How to build a wind turbine

If someone mentions a wind turbine your mind will most likely conjure up an image of an enormous structure, shooting up toward the sky. But contrary to that perception, wind turbines fall within the realm of do-it-yourself green energy projects. That’s right, those who live in areas that have consistent winds a little stronger than a breeze (between eight and 15 mph) might want to consider installing a small wind turbine on their roof or in their yard—depending on the turbine’s size. At-home wind turbines can help reduce a home’s power use by harnessing and storing wind-generated power in simple battery arrays.

Turbines are composed of a plethora of parts such as a generator, rotating shaft, gearbox and mounting tower—construction can be complicated. Good thing there are people like Michael Davis of Arizona who share their stories of building wind turbines at home and offer helpful tips. Davis, for example, urges builders to use caution when raising and lowering the turbine: “The whole head assembly can still swing around and crack you hard on the noggin if the wind changes direction while you are working on these things. So be careful out there.”