Wind power for the masses
Cents and Senses (Blog)
June 14, 2008
http://uneven-reflections.blogspot.com/2008/06/wind-power-for-masses.html
For those who are looking at ways to save money and help save the earth at the same time, putting a wind turbine in your backyard can accomplish both at the same time. Wind turbines are expensive just a few years back, but new advances in technology makes them affordable.
Wind turbines for your home
A couple of new devices targeting homeowners have appeared on the market. The first one, Skystream 3.7, is manufactured by a company called Southwest Wind Power. The total cost to install it in your backyard is about $8,500 to $11,000. It generates about 100,000 kWh over the 20-year design life, so each kW costs from 8.5 cents to 11 cents.
That should be quite a substantial savings for your home. More so if you live in a windy area.
The other one is called the Windspire. It has a newer design that looks like a sail, and claims to be bird friendly. The Windspire has a lower maximum output than the Skystream, but the cost is also lower as well.
Both of these devices produce electricity at a lower unit cost than what you pay the power company. More importantly, the power comes from the wind, and not from a firing plant that pollutes the air and generates green house gases in the process. |
