Residential Wind Turbines - Are They Feasible?

Travel across West texas and you see the huge wind turbines dotting the landscape. Get up close to these modern day windmills and their hugeness is the first thing you notice. If you are like me, you probably have wondered if the technology that is utilized to make these large wind turbines cost effective could be created in smaller residential units. We did some research and this is what we found.

There are some companies that offer residential wind turbine units but setting one up in your backyard probably is not feasible. For a wind turbine to work more effectively it has to be about 50 to 80 feet high which means that you would have to construct a very tall tower that may not sit well with your neighbors due to aesthetics, nosie and safety reasons.

Additionally, a residential system can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $45,000 to install and will probably take more years to pay itself back than the system will last. Many companies claim that their system will pay for itself in 5 to 15 years but that is using theoretically high wind speeds all year round that more than likely do not exist.

One system states that you must have the following criteria in order to work:
At least 10 MPH average wind speed (best results at 12 MPH or more)
Your property is greater than .5 acre and is unobstructed
The local zoning allows a structure that is at least 42′ tall
Your local utility has an existing interconnection agreement

Most residential wind turbines have been placed in homes that are off the grid and also use solar power, but the good news is that much more research than ever before is being done on making smaller units that sit lower to the ground and are less expensive. We may be just a few years from seeing real residential wind turbine units even for residential homes.