[Robaroni]

I have been monitoring the wind on my front field for several years now and I definitely have enough wind to get a benefit, especially in the winter when the sun isn't out very long and the trees are bare.

Remember, wind compliments the sun as someone else said here. They work together. Germany has been installing wind on its north shore to work with their PV.

You can get respectable power at lower elevations BUT you have to account for it. Instead of taking out a life insurance policy and kissing the family good bye every time you have to climb a hundred foot tower why not put two wind mills up on shorter poles? That's what I'm doing, so I get a little less power, I can live with it.

Wind is not like PV. you can't just put it in and walk away, it needs care and that means lowering the tower at least once a year. I plan on putting my towers up 40 feet, that's all. I have a monitor up about 18 feet and get good wind. Yes, there's more shear but if you have it in an open field shear is reduced.

The Chinese mills are modeled after the South West Air's. I bought two Air's several years ago but never installed them. The thing about wind is that you can only get so much out of swept area, you eventually hit the Betz Limit and can only extract so much from the wind relative to span.

The thing you have to watch is the wind speed some of these small mills get there "400" watt figure from. Most times it's around 10 or 12 m/s or about 25 to 30 mph. How many times do you get 25 mph winds? My monitor only hits 25 to 30 several times a year AND I'm in a good wind area, a company came in a few years ago wanting to put mills in because the wind is that good.

I suggest you monitor your wind for several months to a year and go look at the excellent charts for wind in your area before you invest in a windmill. If you go to South West's site they have wind maps and you can actually see your property.

Rob