5 -12 yrs. Systems with average IRR”s of 12%.These are people with electric bills of $200+/month. Try to find and investment with security rivalling T-bills that pay 12%. With due respect, most of you do not realize that some people actually pay at least $500/mo for electricity. With time-of use billing coming, it will likely be you someday.
17.
Tom H. To the sheltered ones
October 2nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Here is a real-life example:
Ann Elec Bill: $10,780
System Size: 11.34 kW CEC AC
Elec Bill offset: 69%
Savings 1st year: $7,445
System Payback: 5.02 yrs
Simple IRR: 22.48%
How do you think these people feel about Solar?
18.
Tom H. To the sheltered ones
October 2nd, 2010 at 10:25 am
At this point, a solar energy system is not practical for everyone. If your bill is $50 -$75/month of course not. Eventually, everyone will be required to pay according to time-of-use structure via the use of Smart Meters. Its called grid 2.0. When this change occurs, people with solar power will be paid for power put back to grid at the higher, peak-time rates. An already good situation just got a whole lot better…………..
19.
ブライトリング 偽物
December 4th, 2010 at 5:35 am
called grid 2.0. When this change occurs, people with solar power will be paid for power put back to grid at the higher, peak-time rates. An already good situation just got a whole lot better…………..
20.
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December 9th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Theme is beautiful and more information than a great wish you to write more articles
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December 14th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
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April 25th, 2011 at 6:13 am
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We need to conserve our nature.
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June 3rd, 2011 at 1:41 am
Sure solar power sucks when you buy the panels from the market, but not when you make them on your own. I learned how to build my own solar panels and saved heaps on retail costs.
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