investing in wind powered systems

The initial investment demanded by micro, small and large wind turbines (and wind farms) are very different. A micro wind turbine for typical battery charging or sailboats may cost you a few hundred dollars, but a reasonable large wind farm, with, say, 20 typical mega turbines will cost 20 million dollars or more…

Costs depend also on location, type of system (on-grid, stand-alone, offshore, onshore...) and on elements like involving infrastructures and high voltage lines.

Small wind system prices

Small turbines of 1 kW (kilowatt) will cost you around 2,500-3,000 USD.

Prices between 20,000 and 25,000 USD (13,000€ - 16,000 €) are common for 7,5 kW turbines (more than sufficient to provide the electrical needs of a home), while a 10 kW turbine prices amount to 30,000 USD…

These are just references and include the turbine, components (mast, inverters, battery storage…) and installation. Special anti-corrosion paintings and other more specific options are often billed separately.

Micro wind systems prices

Micro-wind systems are chep devices, but the costs of most demanding ones, connected to battery charging (up to 1kW) may amount to 2,500-$3,000 or more.

Wind Farms Investment

Wind farms are costly projects: 1,000,000 USD for a typical 1,5 MW turbine. And since a wind farm involves a reasonable number of turbines, investments of more than 20,000,000 USD are common.

Stand alone and grid-connected systems

On-grid systems are usually cheaper than stand-alone systems… if the high voltage lines are sufficiently close to the turbines. Differences of 3,000 - 5,000 USD are common.

See:

Stand alone energy systems
On-grid energy systems

Offshore wind vs. onshore wind costs

So far offshore wind energy costs are higher than onshore ones. Capital costs may be around 30-50% higher, due to foundations or extra costs of transporting and installing.

However, since offshore wind loads and resources are usually better, the initial extra-investment is partially offset by higher productivities.

Besides, offshore technology improvements may also narrow the gap between the initial investments. Prices are expected to drop significantly on offshore installations and technology.