View Single Post
Old 09-10-13, 01:49 PM   #4
WisJim
Helper EcoRenovator
 
WisJim's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 42
Thanks: 7
Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts
Default

A wind turbine, to produce useful amounts of power, ought to be 30 feet or more above anything within 500 feet, and typically should be on a tower at least 100 feet tall, to avoid turbulence and to get up where the wind is stronger. The expense of putting a small turbine on an adequate tower can exceed the cost of the turbine itself. And, the experience with these Chinese turbines, large or small, indicates that they are mostly decorative toys.

There are excellent maps available which give reasonably accurate wind speed information based on years of collected data from many sources, including cell towers, airports, and other locations with anemometers, and these maps can help you figure out if it is even worth considering a wind turbine. One such map (not the best, but usable) is at Wind Powering America: Residential-Scale 30-Meter Wind Maps
WisJim is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to WisJim For This Useful Post:
Ryland (09-10-13)