If you’re like a lot of other people that are thinking about constructing a wind turbine or wind generator in order to help lower or even eliminate your electric bill, welcome to the club. Because of recent increases in energy costs, thousands of other like minded people have also begun to explore alternative energy as a replacement source of energy for their homes.

And what they’re finding is that solar and wind power can be very beneficial not only to them in the form of cost savings, but to the environment in the form of reduced carbon emissions. Once you start to get a feel for alternative energy, you’ll start to wonder why we didn’t adopt some of these methods years ago instead of waiting until now. In any case, before you jump into using wind and solar power, there are a few things you need to know.

Your Local Zoning Laws

This is one of the most important areas to research, especially when it comes to erecting a windmill or wind generator. In all likelihood, your town or municipality probably already has laws that govern the erection of towers and wind powered generators. Make sure you check with your zoning board, or local authorities about any possible regulations or zoning laws that may cover the erection or building of wind generators. Recently, a lot of towns and cities have become more aware of wind turbines, and have started enacting legislation that governs their use, i.e. height limits, site placement, noise limits, etc.

It’s also worth paying special attention to the noise factor of a wind turbine. If you’ve got neighbors, try to put yourself in their shoes. If the situation was reversed, would you want to constantly listen to their windmill? A properly positioned wind generator will likely eliminate this problem, so make sure to think of your neighbors before you build.

Is There Adequate Wind Power at Your Location?

Most people that have lived in their current home for awhile probably have a good idea of the amount of wind power that they have available to power a wind generator. Even though your gut instinct about this isn’t accurate by traditional scientific standards, it’s definitely accurate enough to warrant further, more scientific, inspection. If you don’t often have days with no wind, or frequently have high winds, you’re probably a good candidate for wind power. You should take the time to investigate your location using wind maps that are put out by the government. You can find them here: http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/wind_maps.asp. These maps will help to confirm the viability of wind power at your location based upon years of scientific data.

The Next Step is to Have a Plan

The number one most important step is to ensure that you’ve got a plan. Before you buy any materials, get yourself a good set of plans. There are MANY different plans available these days, but only a handful of them are worth purchasing. The ones that are worth buying have been around for awhile, have been tweaked and tested, and have good support. Our current favorite set of commercially available plans, the package provides plans for both solar panels and wind turbines, is here. The best part about them is that they’re extremely detailed with video demonstrations that leave nothing out. They’re so comprehensive in fact, that a person with absolutely no experience could follow the steps and be successful. And on top of that, they’re realistic when recommending materials and sourcing the parts needed.

Finally, set your goal, break it up into small manageable pieces, and don’t get overwhelmed. It may seem like a huge endeavor at the start, but it’s very easy to do if you attack it in smaller chunks. And most importantly, to keep yourself motivated, keep reminding yourself of the free power that you’ll be getting, and the money you’ll save!