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A U.S.
Consumer’s Guide
Small Wind Electric Systems
Capacity—10 kilowatts
Turbine manufacturer—Bergey Windpower Company
Photo credit—Bergey Windpower Company, NREL/PIX02102
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
Bergey Windpower/PIX01476
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 Homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses can use wind-
generated electricity to reduce their utility bills. This grid-
live connected system installed for a home in Norman, Oklahoma,
• Tall towers are allowed in your reduces the homeowner’s utility bill by $100 per month.
neighborhood or rural area
• You have enough space
Contents
• You can determine how much Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
electricity you need or want to First, How Can I Make My Home More Energy Efficient? . . . . 2
produce
Is Wind Energy Practical for Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
• It works for you economically. What Size Wind Turbine Do I Need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The purpose of this guide is to pro- What are the Basic Parts of a Small Wind Electric System? . . 5
vide you with the basic information What Do Wind Systems Cost? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
about small wind electric systems to Where Can I Find Installation and Maintenance Support? . . . 8
help you decide if wind energy will How Much Energy Will My System Generate? . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
work for you. Is There Enough Wind on My Site? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Why Should I Choose Wind? How Do I Choose the Best Site for My Wind Turbine? . . . . . 14
Wind energy systems are one Can I Connect My System to the Utility Grid? . . . . . . . . . . . 15
of the most cost-effective home- Can I Go “Off-Grid”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
based renewable energy systems. Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Depending on your wind resource, a For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2 Small Wind Electric Systems
02979309m
energy in wind into mechanical
power that runs a generator to
produce clean electricity. Today’s
turbines are versatile modular sources Refrigerator 9%
of electricity. Their blades are aero- The largest portion of a utility bill for a typical
dynamically designed to capture the house is for heating and cooling.
maximum energy from the wind. The
wind turns the blades, which spin a • Save money and increase
shaft connected to a generator that comfort by properly maintaining
makes electricity. and upgrading your heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning
First, How Can I Make systems.
My Home More Energy
Efficient? • Install double-paned, gas-filled
windows with low-emissivity
Before choosing a wind system for
(low-e) coatings to reduce heat
your home, you should consider
loss in cold climates and spectrally
reducing your energy consumption by
selective coatings to reduce heat
making your home or business more
gain in warm climates.
energy efficient. Reducing your
energy consumption will signifi- • Replace your lights in high-use
cantly lower your utility bills and will areas with fluorescents. Replacing
reduce the size of the home-based 25% of your lights can save about
renewable energy system you need. 50% of your lighting energy bill.
To achieve maximum energy effi- • When shopping for appliances,
ciency, you should take a whole- look for the ENERGY STAR® label.
building approach. View your home ENERGY STAR® appliances have
as an energy system with interrelated been identified by the U.S.
parts, all of which work synergisti- Environmental Protection Agency
cally to contribute to the efficiency and U.S. Department of Energy
of the system. From the insulation in as being the most energy-efficient
your home’s walls to the light bulbs products in their classes.
in its fixtures, there are many ways to
• For more information on how to
make your home more efficient.
make your home energy efficient,
• Reduce your heating and see Energy Savers in the For More
cooling needs by up to 30% by Information section.
investing just a few hundred
dollars in proper insulation and
weatherization products.
Small Wind Electric Systems 3
In Clover Valley,
Minnesota, this
3-kW Whisper
H175 turbine on a
50-foot tower is
connected to the
utility grid to offset
the farm’s utility-
supplied electricity.
World Power Technology/PIX07168
4 Small Wind Electric Systems
���������
(usually), a tower, wiring, and the
“balance of system” components:
controllers, inverters, and/or batter-
ies. Through the spinning blades, the
�����
rotor captures the kinetic energy of
the wind and converts it into rotary
motion to drive the generator.
Wind Turbine
Most turbines manufactured today
are horizontal axis upwind machines generator from a 60-foot tower height
with two or three blades, which are to a 100-foot tower involves a 10%
usually made of a composite material increase in overall system cost, but it
such as fiberglass. can produce 29% more power.
The amount of power a turbine will There are two basic types of tow-
produce is determined primarily by ers: self-supporting (free standing)
the diameter of its rotor. The diameter and guyed. Most home wind power
of the rotor defines its “swept area,” systems use a guyed tower. Guyed
or the quantity of wind intercepted by towers, which are the least expensive,
the turbine. The turbine’s frame is the can consist of lattice sections, pipe, or
structure onto which the rotor, genera- tubing (depending on the design), and
tor, and tail are attached. The tail supporting guy wires. They are easier
keeps the turbine facing into the wind. to install than self-supporting tow-
ers. However, because the guy radius
Tower must be one-half to three-quarters
Because wind speeds increase with of the tower height, guyed towers
height, the turbine is mounted on require enough space to accommodate
a tower. In general, the higher the them. Although tilt-down towers are
tower, the more power the wind more expensive, they offer the con-
system can produce. The tower also sumer an easy way to perform
Tilt-down towers
raises the turbine above the air maintenance on smaller light-weight provide easy
turbulence that can exist close to turbines, usually 5 kW or less. maintenance for
the ground because of obstructions turbines.
such as hills, buildings, and trees. A
Tilt-Down Tower
general rule of thumb is to install a
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wind turbine on a tower with the bot- �������������
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(9 meters) above any obstacle that ��������������������
is within 300 feet (90 meters) of the ���������������
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tower. Relatively small investments in
increased tower height can yield very
high rates of return in power produc-
tion. For instance, to raise a 10-kW ���������
6 Small Wind Electric Systems
A Bergey XL.10,
10-kW wind
turbine is part of
a grid-connected
wind/photovoltaic
hybrid system that
reduces the utility
power used by this
home in Vermont.
Trudy Forsyth, NREL/PIX09122 and PIX09123
The balance of
system (upper right)
includes from left
to right, a Trace
inverter for the
PV system, a
breaker box, and a
Powersync inverter
for the wind system.
Small Wind Electric Systems 7
Southwest Windpower/PIX09156
For safety, batteries should be iso-
lated from living areas and electron-
ics because they contain corrosive
and explosive substances. Lead-acid
batteries also require protection from
temperature extremes.
increases. Although small turbines
Grid-Connected Systems cost less in initial outlay, they are
In grid-connected systems, the only proportionally more expensive. The
additional equipment required is a cost of an installed residential wind
power conditioning unit (inverter) energy system with an 80-foot tower,
that makes the turbine output electri- batteries, and inverter typically
cally compatible with the utility grid. ranges from $15,000 to $50,000 for
Usually, batteries are not needed. a 3- to 10-kW wind turbine.
Although wind energy systems
What Do Wind Systems involve a significant initial invest-
Cost? ment, they can be competitive with
Installation costs vary greatly depend- conventional energy sources when
ing on local zoning, permitting, and you account for a lifetime of reduced
utility interconnection costs. A small or avoided utility costs. The length
turbine can cost anywhere from $3,000 of the payback period—the time
to $50,000 installed, depending on before the savings resulting from your
size, application, and service agree- system equal the cost of the system
ments with the manufacturer. (The itself—depends on the system you
American Wind Energy Association choose, the wind resource on your
[AWEA] says a typical home wind site, electricity costs in your area, and
system costs approximately $32,000 how you use your wind system. For
(10 kW); a comparable photovoltaic example, if you live in California and
[PV] solar system would cost over have received the 50% buydown of
$80,000.) your small wind system, have net
A general rule of thumb for estimat- metering, and an average annual
ing the cost of a residential turbine is wind speed of 15 miles per hour
$1,000 to $5,000 per kilowatt. Wind (mph) (6.7 meters per second [m/
energy becomes more cost effective s]), your simple payback would be
as the size of the turbine’s rotor approximately 6 years.
8 Small Wind Electric Systems
30
Swept area, m2
7
7m
6 20
6m
Rotor Diameter, m
5 10
5m
4 0
4m 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Rotor Diameter, m
3
3m
2
2m
02979303m
1
1m
0
Source: Paul Gipe, Wind Energy Basics
10 Small Wind Electric Systems
Air Density Change with Elevation height of the tower that you plan to
10,000 use, and the frequency distribution of
9,000 the wind–an estimate of the number
8,000 of hours that the wind will blow at
7,000 each speed during an average year.
Elevation, ft
02979302m
1,000 To get a preliminary estimate of the
0
70 75 80 85 90 95 100
performance of a particular wind tur-
Density change compared to sea level, % bine, use the formula below.
AEO = 0.01328 D2 V3
So, the larger the rotor, the more Where:
energy it can capture. The air density, AEO = Annual energy output,
ρ, changes slightly with air tempera- kWh/year
ture and with elevation. The ratings
D = Rotor diameter, feet
for wind turbines are based on
standard conditions of 59° F (15° C) V = Annual average wind speed,
at sea level. A density correction mph
should be made for higher elevations The Wind Energy Payback Period
as shown in the Air Density Change Workbook found at www.nrel.gov/
with Elevation graph. A correction for wind/docs/spread_sheet_Final.xls is
temperature is typically not needed a spreadsheet tool that can help you
for predicting the long-term perfor- analyze the economics of a small wind
electric system and decide whether
mance of a wind turbine.
wind energy will work for you. The
Although the calculation of wind spreadsheet can be opened using
power illustrates important features Microsoft Excel 95 software. It asks
about wind turbines, the best mea- you to provide information about how
sure of wind turbine performance is you’re going to finance the system,
annual energy output. The difference the characteristics of your site, and
the properties of the system you’re
between power and energy is that
considering. It then provides you with
power (kilowatts [kW]) is the rate at a simple payback estimation in years.
which electricity is consumed, while If it takes too long to regain your capi-
energy (kilowatt-hours [kWh]) is the tal investment—the number of years
quantity consumed. An estimate of comes too close or is greater than the
the annual energy output from your life of the system—wind energy will
wind turbine, kWh/year, is the best not be practical for you.
way to determine whether a particular
wind turbine and tower will produce
enough electricity to meet your needs.
A wind turbine manufacturer can help
you estimate the energy production
you can expect. They will use a cal-
culation based on the particular wind
turbine power curve, the average
annual wind speed at your site, the
Small Wind Electric Systems 11
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The farther you
place your wind
and if your tower is guyed, you must requires, the excess is sent or sold to turbine from
allow room for the guy wires. the utility. obstacles such
as buildings or
Whether the system is stand-alone Grid-connected systems can be practi- trees, the less
or grid-connected, you will also need cal if the following conditions exist: turbulence you
will encounter.
to take the length of the wire run • You live in an area with average
between the turbine and the load annual wind speed of at least
(house, batteries, water pumps, etc.) 10 mph (4.5 m/s)
into consideration. A substantial
amount of electricity can be lost as a • Utility-supplied electricity is
result of the wire resistance—the lon- expensive in your area (about 10 to
ger the wire run, the more electric- 15 cents per kilowatt-hour)
ity is lost. Using more or larger wire • The utility’s requirements for
will also increase your installation connecting your system to its grid
cost. Your wire run losses are greater are not prohibitively expensive
when you have direct current (DC) • There are good incentives for the
instead of alternating current (AC). sale of excess electricity or for the
So, if you have a long wire run, it is purchase of wind turbines.
advisable to invert DC to AC.
Federal regulations (specifically, the
Can I Connect My System Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act
to the Utility Grid? of 1978, or PURPA) require utilities
Small wind energy systems can be to connect with and purchase power
connected to the electricity distribu- from small wind energy systems.
tion system and are called grid- However, you should contact your
connected systems. A grid-connected utility before connecting to their dis-
wind turbine can reduce your con- tribution lines to address any power
sumption of utility-supplied electric- quality and safety concerns. Your
ity for lighting, appliances, and utility can provide you with a list of
electric heat. If the turbine cannot requirements for connecting your sys-
deliver the amount of energy you tem to the grid. The American Wind
need, the utility makes up the differ- Energy Association is another good
ence. When the wind system produces source for information on utility
more electricity than the household interconnection requirements. The
16 Small Wind Electric Systems
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02979301m
following information about util- Most of North America gets more
ity grid connection requirements wind in the winter than in the sum-
was taken from AWEA’s Web site. mer. For people using wind energy to
For more detailed information, visit displace a large load in the summer
www.awea.org/ or contact AWEA like air-conditioning or irrigation
(see For More Information). water pumping, having an annual
NEG credit allows them to produce
Net Metering
NEG in the winter and be credited in
The concept of net metering programs the summer.
is to allow the electric meters of cus-
tomers with generating facilities to Safety Requirements
turn backwards when their generators Whether or not your wind turbine
are producing more energy than the is connected to the utility grid, the
customers’ demand. Net metering installation and operation of the wind
allows customers to use their genera- turbine is probably subject to the
tion to offset their consumption over electrical codes that your local gov-
the entire billing period, not just ernment (city or county), or in some
instantaneously. This offset would instances your state government, has
enable customers with generating in place. The government’s principal
facilities to receive retail prices for concern is with the safety of the
more of the electricity they generate. facility, so these code requirements
Net metering varies by state and emphasize proper wiring and installa-
by utility company, depending on tion and the use of components
whether net metering was legis- that have been certified for fire and
lated or directed by the Public Utility electrical safety by approved testing
Commission. Net metering programs laboratories, such as Underwriters
all specify a way to handle the net Laboratories. Most local electrical
excess generation (NEG) in terms of codes requirements are based on
payment for electricity and/or length the National Electrical Code (NEC),
of time allowed for NEG credit. If which is published by the National
the net metering requirements define Fire Protection Association. As of
NEG on a monthly basis, the consum- 1999, the latest version of the NEC did
er can only get credit for their excess not have any sections specific to the
that month. But if the net metering installation of wind energy facilities’
rules allow for annual NEG, the NEG consequently wind energy installa-
credit can be carried for up to a year. tions are governed by the generic
provisions of the NEC.
Small Wind Electric Systems 17
utilities from imposing any insurance facility. Although the basic principle
requirements on small wind sys- is sound—utilities should not be
tems that qualify for “net metering.” held responsible for property dam-
In at least two other states (Idaho, age or personal injury attributable
Virginia), regulatory authorities have to someone else—indemnity provi-
allowed utilities to impose insurance sions should not favor the utility but
requirements but have reduced the should be fair to both parties. Look for
required coverage amounts to levels language that says, “each party shall
consistent with conventional residen- indemnify the other . . .” rather than
tial or commercial insurance policies “the customer shall indemnify the
(e.g., $100,000 to $300,000). If your utility . . .”
insurance amounts seem excessive,
Customer Charges
you can ask for a reconsideration from
regulatory authorities (in the case of Customer charges can take a variety
private investor-owned utilities) or of forms, including interconnection
the utility’s governing board (in the charges, metering charges, and
case of publicly owned utilities). standby charges. You should not
hesitate to question any charges that
Indemnification seem inappropriate to you. Federal
An indemnity is an agreement law (Public Utility Regulatory Policies
between two parties in which one Act of 1978, or PURPA, Section 210)
agrees to secure the other against loss prohibits utilities from assessing dis-
or damage arising from some act or criminatory charges to customers who
some assumed responsibility. In the have their own generation facilities.
context of customer-owned generat-
ing facilities, utilities often want
customers to indemnify them for any
potential liability arising from the
operation of the customer’s generating
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Notes
U.S. Department of Energy Regional Offices
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/
States in Region
Southeast Regional Office
75 Spring Street, S.W., Suite 200 Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Atlanta, GA 30303 Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina,
(404) 562-0555 South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico,
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/southeast U.S. Virgin Islands
Northeast Regional Office
JFK Federal Building, Suite 675 Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
Boston, MA 02203 New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island,
(617) 565-9700 Vermont
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/northeast
Midwest Regional Office
One South Wacker Drive, Suite 2380 Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan,
Chicago, IL 60606-4616 Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
(312) 353-6749
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/midwest
Central Regional Office
1617 Cole Blvd. Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana,
Golden, CO 80401 Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota,
(303) 275-4826 Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah,
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/central Wyoming
Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
1880 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 501 Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland,
Philadelphia, PA 19103 New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
(215) 656-6950 West Virginia
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/mid-atlantic
Western Regional Office
800 Fifth Ave., Suite 3950 Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho,
Seattle, WA 98104-3122 Nevada, Oregon, Washington, American
(206) 553-1132 Samoa, Guam, Palau, North Marianas
www.eere.energy.gov/regions/western
Produced for the U.S. Department of Energy by the For more information contact:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, EERE Information Center
a DOE national laboratory 1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463)
www.eere.energy.gov
DOE/GO-102005-2095 • March 2005
Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste.