RECENT POSTSRogersville — The pick-up truck growled as it tugged the windmill off the ground and into its concrete bed.
Chad and Brooke Monteith watched from below under a cloudless sky as their boxer darted after shadows created by the blades.
Like a growing number of people, the Monteiths installed a wind generator on their property to reduce their energy consumption.
Of the 7,000 small wind systems sold in 2006, the vast majority (70 percent) were installed on farms, rural areas and in the suburbs. While it's not for everyone, wind energy may be more attainable than you think."We're being more ecologically aware and trying to reduce our carbon footprint," Chad Monteith said.
The wind generator, a Skystream 3.7, is made by Southwest Power in Arizona and was designed for residential use.
It begins producing power in 8 mph winds but is recommended in areas that average 12 mph winds.
Monteith expects it will reduce his family's energy consumption by 25 to 33 percent, although the company's Web site said it can lower electricity bills from 30 to 80 percent.
The installation was "fairly easy," Monteith said.
To read more about home based windmills with photos go to the Source