Residential Wind Power

Wind turbines on the roof or in the backyard are set to rival solar panels as a viable source of powering homes, a group of university students says.

Final-year mechanical engineering students from the University of Adelaide in Australia will design, build and test three different types of wind turbines for suburban homes.

The prototypes will have the latest technology says Technical director Ashby Allinson-Martin.

They will be affordable and easy to install.

“Unfortunately, the technology is currently not to the point where it is cost effective for home owners, which is where this project comes in,” he said.

“We’re looking to produce turbines that are cutting-edge in technology, aerodynamics and construction, making them cheap to buy and install in the average household”. He said the market for residential wind power largely was untapped.

“It would help to take financial pressure off home owners from ever-increasing power bills and it would take some pressure off the state’s power grid,” Mr Martin said.

“We’re already well advanced in our designs and ahead of schedule. The wind turbine testing is expected to begin in July, with the final results on display at the Mechanical Engineering honours project exhibition in November.”

The team expects each turbine to produce a peak 500W of energy. This will be compared with typical domestic usage, looking at quality and consistency of power.

Costal suburbs would be an ideal location but the turbines are likely to work quite well anywhere not too densely populated, Mr Martin said.