Small
Wind
Turbines &
Electricity for single homes
1 kW to 6 kW
The electrical needs of a single-family may be
provided by wind turbines with a power between
1 and 50
kilowatts (kW), and mainly by those on the category 1 kW to 6kW.
Farms and small communities may require a wind
turbine with a capacity between 10 kW and 50 kW. Many small
commercial and industrial uses require wind turbines of 20 kW or
larger.
Larger turbines (namely modern mega turbines of 1,5 or more
Megawatts) are usually part of large projects and wind farms,
able to provide electricity to thousands of homes, while micro
turbines (below 1kW) are designed to provide electricity to specific uses
(batteries charging, sailboats… ).
This page is on small wind turbines for single-family electrical needs.
Wind Turbines Power
When choosing the turbine capacity, take into account your
home’s electrical needs and the wind conditions on your site.
Typically a
wind turbine in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts will respond to
your home’s electrical demand, but the average wind speed in
your property is also critical.
Note:
Average electrical home
needs
range between 4,500 and 11.000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, and
with good wind resources a typical 5kW turbine may produce
13,000 kWh of electricity per year.
Property size & Small Wind systems
Small home wind turbines demand a property with a minimum of one acre.
Towers with heights between 25m/80 and 37m/120-foot are common, making urban and small properties inadequate
to them (unless in the case of the experimental
urban wind systems).
Wind speed
If you are considering a wind turbine to provide electricity to
your home, the wind speed in your property is a crucial issue.
It’s surprising how much the wind speed can
vary from one location to another within a fairly small area,
and how a good site is critical to a high performance.
The annual average wind speed in your property should attain a
minimum of 11-13 mph (miles per hour)/6 meters per second.
Obstructions and tower's height
Your small turbine shouldn’t be obstructed by buildings, trees,
hills, etc. These obstructions are a source of wind turbulence
and a cause of reduced wind speed.
See, for more details:
Wind speed and wind
resources
Turbine Towers
On or off the grid?
The on-grid wind turbines option has significant advantages, but
the isolation of a site or particular preferences of homeowners may favor a stand-alone
wind system solution.
See, for details:
On-grid wind systems
Stand alone wind turbine systems
Legal issues and requirements
Very small wind solutions may dispense
legal issues and permitting. But small home wind systems demand some requirements and
may involve legal issues and some permits.
Installation and maintenance
Most small wind turbines are installed by
professionals, and they require reasonable skills and know-how
concerning their siting, tower erection, installation and
regular inspection and maintenance. Manufacturers and their
dealers may provide that.
Do-it-yourself solutions usually involve smaller micro
wind-systems. Unless you are very skilled, it’s better
to let installation and maintenance to professionals.
Technology
Common small wind turbines are 3-bladed,
up-wind, with an horizontal axis…
See: Wind Power Generators: Technology
Lifetime
High turbulent winds, snow and extreme cold and dust may shorten
a small wind turbine lifetime. But a good and well-maintained home wind
turbine can last 20 years or more on average conditions. There
are non-integrated turbine designs, which allow the replacement
of all the major components and consequent extending of the
turbine’s life far beyond the 20 years.
See
also:
Wind Turbines Manufacturers and
Dealers
Prices and Investment & Wind Generators
Wind Energy payback and financial
incentives
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