Wind Energy: Small Is Beautiful

Ron Stimmel of the American Wind Energy Association explains what every homeowner should know before installing a small wind turbine on their property.

Why would someone install a small wind turbine?

Generating your own clean electricity is a pretty powerful motivator for a lot of people. Every time a turbine spins around, those are clean, green electrons being pumped right into your own house, your own farm, and that’s a very empowering feeling. You become your own power plant, essentially. Not only that, it’s a really great financial hedge against rising and unpredictable costs of electricity.

What is the first step someone should take if they are interested in installing a turbine?

You call a manufacturer or installer, and they come out, look around, and assess the physical features of the land; if your vegetation is pushed in one direction – it’s called flagging – or if you live on a hilltop rather than in a valley. They compare that with other wind data from airports, satellites, or some private companies that map wind resources. Usually, formal wind resource assessments are not necessary for small wind turbines, because the expense and time isn’t justified.

If you live on at least an acre of open land and you can tell a good story about how windy it is you’re usually a good candidate for a wind turbine. If you can fly a kite or have trouble keeping a patio umbrella on your back deck, you probably have a good resource.

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