DIY Wind Turbines: How to Choose Components and Install Them at Home (Video)

The History of Wind Turbine Creation

Initially, Bogdan purchased a cheap small horizontal wind turbine. Not so much for energy generation but as a test model. The craftsman wanted to improve the product in some way, so he started buying small components that allowed him to modify various parameters.

"I tried one element, then another. Then I thought: why am I even messing with factory products? I’ll build my own design and refine it according to the book's instructions. That’s how the idea came about. As a result, out of five wind turbines, I now have only one homemade, but honestly, it’s the most interesting one because it was made by my own hands. The main components: the generator and the wind wheel are factory-made, but the entire structure and the connection scheme are mine," shared the owner of the wind turbine.

According to Bogdan Kushlyk, the finished wind turbine achieved a power output of 600 W and operates more stably compared to the factory counterpart. This is due to the elongated body and the tail "blade" having a more proper shape and size.

"I wouldn't recommend a vertical wind turbine to anyone—under any conditions, it won’t work. The horizontal one, as I called it, delivers 600 W, and for a vertical one to reach that same output, it would need to be much larger and have a working area at least three times bigger. It makes no sense," asserts Bogdan Kushlyk, echoing the words of Igor Nedilko—another resident of the region who made himself a wind generator.

How to Make a Wind Turbine?

For this, you will need a generator, a rotor to spin it—which is the wind wheel—either horizontal or vertical. If it’s horizontal, there should be a mechanism to turn the structure toward the wind. Most often, it is made on a single bearing or a bearing system.

Any wind turbine produces alternating current: three wires, three phases. Next, you need to figure out how to draw the current without the wire twisting around the horizontal axis. There are special current collection mechanisms for this. Ready-made options are available on the market.

You also need to ensure that the generated electricity is stored in batteries. This is done through a charge controller—a device that converts alternating current to direct current and charges the batteries according to a programmed algorithm.

Installation Challenges

The biggest challenge is correctly selecting the generator and wind wheel so that they match each other's capabilities. This means the generator must be tested, and you need to check or obtain information from the manufacturer about how it operates under different loads and speeds. You need to calculate so that the generator's revolutions match those of the wind wheel.

Here, classic physics applies: an object with a smaller diameter spins faster but has less torque. The magnetic field inside the generator has resistance, preventing the shaft from spinning freely, so the wind wheel must "break it free" and reach certain revolutions. Thus, the right ratio must be found.

"And this is the problem that young wind catchers, let’s call them that, face," noted Bogdan.

Often in social media, comments suggest installing a gearbox or caring for a transmission box. Bogdan explains that all small wind turbines, that is, those up to 20 kW (to clarify—this is a 10-meter diameter), work perfectly with direct drive, and no gearboxes are needed. However, when moving to the 50-100 kW level and above, a transmission box, gearbox, and everything else, as done in industrial versions, is required.

Experts recommend assessing the wind strength at the installation site before setting up a wind turbine. Bogdan Kushlyk mentions that he had little choice since he installed the turbine at his home, but he used the website globalwindatlas.info, where you can select a point and check the average wind speed at 10, 50, 100 meters, and so on.

"I saw a figure of 3.6 meters per second for the average annual wind at 10 meters and thought: that’s low, but okay, let’s go. Well, what can you do? It’s still interesting. Of course, it’s better to install at higher altitudes and in windier places. For example, near the Kyiv Reservoir, if in the Kyiv region, it would blow better, particularly on the left bank rather than the right. Or there are places, say, in the south or southeast of Ukraine, where there are also strong winds, especially in the steppes or coastal regions," Bogdan shared.

He does not recommend installing wind turbines in the city due to dense construction and trees creating significant obstacles to airflows. Unless you can place a turbine on a tall building and raise it on a mast at least 5, preferably 10 meters high. It would be difficult to catch a sufficiently stable wind directly on the roof, although it depends on the location.

With apartment buildings in cities, there’s another complication—you need to negotiate with the residents of the Homeowners Association (HOS). Sometimes neighbors may not allow the owner of the wind turbine to generate free energy due to envy.

How Profitable is It to Make Wind Turbines?

Bogdan Kushlyk admitted that his homemade station with a small wind turbine cost about 20% more than a factory equivalent—240 dollars compared to 200. If we talk about a more powerful installation with a wind wheel diameter of 4-5 meters, it can cost 3000-5000 dollars or even more.

"If I had known I could buy one right away and not bother, I probably would have done that. But it was just interesting. So I don’t view this as an investment. The 40-dollar difference is negligible. It’s absolutely worth it just because it’s interesting," commented the Ukrainian.

In the cold season, Bogdan's household consumes about 1.5-2 MWh of energy, most of which is used for electric heating. The existing wind turbines cannot fully meet these electricity needs, but they help significantly, especially in winter. It’s almost impossible for them to generate 2 MWh per month; more powerful installations, at least 20 kW, are needed. However, overall, from what Bogdan Kushlyk has noticed, wind stations significantly extend the period of autonomy when there are power supply interruptions.

"I currently don’t have enough batteries; additional ones are on the way. I will increase the battery pack, but for now, I’m managing thanks to the wind turbines. When the power goes out and the wind blows well, I get 1.5-2 kW per hour from them. It’s great, a serious addition to autonomy," stated the household owner.

Increasing Efficiency

To ensure the wind turbine operates more stably and generates more electricity, it’s essential to choose the right location for its placement, minimizing obstacles to the wind. If it’s a private house in a village, it should be placed in the garden as far from buildings as possible.

To transmit current, a cable with lower loss should be used. There must be either a thick copper wire or aluminum SIP 16 or 25. This will significantly aid in energy generation. Additionally, the performance of the wind turbine heavily depends on the charge controller and its settings.

"This is a significant problem: finding a good controller. Fortunately, we have a reputable controller manufacturer in Ukraine named Sergey, known by the codename "Serkat." If anyone is interested, "Serkat" is the best Ukrainian controller available today. It also has its limitations because it works with windmills only up to 5.5 meters in diameter. If larger, you need to install either two or find another controller," noted the interviewee.

Bogdan Kushlyk mentioned that there are also good Chinese controllers, but they are typically designed for very high-voltage wind turbines, which people do not usually build themselves. Therefore, DIY enthusiasts often use Sergey’s controller or make their own. Issues arise with its configuration, as you need to specify the acceleration curve correctly.

"To put it simply, the controller must work in a way that doesn’t slow down the wind turbine at startup, allowing it to accelerate adequately, but it must also prevent it from reaching excessively high revolutions so that it doesn’t break apart, so to speak. All blades have their limits, even though they are designed for speeds six to seven times greater than wind speed, and they can’t exceed that. The controller's task is to keep the wind turbine steady and prevent it from spinning too fast during hurricane periods or very strong gusts. This doesn't happen often, but it does occur," he emphasized.

Bogdan Kushlyk has also installed solar panels and advises everyone to combine them with wind turbines for relatively stable generation throughout the year. The wind turbine operates much better from November to April than during other months, generating about 80% of the annual energy output during this period.

With solar modules, it’s the opposite—they generate only 10% of what they do in summer during winter. If it’s for personal use, the panels should be installed at a variable angle to adjust according to the season, using a calculator. In the Kyiv region, a tilt of 66-68 degrees to the horizontal should be set in winter, facing south with a 3