Small Wind Electric Systems

A U.S. Consumer’s Guide

Introduction

Can I use wind energy to power my home? This question is being asked across the country as more people

look for affordable and reliable sourc-es of electricity. Small wind electric systems can make a significant contribution to our nation’s energy needs. Although wind turbines large enough to provide a significant portion of the electricity needed by the average U.S. home gen-erally require one acre of property or more, approximately 21 million U.S. homes are built on one-acre and larger
sites, and 24% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas.
A small wind electric system will work for you if:
• There is enough wind where you
live
• Tall towers are allowed in your
neighborhood or rural area
• You have enough space
• You can determine how much
electricity you need or want to
produce
• It works for you economically.

The purpose of this guide is to pro-vide you with the basic information about small wind electric systems to
help you decide if wind energy will work for you.

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
First, How Can I Make My Home More Energy Efficient? . . . . . 2
Is Wind Energy Practical for Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
What Size Wind Turbine Do I Need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What are the Basic Parts of a Small Wind Electric System? . . . 5
What Do Wind Systems Cost? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Where Can I Find Installation and Maintenance Support? . . . . 8
How Much Energy Will My System Generate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Is There Enough Wind on My Site? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
How Do I Choose the Best Site for My Wind Turbine? . . . . . . 14
Can I Connect My System to the Utility Grid? . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Can I Go “Off-Grid”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Download: Small Wind Electric Systems

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