Summary

Wind Power Your Home For Dummies guides readers through each step of the process in acquiring, installing, and maintaining a home-scale wind turbine system. Coverage includes conducting a home energy audit to assess current energy use; determining if wind power is right for their home; explanations of the mechanics of wind power at home; how to tie into the grid and sell energy back to the power company; how to finance the project; and how to work with contractors.

Author Biography

Ian Woofenden is a Senior Editor with Home Power magazine, the Northwest & Costa Rica Coordinator with Solar Energy International, and a wind-energy author, consultant, and instructor. He has been living off-grid with his family and several wind generators for almost 30 years.

Introduction.

Part I: A Wind Primer: Stuff You Need to Know.

Chapter 1: Introducing the World of Home Wind Electricity.

Chapter 2: Is Wind Energy for You?

Chapter 3: Deconstructing Wind-Energy Systems.

Chapter 4: Electricity Basics — a Shocking Amount of Info.

Chapter 5: Blowing through Vital Wind-Energy Principles.

Part II: Assessing Your Situation.

Chapter 6: The Home Energy Assessment: Gauging Your Energy Appetite.

Chapter 7: Increasing Your Home’s Energy Effi ciency.

Chapter 8: Determining Your Site’s Wind-Energy Potential.

Chapter 9: Defi ning Your Relationship to the Grid.

Chapter 10: Calculating the Value of Your Investment.

Chapter 11: If Not Wind, Then What? Other Options for Green Energy.

Part III: Assembling Your System.

Chapter 12: Gathering a Team of Experts — or Going It Alone.

Chapter 13: Weighing Wind Generator Options.

Chapter 14: Talking about Towers.

Chapter 15: Checking Out the Rest of the System Components.

Chapter 16: Tying Everything Together: System Sizing and Design.

Part IV: Installing and Operating Your System.

Chapter 17: Safety First!

Chapter 18: Installation Time.

Chapter 19: Living with Wind Energy.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: Ten Essential Steps toward a Successful Wind-Electric System.

Chapter 21: Ten Wind-Energy Mistakes.

Chapter 22: Ten Tales of Wind-Energy Users and “Abusers”.

Part VI: Appendixes.

Appendix A: Glossary.

Appendix B: Conversions, Abbreviations, and Acronyms.

Index.

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

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