Whether you’re exploring green energy sources or just want to reduce your household bills, installing a home wind turbine could be a sensible move. You’ll need to make sure your home has all the right features, so keep reading to find out more.
Are home wind turbines worth it?
Home wind turbines are a sustainable way to generate renewable electricity - but they’re not right for every household. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide whether you stand to generate enough power to offset the cost of installation. Alternatively, you may choose to go ahead if you’re set on harnessing green energy.
Here’s a quick run-down of the pros and cons:
Pros:
- You can reduce your household bills and even sell unused energy back to the grid if you produce a lot
- You can do your bit to protect the environment by generating green energy
- You may be able to take advantage of financial support with options like the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programme
Cons:
- Unless you have a powerful turbine and a lot of wind to harness, you probably won’t generate enough energy to cover your entire household usage
- The results can be inconsistent as wind levels rise and fall
- Turbines are often unsuitable for city dwellers because of the noise generated and the average wind speed
- You may need planning permission to install a wind turbine on your property
- You risk harming birds and bats as they fly into the turbine
Best home wind turbines to buy
1500W Wind Turbine
With a choice of three battery voltage options (12V, 24V or 48V), this 1500W wind turbine gives you the option to choose the right set-up for your home.
It’s an impressive structure, featuring 90cm-long blades made by precision injection moulding. The durable cast aluminium alloy construction should help the turbine survive 50m/s winds for more than two decades.
This model is also one of the best home wind turbines for anyone on a budget, as it has a lower price tag than many others on our list.
Wind Turbine Generator Kit for Home
On the higher end of the price spectrum is this complete kit, available through Amazon. It’s one of the best home wind turbines to buy if you’re looking for a large installation capable of generating a lot of power.
The 8000W turbine has a safe wind speed rating of 35 metres per second and comes with either a 12V or 24V output (you can choose your preferred model on Amazon).
As for the design, you’ll get five aluminium alloy blades, which sit on top of a high structure. To stop the turbine exceeding its parameters, there’s an electromagnetic brake too.
Hybrid Wind and Solar Off Grid Kit
- Buy 5kW kit from Voltacon (£4,750.00)
- Buy different 8kW kit from Voltacon (£1,550.00)
Giving you the chance to boost the amount of energy you capture, this home wind turbine kit comes with solar panels. They can harness 400W per module and, combined with the 1000W turbine, should produce enough electricity to power your entire home, according to the makers.
Choose between the 5kW and the 8kW kit. They include a consumer unit with surge protection, monitoring software and emergency stop and inverter isolation switches. The lead-acid batteries are designed to last up to 20 years.
1kW Wind Generator
- Buy now from Voltacon (£3,295.00)
This is one of the best home wind turbines to mount on tower tops and steel-framed buildings, as opposed to attaching directly to buildings. It’ll fit onto standard 50mm steel tube poles, so you can create your own structure.
You can buy the 24V battery kit or go for the slightly larger 48V batteries for the same price. You’ll also get an anemometer to measure wind speed and remote monitoring software to keep an eye on the turbine’s performance.
Thanks to the in-built safety features, the 1000W turbine will automatically pause when it meets the pre-set charge parameters.
4000W Noiseless Home Wind Turbine Generator Kit
Unlike many of the best home wind turbines, this one has an eye-catching design thanks to its sleek red blades. They’re made with strong nylon fibre and die-casted aluminium alloy.
Thanks to the sturdy construction, this 4000W home wind turbine should be able to cope with high winds to harness lots of energy as it revolves.
It’s designed to emit a minimal level of noise when in use, and the red shell should look like a pretty lantern.
The makers recommend you install the turbine at your home, but it can also work well on boats.
Low Noise 800w Wind Turbine
On sale for around £200, this 800W kit is another one of the best home wind turbines for those on a budget, and is relatively cheaper than similar options.
It comes in a 12V, 24V and 48V kit, so you can choose the right battery for your home. Whichever you choose, you’ll get six turbine blades, each measuring 58cm in length. While they’ll start generating power at wind speeds of just 1.3m/s, they can survive stronger gusts up to 40m/s.
Thanks to the careful design and hard-wearing aluminium alloy construction, this home wind turbine should keep performing well for over 20 years.
4000W 3 Blades Wind Power Turbine Generator
Featuring a slightly different design, this home wind turbine has curved 75cm blades made from die-casted galvanised aluminium alloy. When in use, they should produce low levels of noise and vibration.
The turbine kit is designed to be placed at heights between 2m and 12m above ground level, and can cope with winds of up to 40m/s. The battery voltage options range from 12V to 220V, and there’s an electromagnetic brake to stop overcharging.
You can use this turbine for households and boats.
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