Offers an introduction to residential wind turbine applications, discusses average cost and energy savings, and shares suggestions for determining site viability.
Is residential wind power a viable alternative for Americans struggling to keep up with increased energy prices and wishing to reduce their carbon footprint? The average American household spends over $2,000 annually on home energy costs according to environmental attorney Eugene Trisko in a report for “Americans for Balanced Energy Choices,” and Americans earning under $50,000 annually spend 18% of their after tax income on home energy and transportation costs. Energy costs continue to escalate steadily each year and recently heating fuel and natural gas costs have soared, as Trisko also documents. Between high energy costs and increasing awareness of household contributions to greenhouse gas accumulations, there is a growing interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. Can such sources be employed at a smaller scale by using technology such as personal wind turbines?
From Wind Farms to Personal Wind Turbines
More and more Americans are growing familiar with the presence of large-scale wind turbine facilities in geographic regions that offer tax incentives, local zoning approval, and appropriate weather and wind conditions. Ultimately, experts agree, wind energy can likely only supplement other energy production, and is most useful when partnered with other renewable supply sources. Large wind generation facilities in places like North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas may prove the most important way to have renewable wind energy make a significant impact on total US home energy needs. But there is also an emerging place for residential sized wind turbines to supply substantial portions of household energy.
Modern wind turbines are highly efficient. Improvements in airfoil design have improved efficiency by as much as 35%. Today, there are a number of turbines on the market capable of supplying the energy needs of the typical home. Smaller scale residential wind turbines can operate with little more noise than a washing machine, although to be efficient they do require 20 – 30 feet of clearance above other obstructions, so typically turbines need to be placed on towers of 80 – 120 feet in height to prove efficient and require substantial initial investment.
Household Energy Needs and Wind Turbine Costs
Individual household energy usage varies widely dependent upon a number of factors including household size, property square footage, the energy efficiency of a structure, and regional weather patterns/wind conditions. The Edison Electric Institute estimates that a typical American family occupying a 2,330 square foot house uses 1.3 kilowatts per hour for electricity needs or approximately 11,388 kilowatts of electricity a year. Most wind energy study groups and residential wind turbine manufacturers agree that a typical home would need a wind turbine with a capacity of somewhere between 5 and 15 kilowatts to meet its energy requirements. There are a number of residential turbines on the market that can produce such capacity. Small wind energy systems cost from $3,000 to $5,000 for every kilowatt of generating capacity, or about $40,000 for a 10 kilowatt system (installed) according to the American Wind Energy Association.
They suggest that 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. The American Wind Energy Association does suggest, however, that “well-sited small wind turbines can usually pay for themselves within 15 years, about half their serviceable lifetimes, if the right incentives are applied.” And the Mother Earth News suggests that most homes employing such technology can reap 50 – 90% in energy savings.
Is Personal Wind Power Right for Individual Conditions?
There are a number of considerations to keep in mind to determine if residential wind power might offer a viable alternative. According to the Mother Earth News, those considering residential wind systems need to consider several conditions to determine if there is a suitable economic payback incentive as well as to determine site viability. Some rationale includes:
- A family pays more than 10 cents/kilowatt for electricity, and their electric bill averages at least $150 per month
- A local electric utility offers net metering
- The house is located in an area suitable for wind turbine efficiency. (Wind resource data published by the U.S. Department of Energy is sufficient for an experienced evaluator to predict wind turbine performance and Department of Energy publishes wind zone maps.)
- The house is located in a state that has a substantial wind power rebate program to help offset the system’s cost
Such considerations must also be weighted within local building codes and ordinances, micro-climate site conditions, and proximity of neighbors, to list but a few additional factors.
In general, residential wind turbines remain best suited to rural areas and suburban acreages. There is a good deal of initial investment involved in implementing residential wind turbines, as well as a need for significant research into local incentives, ordinances, weather, and economics. An excellent beginning source for those considering this renewable and non-polluting alternative is the American Wind Energy Association.
