Benefits of Wind Power
A wind energy system can provide you with a cushion against electric power price increases. Wind energy systems help reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels, and they are nonpolluting. If you live in a remote location, a small wind energy system can help you avoid the high costs of having the utility power lines extended to your site.
Although wind energy systems involve a significant initial investment, they can be competitive with conventional energy sources when you account for a lifetime of reduced or altogether avoided utility costs. The length of the payback period—the time before the savings resulting from your system equal the cost of the system itself—depends on the system you choose, the wind resource on your site, electricity costs in your area, and how you use your wind system.
Is Wind Power Practical for You?
Small wind energy systems can be used in connection with an electricity transmission and distribution system (called grid-connected systems), or in stand-alone applications that are not connected to the utility grid. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce your consumption of utility-supplied electricity for lighting, appliances, and electric heat. If the turbine cannot deliver the amount of energy you need, the utility makes up the difference. When the wind system produces more electricity than the household requires, the excess can be sold to the utility. With the interconnections available today, switching takes place automatically. Stand-alone wind energy systems can be appropriate for homes, farms, or even entire communities (a co-housing project, for example) that are far from the nearest utility lines. Either type of system can be practical if the following conditions exist.
Conditions for Stand-Alone Systems - You live in an area with average annual wind speeds of at least 9 miles per hour (4.0 meters per second).
- A grid connection is not available or can only be made through an expensive extension. The cost of running a power line to a remote site to connect with the utility grid can be prohibitive, ranging from $15,000 to more than $50,000 per mile, depending on terrain.
- You have an interest in gaining energy independence from the utility.
- You would like to reduce the environmental impact of electricity production.
- You acknowledge the intermittent nature of wind power and have a strategy for using intermittent resources to meet your power needs.
Conditions for Grid-Connected Systems - You live in an area with average annual wind speeds of at least 10 miles per hour (4.5 meters per second).
- Utility-supplied electricity is expensive in your area (about 10 to 15 cents per kilowatt hour).
- The utility's requirements for connecting your system to its grid are not prohibitively expensive.
- Local building codes or covenants allow you to legally erect a wind turbine on your property.
- You are comfortable with long-term investments.
Is Your Site Right? - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has compiled wind resource maps that are available from the American Wind Energy Association and the National Technical Information Service (see Source List). The DOE maps are good sources for regional information and can show whether wind speeds in your area are generally strong enough to justify investing in a wind system.
Wind-turbine manufacturers can use computer models to predict their machines' performance at a specific location. They can also help you size a system based on your electricity needs and the specifics of local wind patterns. However, you will need site-specific data to determine the wind resource of your exact location. If you do not have on-site data and want to obtain a clearer, more predictable picture of your wind resource, you may wish to measure wind speeds at your site for a year. You can do this with a recording anemometer, which generally costs $500 to $1500. The most accurate readings are taken at "hub height". This requires placing the anemometer high enough to avoid turbulence created by trees, buildings, and other obstructions.
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