21 DIY Wind Turbine Designs To Generate Off Grid Power

A DIY wind turbine is an easy and inexpensive way to convert wind power into electricity. Due to high cost of electricity many people are looking for ways to reduce their monthly utility bill, or to completely eliminate it. Wind generated electricity can be used for all your electrical needs, or to supplement solar panels or power purchased from a utility company.

A small homemade wind turbine can provide a home with energy that supplements the existing power source to save money. Larger turbines can eliminate the need to buy electricity from the utility company. Those who live off-grid, on a boat or in a remote cabin can rely on electrical energy generated by the wind when they build one of these 21 DIY wind turbines that we have made up a round of. A couple of these DIY designs are portable, making them great for taking along with you on remote camping trips.

21 DIY wind turbine designs for off grid living. 

1- DIY Wind Turbine

To make this diy wind turbine, first of all take a 12’’ steel disk in the hydro cuts, and then cut a template for the mounting of magnets in them. The next step is to mount the twelve grade n50 magnets on edge and then make a form and add resin with hardener in it.

Now wound the 9 individual coils then solder them in three phase wye configuration. Then use 35 turns of 2 parallel strands of 14 gauge enameled magnet wire for 12v. The next step is to make the pipe using wheel bearings and then make the blades. This DIY wind generator by instructables can be made easily at home with fewer sources.

2- Mini DIY Wind Turbine For Home (video tutorial)

To build this diy wind turbine like in this youtube you need a DC motor to be connected to the axle. Make body with wood, a block of wood should be in square should be nailed in one corner of the wood and make a slit in the other corner. Drill a hole in the square block for the axle to be inserted. You can buy blades from EBay which is the propeller, and is the best choice for the wind turbine.

One needs a good cost for purchasing the propeller and DC motor from EBay. Attach the propeller with the axle and secure with a washer. Attach two hose clamps around the DC motors and attach it to the wooden piece. You need 9 inches pipe for the body of the turbine to give it a nice and clean look. Attach the tail in the slit a bit higher.

3- Recycled DIY Wind Turbines

Get inspired by these DIY wind turbine designs by engineeringforchange that are made completely from recycled materials. Students from a New Jersey high school were given the task of building a functional wind turbine with only the materials they could salvage. The finished product was expected to generate 500W of power. These designs passed the teacher’s demands and so can your recycled creation.

4- Car Alternator DIY Wind Turbine

Transform an old alternative from a car into a functioning diy wind turbine by motherearthnews with these easy to follow instructions. Simple and practical, this design can be built cheaply and be up and running in less than two days. The blades for the wind generator are also re-purposed car parts that come from a fan clutch. You can save a car from the scrap pile by recycling all of its parts into something useful.

5- Vertical DIY Wind Turbine

Here we have a small but powerful DIY wind turbine by Greenterrafirma that generates 50 watts of power. The vertical shape allows it to catch the wind and harness its power unlike solar generator that uses sun energy for usage in the home, boat, recreation vehicle, cabin or camp site. Light weight vertical blades are created from PVC pipe that has been cut in half and the motor is recycled from an old treadmill. Ideal ways to utilize leftover pieces of PVC pipe.

6- Washing Machine Motor

To make this homemade wind turbine, take one old washing machine motor and some PVC pipe, follow these easy instructions and start making your own off-grid power source. These free pictorial instructions will show you how to build a vertical wind turbine by instructables that looks like a piece of art.

As compared to wind turbines we discuss above it’s attractive as well as functional, a perfect design to use in neighborhoods where there might be building codes and restrictions on structures. Plus it can be built cheaply using recycled parts.

7- Scrap Metal DIY Wind Turbine

Keep it green by building it green. This homemade wind turbine design is built from scrap metal parts. The finished product not only keeps metal out of the junk yard, but gives the metal a second life as something useful.

The usage of scrap metal will also save you a lot of money on this building project. Save money when you build it, save again when using it. This design makes the ultimate in green sense, conserving natural resources in more than one way.

8- Recycle Bicycle Into DIY Wind Turbine

Transform those old bicycle that you and/or the kids never ride anymore into something that will save you money and help save the planet. This detailed design will show you how to make a wind turbine such as this one by makezine using old bicycle parts and discarded aluminum. The end result is a functioning wind turbine that doesn’t waste natural resources and that costs less than $30 to build.

9- The 17 Foot Domestic DIY Wind Turbine

For building this homemade wind turbine you need trailer spindle and trailer hub for the machine of the turbine. Now take some steel rotors which should be 16” in diameter and should be cut from half inch steel. Next, weld 6 stator brackets with diameter 20” and drill six holes in which the center one will be drilled with the spindle.

Attach the magnet and coil in it with the super glue.  The next step is to attach the entire piece together along with the base and the tower. Place the turbine in such place where it is the windiest. The wind turbine cost for this is very economical since you will be using stuff which is usually available at home.

10- Make Micro DIY Wind Turbine

The material needed for this miniature diy wind turbine by popularmechanics are the five one inch diameter PVC 90 degree fittings, three one inch diameter PVC tee fittings, one one-inch diameter PVC coupler, six one inch diameter PVC six inch long pipes, one one-inch diameter PVC 24 inch long pipe, one inch diameter PVC two inch long pipe, two alligator clips, poster board for blades, twenty inch box fan or other wind source, duct tape, hot glue or glue gun, wire cutters, drill, DC motor with wires, 12 hole crimping hub, 25 dowels, multimeter, 5mm LED bulb , sound and light board. First of all build the rotor and nacelle by inserting two inch piece of PVC pipe into the 90 degree fitting.  Use duct tape to keep it fixed.

Next thread the wires around DC motor into the mouth of the pvc coupler and then through the 90 degree PVC fitting. Now attach the crimping hub to the motor by pressuring it into the driveshaft, and then build the base. After it attach the tower to the base, insert the wire down the 24 inch PVC pipe and attach the nacelle on the top.

Then thread the wire through the PVC tee and attach alligator clips to the exposed wires. Now make blades and secure it in the dowels with the help of glue and then insert the blades in the crimping hub holes. Use LED light and sound board, attach the wire to the alligator clips and put a box fan in front of the vertical wind turbine. With the wind energy, the electricity will be supplied.

11- Small DIY Wind Generator 

This is small wind power turbine by 1.eere.energy.gov which can generate a good amount of electricity. You need PVC material which will include the one inch 90 degree PVC fittings in a quantity of 5, one inch PVC tee fittings in a quantity of 3, one inch PVC pipe in five feet and one PVC coupler in one inch. This will be used for the tower and the base.

For the wiring and motors you need, one motor 500, 22 gauge hooks up wire in four feet, two alligator clips and one multimeter to record power output. All these should be fitted together to make a wind turbine at home, kids can decorate it any way they like.

12- How To Make A Homemade Wind Turbine

The homemade wind turbine by mdpub can be important for a house, imagine a situation where the power went out and there is no source of electricity. The wind turbine can help in producing a good amount of electricity. For this you need a generator, blades, a tower, base and the batteries and wiring system so that the wind turbine will work.

First of all select a place where the wind is present the most and then with the help of PVC pipes and other items make your own wind turbine. The electricity generated from the wind can be transferred to the battery which can then start giving the electricity.

13- Built a Wind Generator in Your Backyard For $150

You need a steel sheet, steel nipple, floor flange, square tubing, circular saw blade for the hub of the turbine, arbor, hose clamps, PVC pipes and fittings, metal screws, a diode and a lot more. The equipment which you may need are drill, measuring tape, sand paper, pipe wrench, protractor, pipe and crescent wrench.

All these items and equipment will be used for making the wind turbine at home such as this one by thekevdog. The generator will help in generating electricity, which will come when the blades are turned with the power of blowing wind.

14- Wasp DIY Wind Turbine

This mirco wind turbine by instructables takes its design and function from the wasp. The small, light weight size makes this DIY windmill generator easy to take along with you in the recreation vehicle and/or boat. Great for use at a remote camp site too. Don’t let the small size fool you, this turbine can generate enough power to provide you with the essentials when you go off-grid.

15- A Homemade Wind Turbine

In order to build your own wind turbine, the first and the most important step is to look for a space in the yard, which is a bit higher and gets most of the wind. Once this is decided, mark the place and then start with making the wind turbine. The next step is to get make the design and figure out how much energy should the residential wind turbine produce.

Once the basic steps are done, the next and the most important one are to get a generator which should be 90 colts DC at 32 to 40 RPM. In order to make the blades, You can use the PVC pipes and the diameter should be 2 feet and attach it to the hub of any circular wood or the base tin of the coffee container. The next step is to connect the motor wiring with the blades so that they may work when the wind blows.

16-Homemade Wind Turbine From Recycled Ceiling Fan

Recycle an old ceiling fan into something that will give you free energy with this idea. Easy to follow instructions show you how to build this homemade wind turbine by hackaday that can go where you go. It’s mounted on PVC pipe to make it a two piece portable wind powered generator so it can give you free energy wherever you go. The higher it’s mounted, the more energy it can produce.

17- Homemade Wind Generator

If you want to generate enough energy to power your home, consider this large design. The up-front cost of $150 is more expensive than other designs, but this DIY wind turbine by thekevdog is capable of generating 50-250 watts on a regular basis. The amount of power it (or any other turbine) can generate depends upon the wind speed.

Follow this free instructional video to build your own homemade wind generator and eliminate your monthly utility bill.

18- Tesla DIY Wind Turbine

Follow this video tutorial  to learn how to build a tesla turbine by instructables from a combination of recycled parts and a couple of new parts. This turbine can achieve speeds of up to 15,000-20,000 running speed rpm’s and top rpm’s reaching around 30,000.

That’s a very good rate of return on electrical cost savings for the up-front investment of a few dollars and a little elbow grease. This tesla turbine design can completely eliminate your need to purchase power from the utility company.

19- Vertical Axis DIY Wind Turbine

This DIY build is based on the design used in large, high poweredwind turbines such as this one by greenoptimistic built by professionals. The same principal is used in this build, only on a smaller and less expensive scale. Harness the power of the wind to generate your own electricity with this vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) design so you live off-grid or at least cut the cost of your monthly utility bill.

20- DIY 400 Watt Wind Turbine

This efficient diy wind turbine instructables can withstand 40+ mile per hour winds and produce electricity with as little as 15 mile per hour winds. A very good return of investment, considering the monetary investment is less then $200 for this DIY wind turbine. A little elbow grease and scrap metal will allow you to produce your own clean energy.

21- Large DIY Wind Generator

These detailed instructions will show you how to build a wind turbine by velacreations that is large and can generate a considerable amount of power. Here we have a wind turbine design that is great for usage in a wind farm setting where a community is being provided power from wind turbines.

This design is meant to placed on a tall tower. The higher this turbine design is placed the more electricity it will generate. It could be possible to generate an excess amount of electricity that your local utility company would be interested in purchasing from you.

Conclusion

Reduce your cost of living by building a diy wind turbine. Either you are living off grid, supplement small home energy requirements, or eliminate the need to buy electricity from the utility companies. These diy wind turbines from our list range from small to large one you can select from any of these that meet your budget and power requirements.

References:

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “How a Wind Turbine Works – Text Version”, https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-wind-turbine-works-text-version

eia, U.S. energy Information Administration, “Wind explained, Types of wind turbines”, https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/wind/types-of-wind-turbines.php

National Geographic, Subjects Earth Science, Climatology, “Wind Energy”, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/wind-energy/