When we get into talking about wind power, there are a lot of terms that get thrown around. It can be a bit intimidating, but the reality is that at the base, this is a simple technology, so let’s get that information out there.

Cut-In Speed: The lowest speed of wind necessary to move a wind turbine. Below this, the blades won’t move.

Governor: The device that is used to prevent a wind tower from overwhelming the system. Although this seems counter-intuitive at first, if the wind blows too fast, the turbine can be damaged, the batteries can be overwhelmed, and circuits can short. Thus, any number of technologies can be employed to stop the windmill from running. Nearly all rely on moving the blades in some was in order to prevent them from catching wind.

Governing Speed: The wind speed at which the governing mechanism is activated. This will determine the most power that can be put out at a single time by your wind generator.

Rotor Diameter: Just that- how large is the diameter of the circle created by the spinning rotors.

Swept Area: The amount of area, in square feet, covered by the spinning rotors. This is essentially the area of the circle.