I have been told that there is nothing free on the internet- while this is true most of the times, there are exceptions and I noticed on the RE sites the things that are free are from good people who are genuinely interested promoting renewable energy.
Then there are those who are out to make a buck, and there's alot of them. Do a search online for "wind generators" and you'll see. Alot of them say "Build a Wind Generator" when in fact they should say "Assemble a Wind Generator" because this is exactly what they are selling - kits. You arent building anything, you're putting a bunch of mass produced pieces together hoping you will have something remotely identified as a wind generator.
I know capitalism and free markets abound us in this modern age and in the hands of the truly intelligent they are powerful tools to satisfy the most basic of human natures - greed and want. Nothing wrong with that, to each is own. There are alot of people making claims about how you will "SLASH YOU ENERGY BILLS IN HALF" if you purchase their system, before you do i'd appreciate an email so i can discuss a bridge in New York i'd like to offer you first. Unless you are truly devoted to RE and willing to walk the walk or have more money than you know what to do with ( brings us back to that bridge thing ) forget it. What you're buying is a kit that might supplement some of your usage but not to any great extent and it certainly wont let you jump off the grid.
Anyhow, being someone who has built a few small systems for experimentation and learning I can honestly say this. There is no better thrill than creating something from it's raw materials into something that you nurtured all along the way, the months it took to construct something with your own personal touch in, the days spent peeling epoxy off your fingers because you forgot your gloves or just sitting there watching the thing spin at night basking in your mild satisfaction at what you did. Compare this to opening a box of parts and after several phone calls to a customer help line all the while learning a second language just to be told you were an idiot because you didnt follow instructions or that you just voided your warranty and no one wants to help you, well i'll take the long road, maybe make some new friends and wow your neighbours (some will say "well if he can do it , i might just give it a try"). Now thats satisfaction, in my humble opinion
