Are there any disadvantages to choosing wind power for our home as offered by our electric company?

Question

Are there any disadvantages to choosing wind power for our home as offered by our electric company?

Answer 1

Good grief...the answers you have recieved thus far!

My husband works on the commercial wind turbines.  Our power company also offers purchasing of the wind power, at an extra $4 per month charge.  Something I find rather humorous, since my husband is actually employed to work on the wind turbines.

You will of course still have power if the wind is not blowing, or the wind farm is down for some sort of repair.  You electric company will continue to provide you power, it will just come from another source.  To think that the power company would leave you without power is just plain silly.

The modern commercial wind turbines DO NOT KILL BIRDS, as some people would have you believe.  To put it simply, the blades are larger than they use to be (and more efficient) and spin at a much slower rate.  The birds are well able to judge the speed of the wind turbines.  Wind farms actually provide amazing wildlife habitat.  Instead of becoming covered with sprawling housing developments, the land remains in tact, and the wildlife QUICKLY adapts to the turbines.  I am quiet an avid lover of wildlife.  I would be most distressed to see birds of prey, or migrating geese and swans killed by the turbines.  This simply doe NOT happen.

If you are able to easily afford the extra money for the wind energy, then I would say go ahead.  However, I would ask that your electric company provide an accounting of exactly how that money is being spent.  If it is a stretch for your budget, or you are having financial problems, then forgo the extra money.

Supporting the wind turbines is wonderful.  They provide wildlife habitat.  They are a completely renewable recource, the very towers themselves, are highly recyclable when they have reached the end of their lifespan.  

The wind turbines help suport people in rural areas with good paying jobs that are usually hard to come by.  In turn this also helps support local businesses.  Examples of that would be the local gentleman they employe at my husbands site to maintain the gravel roads, and to so snow removal.  They paid him over $100K last year.  The local fencing comapany they empoyed to put up strong gates to keep people off the landowners private land where the turbines sit (I forgot how much but it was expensive).  The local radio rental company they are always renting radios from when crews come in for different projects.  Usually $300 a month to the radio rental company.

The list goes on and on.  Supporting the green energy of the wind turbines really is a win-win situation.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 2

I suspect it costs more.  I know it does here.

Answer 3

Hi Kathryn,

I recently wrote an ebook on viable alternative energy options for regular folks  While researching the book I discovered a number of ways that a homeowner or anyone else for that matter can benefit from a wide range of alternative power options utilizing wind power and solar Power.

To answer your question,  One drawback to Wind Turbines/Generators is noise... If you live close to others they may be disturbed by the noise generated by the blades in moderatly high winds,  be sure to check the building codes in your area as well to determine whether or not such a device is allowed and what codes if any you may have to follow.

Also you will need to determine if you want to buy or build your system as there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

As has already been said... No Wind can present a problem as well that is why most wind turbine systems rely on a combination of wind and solar power to compliment one another.  However there are wind maps available that rate wind conditions in every region of the country as to its efficency for wind power generation.

I believe that a properly coordinated system is an unbeatable way  to heat and power your home and it is true that you can sell power back to the Power Company.

I hope this helps to answer your question, there is much to learn about these technologies...  A good place to start is with my book  "More Energy Now" which I am currently selling on Ebay for only $4.99.  I think you will find it very useful in your quest for viable energy alternatives.

Please feel free to email if you have more questions.

Answer 4

yes because you don't have to pay electricity billa

Answer 5

i believe that if the electric company wants you to buy the electricity produced by local wind power, you might have to pay a little more for it.

If you are hooked up to a grid, you will hve power.  but sometimes the energy from a wind farm might be a little higher, so the energy company needs to find people who are willing to buy those kW at a higher rate.

Answer 6

In Texas it will not work as when it is night the wind normally turns off. The sun drives the wind.

Answer 7

if there is no wind then you wont get any power.

but that is very rare

Answer 8

While we don't have this option in my area, I have seen a few houses around the region (and i mean only a few for several counties) that have personal(residential) wind turbines.  I read an article about one in particular, and here are a few facts I remember:

-Paid $15,000 for the unit several years ago

-durning very windy months, it actually generates more power than he uses...and the Power company actually has to PAY him for the surplus...though he said its very rare.

-Winter is still a problem though, esp if you use NG.

costly, but if you have a large home, it may not be a bad deal over 10 years

Answer 9

They charge you a little more.  There is no way they can route power from there Wind Generators to your house.  It all feeds the grid.  You get to feel better and they make more money.  Donating money to the needy would make more since if you want to feel better.

Answer 10

I just love the bird grinder people.  Here in Michigan, most the local farmers had windmills to pump water.  Guess what, not once in my 49 years have I seen a chopped bird, their just not that dumb.

Answer 11

Windmills are responsible for killing a great many eagles, hawks and other large birds.