One Man's Quest For Power - Wind Power

Baltimore resident, David Powers, got tired of hearing the industrial hum of his generator. It interfered with the camping experience he wanted to create for his family. Listening to that drone drown out the sounds of nature finally got to him and he began tinkering with using a small wind turbine to produce the power needed for his pop-up camper.

First he set up a turbine in his backyard, which didn't thrill his neighbors. The 28 foot tower and turbine cost about $80, including the motor and rotor he bought on eBay. The wind supplied enough energy to power the campers lights, refrigerator, oven fan and water pump. He had success.

On his next trip to their favorite campsite at Assateague State Park in Maryland. The constant breeze on the island spun the turbine and created enough energy to power up the camper's two 13.8 volt batteries. Next time, Powers plans to increase the turbines efficiency by using fiberglass blades.

He's happy with his decision and hopes to inspire more campers to try innovative solutions for power - harness the power of nature while connecting with nature - much better than dragging out the gas generator and filling our parks with enough noise pollution to make everyone think they pitched their tents on a construction site.

If you'd like to more about building your own wind powered turbine, visit http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind_tips.html to learn about how they work and http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/how_to_build_yo_1.php for directions to build your own.