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Another potential section this time on Small scale wind and water power. ------ To come.

Wind Power
Dramatic and great whern the wind blows. Applicable in open and exposed locations. There can be problems of noise urban areas. Turbulence can also greatly reduce effectiveness. If you have a suitable site generators are readily available at costs which are falling fast. Good examples of suppliers are Navitron.


Water power.  For those lucky enough to have a head of water which flows continuously there are opportunities for producing your own power which, depending on your head and flow of water, can supply all the power you need with no ongoing environmental costs.

There are many suppliers of such appliances. One of these is: Navitron who sell a range of turbines made in China which only need wiring and pipework. Alternatively those with an engineering bent can build their own turbine from scratch. Here are plans for such a project:  http://www.discoversolarenergy.com/DIY/hydro.htm. A turbine will normally give a much higher power output than a traditional water wheel as it runs at a far higher speed and can power the generator direct  rather than need ing a geerbox with its associated power losses.