Vertical windmills aren’t such a recent concept. In fact, despite that we are accustomed to seeing horizontal axis windmills, the first windmills invented were the vertical ones. The first functional types were invented in the 9th century, but their design has changed very much over the years in order to get a higher efficiency from them.
Vertical windmills have many advantages. One of them is the low sound that they make. Horizontal windmills usually are very noisy, a fact that is proven by their settlements in non-populated or low populated areas with not so many habitants around. Due to their silent work, vertical windmills are most of the times used by humans for their homes, cities or commercial buildings.
Another advantage that vertical windmills have is that they can capture more wind than horizontal windmills. No matter the direction from which the wind blows, vertical windmills can capture it and transform it into energy. We can’t say the same about the horizontal axis type windmills.
A vertical windmill is easier to maintain. It is also safer to do it, too. We owe this to the fact that the location of the generator is at the ground level. Because it is in such a handy place and uncomplicated to repair, we save more time and energy when we give it maintenance or when we repair it.
Using the vertical windmills’ design also brings benefits for the birds. Birds often fly into the horizontal axis windmill. From this point of view the vertical axis type is safer and there are minimal chances for birds to fly into its blades.
Vertical windmills can also have a highly esthetical look, as they can be adapted to the surrounding area. They don’t have a pre-established pattern to pursue when building them. You can find them in many shapes.
The most common vertical windmills are the Savonius and the Darrieus. The Savonius windmill is mainly used for pumping the water or for grain grinding. If you look at it from above, you notice that its shape is the one of the letter “S”. Unlike the Savonius, the Darrieus windmill is used for generating electricity and not for pumping water. Its blades are in shape of the letter “C”, providing it the aspect of an eggbeater.
We live in a world where the electricity is not only beginning to become more and more expensive, but we’re also becoming more aware that some sources that produce it are affecting the environment. Start thinking at building your own vertical or even horizontal axis windmill so you can save money and help save the Earth in the process.
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Probably everyone’s dream is to find ways to make their bills smaller. When it comes to electricity bills, this dream might not be too far fetched.
Following the latest ecological trends, people are using alternative energies more and more, like wind-power. This power nowadays is harnessed through high-tech variant of the good, old traditional windmills, called residential windmills. So, besides being ecological, you can save money too.
Like any other long-term investments, residential windmills can cost quite a bit, somewhere around $8.000-$15.000. But, in four to twelve years they will have paid for themselves, due to their capacity of covering up to 90% of the residential needs of energy.
There are however some problems concerning residential windmills. Few communities (let alone individuals) can actually afford spending that kind of money to make such a great investment and besides that, in order to make sure that the residential windmills is used as close as possible to its highest capacity, there are some weather and space conditions that need to be satisfied. First of all, you have to check if you have the necessary space to install a windmill in order to respect the local order and safety recommends, and second, your residence must be placed in an area where the wind blows at, at least, 10 miles per hour (as maximum efficiency is reached at 20 miles per hour).
This is one of the reasons why many people still continue to pay enormous energy bills and to destroy the environment.
Still, there are some people that have the financial possibility and the proper place and weather conditions, and can afford investing in residential windmills.
If you’re considering residential windmills as an option, first, you should inform yourself very well on the local laws, in order to see if this kind of investment is even allowed in your community. There were several cases when people bought residential windmills without knowing that they are forbidden by law in their area.
Second, there is a rule refering to the height of the turbine: it should be 30ft higher that any obsticle within 300 ft. Be carefull, and do not place on the roof, as its vibrations would ruin it for sure.
Last, but not least, residential windmills are pollution-free, so they only gather the wind’s energy and tranform it into electrical energy, without releasing any toxic gases in the air. Also, they don’t produce such a loud noise as some people think, as they are barely heared only when they are spinning, as for the rest they are silent as death.
Even if environmental problems are not your biggest concern, investing in residential windmills brings other satisfactions, which make them something to consider.
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