As growing worldwide energy demands place more strain on our electricity supplies, it is more important than ever that we look for was to conserve energy in our home. Even more effective than this though is looking for ways to generate our own electricity. Pollution-free energy and cost-effective energy solutions for our houses have never been more important. Solar energy and wind energy are the most effective ways to reduce the use of traditional electricity suppliers.

These solutions can help the fight against power failures, dramatically reduce our electricity bills and also help the environment. Today I will look at wind energy.

Wind energy solutions work best if the following conditions are met:

* Your house or farm house is spread over a wide area - ideally an acre or more.

* The average wind speed in your area is about 11 miles per hour. If you are in an area with little windflow the system may not work.

A typical system of wind energy consists of a tower with 3 to 5 blades to capture the wind energy. In low wind areas the tower will be taller, while in higher wind areas it will be lower - this is due to wind strength generally being stronger the higher it is above the ground (due to less obstacles).

The electricity generated by the wind propellor / turbine is converted into electricity and then can either be sent to a bank of batteries and/or to power your electrical applicances. The most practical use to setup a bank of batteries - this stores power to be used in times when the wind isn't blowing, and guarantees you'll have power should the electricity network ever go down. Extra charge not needed for the batteries or for appliances can be diverted towards heating or lighting so that it's not totally wasted.

Pollution free, clean green, carbon positive, renewable energy - all these terms and more describe wind energy, the power of the future.