wind and solar stand-alone solutions
Stand alone wind or PV-solar systems are mainly used by homeowners, communities and farms located far away from utility lines.
Running a power line to a remote site may involve very high costs ($15,000-$50,000 per mile, dependent on the type of ground), making grid-connection systems too expensive.
Wind and Solar Resources
However, stand-alone systems are also extremely dependent, on their viability, of wind speeds and solar resources.
Wind electric systems demand minimal annual wind speeds: 4.4 meters per second (10 miles per hour) is a common reference.
As to the solar resources, without enough solar resources stand-alone systems will also have very low outputs. See the graphic below, to assess the impact of solar resources on power outputs:
Source: Montana Green Power
Stand alone systems Limitations
Other element that also restrains stand alone solutions, concerns solar and wind power intermittence. Since wind and solar powered systems are typically intermittent, a stand-alone system should take that fact into account. A plan involving other energy resources is often required, in order to surpass power deficits.
Batteries and hybrid wind-solar systems may contribute to solve part of the problem, but grid-tied systems – whenever possible and economically viable - are the easiest and definitive solution to solar and wind power deficits...
See also:
Wind Powered Energy Basics
Wind Maps and Data
Small Wind systems
On-grid systems
Net metering
Batteries and Backup systems for Wind and Solar systems
Wind Towers
Micro Wind
Turbines Power and Size
Landowners and Onshore Wind Farms
Wind Turbines Location
Offshore vs Onshore Wind systems
Solar-Wind Hybrid Systems
Solar vs. Wind electricity
Wind turbines & Environment
Wind farms
Urban Wind Systems
Wind Technology
Payback and Financial incentives
Wind Turbines Manufacturers and Dealers
Legal requirements