So I had an idea. Might not be a good idea but it's an idea none the less. When I was a kid we used to camp a lot. I would entertain myself by tossing dried oak leaves over the top of the camp fire one at a time and watch the thermal wind carry the leaf up into the air. Why could this energy not be harnessed to generate electricity?

My thoughts are this. During the winter time anyone who burns wood for heat is wasting a lot of the released energy from the wood. Would it be feasible to attach a windmill turbine to the side of a chimney with half the blade running parallel with the top of the chimney. When you have a fire going the hot air rushing over the blades should turn the turbine. Via a pulley system attach the turbine to a chevrolet 2 prong alternator with built in regulator to generate 15 volts of electricity to charge battery banks.

While you are keeping your family warm via a wood fire you would also be generating electricity to power your home. During the winter time the days are shorter and more often cloudy which hinders the ability to generate power via solar panels. I think this would be a good way to supplement the loss of solar power during winter months.

What are y'all's thoughts on this?