Windmills – Old Technology, New Uses
Windmills have been around for centuries, utilizing wind to generate power. In the early days they were used to crush and grind crops like corn and to also draw water up from drains or wells. Over the years windmills evolved to more sophistiocated uses such as creating and storing energy used for electricity to power homes and businesses. in recent years windmills have gained favor in the area of pond and lake managment as a tool to generate energy to power air compressors for aerating ponds that do not have easy access to electricity. In the last 15 -20 years increasing awareness has led to a higher demand in pond aeration, however rural ponds do not always have electrical sources nearby. This created a need for a means to generate energy in a remote location to power a pond aerator and windmill aerators have been growing in popularity since.
Another recent trend has been the production of garden windmills. These windmills are smaller in stature that normal ones and allow for easy assembly and set up in backyards and gardens. Typically ranging from 9 ft to 16 ft these windmills are usually just for looks, but can be retrofitted with the proper equipment to make them functional aerating windmills for backyard ponds. These windmills can be found made from steel or wood and many can be custom painted to match other outdoor decor.