Home Windmill Design Ideas

The vertical axis home windmill is the better choice of designs over the horizontal style. The vertical axis design windmill allows the blades to turn around a vertical axle. This design has many benefits that the horizontal design lacks.

Vertical Axis Benefits

These are the advantages of the vertical design over the horizontal propeller kind of home windmill.

• Takes less wind to generate electricity
• Pulls in wind from every direction causing a 50% efficiency increase
• No need to change direction to catch wind
• More safe during high winds
• More practical to maintain as generator is at bottom

A vertical axis home windmill can be blended creatively into the yard making it easier for the neighbors to accept. It doesn’t usually destroy birds like the horizontal axis home windmill does.

Horizontal Axis

The horizontal axis design is effective at producing energy. But its design takes up more room on the property. It is nosier and the blades safety is questioned in high winds. Some zoning boards won’t allow them.

Three Blade Design

The three-blade design is the best type for a home windmill. It is more durable and efficient. This optimizes the balance and gives the windmill an extended life. The blades can be constructed from a long lasting wood such as cedar or PVC pipe. A small motor DC powered is used to generate the power. A DC treadmill or washing machine motor will work.

You can build a small home windmill of less than 400 watts. It is cheaper and simpler to build. You can use a kit or gather used parts for your design. There are two kinds of kits. One has a building guide for those knowledgeable that can read schematics. The plan type provides step-by-step process.

Home Wind Turbines

This is a three-blade design that doesn’t store the energy with batteries. The energy they produce can be used while the wind is blowing. They come in horizontal or vertical axis design. This system usually has an output of 1 to 6 kilowatts. It doesn’t require rewiring your home.

Safety and Handy Parts

Put off switches on your power route for safety. It is a practical maintenance technique. A charge controller will keep the battery form over charging. A meter that measures the fullness of the battery lets you know the battery charge at all times. 

Vertical and Horizontal Manuals

Authors that have built their own home windmills have written step-by-step instructions so you can build your own home windmill.