"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote in

.au:

"enigma" wrote in message

lee contemplating windmills

What are you contemplating windmills for? To pump water
from your well?

electricty generation. i'm on a ridge & there is always some
breeze. i don't expect to make money, but if i can offset the
US$300+/month in electric bills a little, i'd be happy.

just a word to the wise - we have a small wind turbine & it's been slightly
disappointing - however, i would point out that it doesn't go constantly,
either (not enough wind). interestingly, we don't always have "enough" sun
but the solar panels are far more reliable! you might need to consider two
or three small turbines (with centralised batteries, more efficient).

many wind-nerds are also of the opinion that the barrel kind (cylinders set
up & down, if that makes sense) are going to be a better bet. if you get
these, i'd love to hear how they go!

our next turbine is going to be a handmade one, much much bigger & will be
taller when erected. yet with bigness comes the problem of getting it
started. nothing is perfect :-)

if you have reasonable amounts of sun, i'd consider solar technology
instead - it's moving ahead in leaps & bounds & as i said, seems to be more
reliable for a small, home situation. grid-connected people with a good
system can profit from their system very quickly - home windmills aren't
likely to be profitable though (i know you said you're not motivated thusly,
but people report a thrill from the meter going backwards). a mix of the two
covers a variety of weather situations though, which is worth noting.

our pet power nerd is trying to talk us into letting him design a hydro
system. i am sceptical.
kylie