Build Your Own Small Wind Power System - Kevin Shea,Brian Clark Howard

Kevin Shea, Brian Clark Howard

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Introduction

Shows individuals and business owners how to harness clean, safe wind energy

Explains how to evaluate a site, get permits, select components, and set up a wind energy system
Discusses zoning issues, tax credits and governmental incentives, and working with local utilities
Covers all technical aspects, including height, lot size, aesthetics, sound, property values, insurance, installation, and troubleshooting

About the book

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

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.

Table of contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1. First Wind: Introduction to Small Wind Power
Chapter 2. Second Wind: Challenges and Impacts of Small Wind Energy
Chapter 3. Electricity, Energy, and Wind Science
Chapter 4. Personal Assessment: Is Wind Power Right for You
Chapter 5. Site Assessment: Will Wind Power Work at Your Location
Chapter 6. How to Finance Small Wind Power
Chapter 7. Navigating Permits and Zoning
Chapter 8. Wind Turbines Demystified
Chapter 9. How to Choose the Right Wind Turbine for the Job
Chapter 10. Balance of System: Batteries, Inverters, Controllers, and More
Chapter 11. Installation, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting
Chapter 12. Future Developments in Wind Power
Glossary
Notes
Index