View Single Post
Old 09-08-13, 08:33 PM   #2
MN Renovator
Less usage=Cheaper bills
 
MN Renovator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 939
Thanks: 41
Thanked 116 Times in 90 Posts
Default

I personally don't think so. Wind power isn't something that I consider necessarily easy and for most people and most places it doesn't make sense. I'd say if you don't already have a whole bunch of wind farms in your immediate area, you probably don't have a good enough wind resource. You also need to factor in the need for a 100+ foot pole for best wind access, land access(most locales require you to have a diameter of ground clearance exceeding the pole height), the permitting, neighbor issues, dealing with high maintenance of a consumer wind product, safety issues, and other factors.

I think going with a cheap low powered unit is the wrong way to go when it comes to all of the effort involved. In the mean time, I'd do what a pro does and install a manometer on top of a pole at least 50 feet tall to measure and record your wind resource to get a good idea of whether or not you have the wind it takes for wind power generation at your site to be worth it. Solar is a much easier because you make sure you don't have shade and pretty much anywhere works if you have that and a place to mount the PV and good grid-tie legislation or support from your local power company.
MN Renovator is offline   Reply With Quote