Infinite Power

In the pub tonight conversation turned to wind power. It is presently fashionable to put a wind turbine on the top of your house (one of our political party leaders here has got one). Apparently, for the outlay of only fifteen hundred pounds you can get a device which, during a hurricane, produces almost enough electricity to power your hairdryer.

I'm not convinced by this, I think the answer has got to be reducing consumption by insulation and other clever tricks. However, now that you no longer need planning permission to put up a windmill on your roof, I suppose they are going to become fashionable.

However, if they ever become de regeur I have a plan. I'm going to make a balsa wood wind turbine and stick on the roof. Inside I'm going to put a tiny electric motor so that the blades always turning. Always.

Whilst my neighbours bemoan the lack of wind and the fact that they have spent all this money on something which is actually useless I'll be able to point up at my roof and talk about the kilowatts of power that I'm presently generating. Not exactly eco-friendly I suppose. But fun. 

Comments

[Philip Stears]

What a fantastic idea - I might even go so far as to put a water turbine next to my pond too :)

[Richard]

Just imagine the damage though if one of those things were to come detached, possibly in heavy winds and attack a poor old man walking past your house >.< Not just a power source but also a deadly weapon.

[krass]

hehe

[Willeth]

I'm sure I read somewhere that insulation is completely pointless unless you plan on being nice to the next family to live in your house after yours is all dead.

[Rob]

I think that it does actually pay for itself in a reasonable timeframe. Of course at my age you might be right.....