Why I Want My Own Windmill

I really want a wind generator. Unfortunately, they haven’t invented one that meets my personal criteria. I need one that’s cheap, can be put up on less than an acre of land-and that doesn’t need a lot of wind. I’d even pass up the cheap part, if I could find one that met the other two necessities.

The fascination with wind power goes back a long time. Windmills are not only pleasing to look at, but they seem so practical. I’ve done a fair amount of study on them, but I live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of wind, and what there is, is sporadic. What I need is a windmill that won’t get knocked over by heavy winds, and one that can store all the power those winds generate. It takes, it would seem, a lot of wind to run an average household. We use far too much electricity nowadays.

The companies are working on new models all the time. It won’t be long before it becomes practical to buy a windmill for your personal use. They have models that can be mounted on your rooftop, and I can envision rooftops with a line of small windmills, much like a line of gulls perched along the peak of a roof. It should be possible to reinforce a roof to adequately handle the extra stress. Even a separate pool barn type of building, especially constructed for that use, might be practical, if there’s adequate land.

What doesn’t seem surmountable at the moment is the steady wind velocity that’s needed. Most of us don’t live in areas that provide the right amount and consistency of wind. But they’re improving the models all the time, and the newly awakened interest of potential buyers should hurry the process.

If I were building a house, I believe I’d opt for a combination of a solar-friendly model and a windmill. It would feel good to be independent, even to a limited degree. Sadly, I haven’t enough interest, or am simply too spoiled, to give up my luxuries. I am, however, working on turning off lights when they’re not needed, using fluorescent bulbs, refraining from using the AC too much, and not driving more than necessary. It’s almost embarrassing how little I’m “suffering”. And there’s a certain amount of positive feedback to my soul when I know I’m doing something good.

It is good that I’m doing. No matter how we complain about the big companies, the jets, and the oversized cars being to blame for most of our problems with the environment and energy, when you add up the millions of small users (that’s you and I,) we become the equivalent of many big businesses. So we each have to do our part.

The day will come for wind power. It’s already on its way. I hope I’m around to see its full arrival..