In most cases, the utility will install a second utility meter to measure how much surplus electricity it is purchasing from the turbine owner.Īn 80- to 120-foot tower is usually supplied along with the wind turbine. A wind turbine is easily retrofitted to virtually any home without the need to change any wiring or appliances. Will I have to change any of the wirings in my house? A wind turbine manufacturer should be able to help arrange the required utility company approvals.ĩ. Will my utility allow me to hook up a wind generator?įederal regulations require utilities to connect with and purchase power from small (less than 80 MW) wind energy systems. Wind turbines do not interfere with TV reception.Ĩ. A typical residential wind system makes less noise than the average washing machine. Small wind turbines do make some noise, but not enough to be found objectionable by most people. Do wind turbines make noise or interfere with TV reception? In very hilly or mountainous areas, however, it may be best to collect wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site is not in a sheltered area.ħ. Wind resource data published by the Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance. Don’t I have to take wind measurements for a year or more?įor most residential systems, the cost of taking wind measurements is not justified. Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gasses (carbon dioxide and other gasses which cause climate change).Ħ. Wind turbines produce no pollution and by using wind power you will be offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Will it help the environment if I install a wind turbine at my home? Residential wind turbines have been installed in at least 47 of the 50 states, but the majority of the units have been installed in the Northeast and the Midwest.ĥ. As a general rule of thumb, if economics is a concern, a turbine owner should have at least a ten mph average wind speed and be paying at least 10 cents/kWh for electricity. The economics of a wind system are very sensitive to the average wind speed in the area, and to a lesser extent, the cost of purchasing electricity. Except for very small wind turbines (i.e., with rotors one meter or less in diameter) on very small towers, a property size of one acre or more is desirable. Who should consider buying a wind turbine?Ī residential wind turbine can be a relatively large device and is not suitable for urban or small-lot suburban homes. Depending upon the average wind speed in the area, a wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts would be required to make a significant contribution to meet this demand.Ĥ. Homes use approximately 9,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year (about 780 kWh per month). What size turbine would I need for my home? The amount of money a small wind turbine saves you, in the long run, will depend upon its cost, the amount of electricity you use, the average wind speed at your site, and other factors.ģ. In northern parts of the country where less air conditioning is used the bills can be very low year-round. It is not uncommon for wind turbine owners with total-electric homes to have monthly utility bills of only $8 to $15 for nine months of the year. The wind turbine typically lowers your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent. Small wind systems for remote applications operate somewhat differently.Ģ. There are no batteries in a modern residential wind system. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, the extra electricity is sold to the utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. In a standard residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility.
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