Small wind electric systems can lower your electricity bills by 50%–90%.
Wind is created by the unequal heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in wind into clean electricity. When the wind spins the wind turbine's blades, a rotor captures the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into rotary motion to drive the generator.
Most turbines have automatic overspeed-governing systems to keep the rotor from spinning out of control in very high winds. A small wind system can be connected to the electric grid through your power provider or it can stand alone (off-grid). This makes small wind electric systems a good choice for rural areas that are not already connected to the electric grid.
For residential systems the cost of taking wind measurements is not justified in most situations. Wind resource data published by the U.S. Dept. of Energy is sufficient to predict performance. In very hilly or mountainous areas, it may be practical to take wind data before purchasing a system to ensure that your site in not in a sheltered area.
If you have enough wind resource in your area and the situation is right, small wind electric systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems with zero emissions and pollution. Small wind electric systems can lower your electricity bills by 50%–90%. It helps to avoid the high costs of having utility power lines extended to a remote location. It also helps in uninterruptible power supplies ride through extended utility outages. Small wind electric systems can also be used for a variety of other applications, including water pumping on farms and ranches.
Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and uses little land. The effects on the environment are generally less problematic than those from other power sources. As of 2011, Denmark is generating more than a quarter of its electricity from wind and 83 countries around the world are using wind power on a commercial basis. In 2010 wind energy production was over 2.5% of total worldwide electricity usage and is growing rapidly at more than 25% per annum. The monetary cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations.