As discussions and concentrated efforts continue in the United States to emphasize personal efforts to recycle and conserve energy, many question the responsibility of the state and federal government bodies to convert our current dependence on foreign oil sources for energy to cleaner alternative for domestic energy. As it turns out, although we have not heard much about it until recently, the U.S. has been preparing for an energy crisis for several decades, and has funded many programs to develop renewable energy source harnessing. Now that the impact of wasteful use of energy is becoming evident, the past research can now be implemented to resolve many of the fuel shortage problems we are all experiencing.

The United States Department of Energy is a branch of the federal government which is responsible for assuring that residential and commercial consumers of utilities are provided with a continual supply of energy at reasonable cost. There is a specific budget within the Department of Energy set aside for research and development of renewable energy sources. That is, energy sources which do not deplete a finite supply of natural resources to provide usable energy. This is not a new concept. The highest budget allotted for renewable energy development was during the energy shortage of the 1980’s, under President Jimmy Carter. When President Ronald Reagan took office, he slashed the budget by 75%, and since this time, the budget has increased and decreased according to current administration principles.

Overall, the U.S. trails both Europe and Japan in research and development of alternative and renewable energy sources. Long standing developments in solar energy and wind energy harnessing and conversion to usable electricity, are now being revisited by the domestic alternative fuel industry and require the cooperation of the state and federal government to implement the technological advances on a broad scale.

One good example of the government stepping up to the plate on the issue of renewable and alternative energy development is the continued support of Clean Cities act which was enacted in 1993 and is comprised of over 90 coalitions which strive to shift the energy infrastructure of the U.S. to use of alternative fuels in its government vehicles, and low carbon print energy consumption in government buildings. To date, more than 157,000 alternative fuel vehicles have replaced gasoline driven vehicles within the Clean Cities organization, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program. The programs’s ultimate goal to to shift dependence on foreign oil suppliers for domestic transportation to a domestic source that dramatically reduces or eliminates harmful emissions into the environment.

By continuous cooperation between private corporations and research organizations and systematic funding by government entities, the hopes for renewed excellence in the fields of science and development will once again push the United States into the foreground of technology. The initial steps are small, and each individual has the responsibility to impact the overall conversion to renewable energy in any way he can. Corporations hold additional responsibility, as their impact on the overall environment can be more devastating and they hold the power to influence other manufacturers and suppliers to concede to alternative fuel sources such as solar and wind energy to power their manufacturing plants.

Getting or building a wind power generator for home use is quickly becoming an attractive option for many environmentally conscious homeowners. Alternative energy sources are looking quite feasible in helping to alleviate both environmental damage and fuel shortage related to the use of fossil fuels. If we manage to develop these budding fields properly, we may eventually wean ourselves off of our reliance on coal, oil, and gas. This will not only stabilize our power generation, but also result in many benefits to the environment as we use renewable, green ways of making energy. Thus, the need for a wind power generator for home use.

These electricity generators are becoming more and more commonplace as people install more of them both on large and small scales. They are machines that can convert the natural breeze-induced mechanical movements into electricity. Thus, they only need this force of nature to produce energy, which is free, essentially unlimited or renewable, and all natural. This basic concept of harnessing the energy all around us is what lies behind any good renewable energy source.

Some background on the concept behind using a wind power generator for home use would be useful to have. Generators work by transforming physical motion, usually rotation, into electricity using strong permanent magnets. Turbines then work on the same essential principle, using natural flows to turn blades, which then produce electricity in conjunction with magnets. Both direct and alternating current may be produced by generators (for AC, the term used is usually alternator instead of generator, but the concept is basically the same). The electricity produced can then be wired to devices for immediate usage, stored in batteries, or even wired back into the power grid for other users.

Most renewable energy sources require a higher capital outlay than conventional fossil fuel power generation. This is because the technology for these new energy sources is much younger and less understood and developed than the older technologies. However, as interest in these sources continues, technological and engineering developments should make costs more manageable. In fact, at present, many systems are already being made available for residential use. This is why it is relatively easy to get your hands on a homemade windmill/turbine.

Of course, harnessing the breeze would not necessarily be efficient for every single home and location. There needs to be, first and foremost, enough available space for the turbine. The amount of space and clearance required varies from setup to setup: some can be mounted on roofs while others need freestanding towers. Remember that the strength of this force of nature would also not be constant throughout the year, meaning other sources must also be used. Getting a wind power generator for home use is still a great, green idea, however.

Tired of high electric bills? Discover how thousands of families are using homemade wind power systems to power their homes!