Build Your Own Small Wind Power System [Paperback]

Kevin Shea (Author), Brian Clark Howard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2011 | ISBN-10: 0071761578 | ISBN-13: 978-0071761574 | Edition: 1

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO BUILDING A SMALL WIND POWER SYSTEM FROM THE GROUND UP

Written by renewable energy experts, this hands-on resource provides the technical information and easy-to-follow instructions you need to harness the wind and generate clean, safe, and reliable energy for on-site use.

Build Your Own Small Wind Power System shows you how to install a grid-connected or off-grid residential-scale setup. Get tips for evaluating your site for wind power potential, obtaining permits, financing your project, selecting components, and assembling and maintaining your system. Pictures, diagrams, charts, and graphs illustrate each step along the way. You'll also find out how you can help promote wind-friendly public policies locally. Save money and reduce your carbon footprint with help from this practical guide.

COVERAGE INCLUDES:

• Challenges and impacts of small wind energy
• Electricity, energy, and wind science
• Determining if wind power is right for you
• Site assessment
• Financing small wind power
• Permits and zoning
• Wind turbine fundamentals
• Choosing the right wind turbine for the job
• Balance of system: batteries, inverters, and controllers
• Installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting
• Future developments in wind power

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Shea founded and operates RE Power, Inc., a small-scale biodiesel manufacturing plant. He also designed and built the Long Island Green Dome—the nation's largest and first LEED-qualified, Energy Star residential geodesic dome home made of renewable and reused material, and equipped with a 10k solar array, a 1.9kw wind turbine, and a geothermal system.

Brian Clark Howard is an award-winning environmental journalist with a decade of experience producing and managing top-notch content for websites, magazines, books, newsletters, blogs and more. He spent three years as web editor for The Daily Green and five years as managing editor of E/The Environmental Magazine (the U.S.'s oldest, largest independent environmental magazine). Brian is the coauthor of four books on environmental topics, including Green Lighting and Geothermal HVAC.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 1 edition (November 9, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071761578
• ISBN-13: 978-0071761574
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Energy
  • #68 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil
  • #85 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Conservation

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Tame the Wind February 16, 2012

By Dr. Bojan Tunguz HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Wind power seems like one of the cleanest renewable power sources that you can imagine. In fact, it is one power source that has been in use for centuries, if not millennia. It is cheap and in many places readily available, albeit not a very reliable source of power. Due to the plunging cost of natural gas in recent years, many forms of renewable energy have become seemingly cost-inefficient. However, there are still many good reasons to look to renewables as a solid investment in a long-term energy reliability and security.

"Build Your Own Small Wind Power System" is an instruction manual for all those who have dreamed about building their own power-generating windmills. It is a fairly comprehensive book, but it assumes a great deal of prior technical know-how and advanced technical skills. Building effective wind power systems is orders of magnitude more complex task than working on a solar or some other renewable energy source. If you choose to take the wind-energy route to energy independence, then I would strongly urge you to collaborate with one or more people on implementing your goals.

Aside from the technical details, this book covers a lot of legal and logistical material. It is well written, accessible, with several short humorous digressions which help with the overall readability. The topics covered include "Introduction to Small Wind Power," "Electricity, Energy, and Wind Science," "How to Finance Small Wind Power," "Wind Turbines Demystified," "Installation, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting," and many others. The book also includes useful online and offline references for further resources that you may want to tap into. No matter what your level of expertise with wind energy, this book will certainly be a useful guide.

***** Review Copy Provided by the Publisher *****

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I needed. Great info! March 15, 2012

By Rob Tucker

Format:Paperback

I have a piece of land in Texas and I was looking for a way to set up a windmill or something to generate electricity for me. I was going to go the solar route, but somebody suggested a windmill. In my research on how to build a windmill, I discovered this book and figured I had nothing to lose by getting it. Turns out, this was EXACTLY what I needed. So, I flew down there and over the last few weeks my brother and I built a windmill out there and it's working great.

After our first one, we have some ideas on how to make it better. We are tentatively planning on building more around the property, to help get clean energy from a renewable source. I highly recommend this book for anybody that is in my boat, or just want to expand their knowledge on this.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of useful information April 25, 2012

By Mike D

Format:Paperback

This book not only covers the aspects of wind power you would expect to see, like everything from the science behind it, to buying a commercially made and professionally installed system, or doing a total roll your own, home-built option. However, it also goes into other helpful areas you might not immediately think of, but that could become big gotchas later. It has chapters on how to deal with planning and zoning boards, obtaining permits and variances, dealing with neighbors who are afraid your wind turbine will hurt their property values or ruin the neighborhood, and how to get financing for a wind power system. It is a great book with lots of useful information for anyone thinking about getting into wind power.