We are interested in purchasing and installing a windmill to support our energy needs. Can a lay person install one? Also, where can we purchase a good windmill that isn't overly expensive? How about used, is it a good idea? Any info. or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

-- Karen Dinsmore (rkdinshaw@rectec.net), February 23, 2001

Answers

Karen,

First off, the fact that you are posting at this board, puts you ahead of "lay person". :>) You are looking at it from the "outside the box " perspective. It really all depends how much effortyou are capable and willing to put into it. I went into the archive and saw quite a bit of useful information that can be of help to you. Do a few site searches and "look at the pictures", get some ideas and bring it back here for discussion, contemplation and dissection. I'm sure you can achieve the goals you want. One of the available back issues of CSM is supposed to cover the wind system used at the Countryside offices. This may give you some ideas also. Keep us posted as you progress.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 24, 2001.

Check the archives for some great resources, like Home Power magazine (yes, they have a website).

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 24, 2001.

We installed our first windgenerator in 1977 on a 55 foot tower, with the help on one neighbor (who had never done anything like this--he had a truck that we used). It was on a tower of the type used for water-pumping windmills, and we got the tower as a truckload of parts-lots of angleirons etc. We assembled the tower, raised it up, and installed the generator on top of it. Twelve years later we took it all down and took it with us when we moved, and it is up and running again at our present home. Micheal Hackleman wrote a book about home-made windpower back in the 1970's, I think, but I don't recall the exact title. It has a good discussion of raising a tower and installing a generator on it, and it would be worth finding and reading the book before you start the project. What kind and size of tower and windmill or generator are you thinking of? Size of the unit can make a big difference in the tower you need. Are you thinking of a water pumping windmill, or an electricity-generating windgenerator? I have a good friend in western Wisconsin who makes his living maintaining, refurbishing, and installing Aermotor brand water-pumping windmills, if that is what you want. He sells used ones when he has them available.

Jim

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), February 26, 2001.