A wind generator is a device for producing electric current from the wind. This device is basically an electric motor in reverse. An electric motor uses electromagnetism to convert electric current into motion. An electric generator such as a wind generator uses the same principles to convert motion into electric current. In the case of a wind generator, the motion is supplied by the wind.

A wind generator can be commercially produced on a large scale or a small scale. Large scale wind generators are used in the commercial production of electric power and are very expensive and outside the reach of most individuals; also they produce more power than a typical household needs, given adequate wind. Smaller scale wind generators are produced for home use.

Depending on the available wind patterns in the area where you live, it may be possible to hire professionals at installation of wind systems to install a wind power system for your home. Such a system can save a lot of money on your electricity bills, perhaps eliminating them altogether. However, the up-front cost of purchasing and installing the equipment can be quite high, running over ten thousand dollars or even up to twenty thousand dollars or more, depending on the amount of power to be generated. It can take a long time before the savings to your electric bill can repay that up-front cost.

A large amount of that cost, though, consists of professional labor to install. A wind turbine that costs ten thousand dollars fully installed can cost as little as three thousand dollars in itself. If you can do the work to install your wind power system, you can save more than half of the cost of the system. While it still represents a substantial up-front investment, the savings on your electric bill would repay the cost much more quickly.

That cost can be reduced even further if instead of using a completely manufactured wind turbine, you buy a kit that allows you to build your own turbine. That can reduce the cost to barely over a thousand dollars per kilowatt, and occasionally even less if you shop around for good deals.

Where To Buy Wind Generator Kits

Amazon is a good source for wind generator kits. You can find generator kits themselves for a little as $1,600 for a 3 kilowatt generator ($533 per kilowatt). A few hundred dollars more will buy a mounting pole to lift the wind turbine up thirty feet or higher in order to catch the prevailing winds, and about a thousand more will purchase the necessary equipment for a grid tie-in system that will allow you to use your wind turbine in conjunction with the commercial power grid. This uses “net metering” to “sell” power to the utility for credit, which you can use to buy power at times of peak use.

You can sometimes find excellent deals on this necessary equipment on eBay, too. These two are the best sources for the best deals most of the time, but kits are also available from Home Depot and also direct from manufacturers. Since this is a major purchase no matter where you get it from, shopping around is a good idea.

Reasons For Caution

The skill necessary to build and install your own wind generator is not rocket science, but neither is it trivial. It involves mechanical construction and basic electrical wiring. Unless you already have some skill in these areas, you will want to practice a bit before putting it on the line.

It’s also a good idea to check out building codes, rules involving net metering arrangements with the utility company, available tax rebates and credits from the IRS or your state government, and your homeowners insurance policy. Some building codes require that home energy systems be professionally installed, although that is not always the case. Also, most homeowners policies have exclusions for electrical work not done by licensed professionals, which, depending on the details in the policy, may or may not include what’s necessary to install a home wind turbine.