That’s the picture given by this page:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_wind_turbine

Although no airborne turbines are yet in production, researchers appear to be optimistic about their potential. The high winds of the jet stream are so powerful that harnessing just 1% of their power would meet the needs for the whole planet.

Unlike gusts at ground level, at high altitudes the winds are constantly very strong – ideal for generating lots of energy.

The disadvantages of such a system would be that it would create no-fly zones to prevent aircraft collisions. But that seems a small inconvenience to me.

This invention could in theory be scaled down for use at very small altitudes. Since the wind at just 100-200 feet is so powerful, domestic wind generators such as these could be powerful enough for a single unit to power an entire home.

Technorati Tags: Domestic Wind Generators

http://www.mywindpowersystem.com/2009/06/

The link above will give you a good idea what to expect from various turbine ratings. E.G. A turbine rated at 4Kw: (4kW x 0.3 x 8760 hours in a year) = 10,512 kWh per year.

If you have not already done the maths, this article is a good place to start. Many people skip this, perhaps because it is a bit boring for them, but even if you have to ask a friend to help you, you really don’t want to skip doing these quick calculations.

Here is some additional recommended reading I recently found: -

• Wind Powered Generators – 5 Questions the Do-It-Yourselfer Needs … – Constructing wind powered generators does not require any special skills, but you should conduct some studies before undertaking a project like this. Some of the questions you have to answer before starting are: Where do I start? …

photo credit: supernova3688

Technorati Tags: Domestic Wind Generators