#Home wind power generator full#

If a home in Texas has an electric rate of 14 cents/kWh, this amount of wind generation will save $1962 per year.Ī 10-kW wind turbine would have an installed cost of $30,000 or more, which drops to $22,200 after deducting the federal tax credit (26%).

For a 10-kW turbine, this results in an electricity production of 14,016 kWh per year. The US Department of Energy has found that small wind turbines have a typical capacity factor of 16%.

If the turbine has a capacity factor of 20%, it means the electricity output is 20% of the ideal maximum value – 17,520 kWh in this case.

However, this ideal scenario doesn’t happen, since the wind constantly changes.

#Home wind power generator full#

If this turbine operated at full output during an entire year (8,760 hours), it would produce 87,600 kWh of electricity. Assume you have a 10-kilowatt wind turbine.The electricity output of wind turbines is often described with the capacity factor, which can be defined more easily with an example: The electricity output of a small wind turbine depends on two main factors: the nameplate capacity in kilowatts, and local wind conditions. How Much Electricity Can a Home Wind Turbine Produce? Sites that are not recommended include city centers with tall buildings, valleys between hills or mountains, and forests. Some examples of good sites for wind power are open plains, beach or lakefront properties and hilltops. Sites with a constant wind that is not disrupted by obstacles are generally the best for small-scale wind turbines. If you ask the experts, they will normally recommend a tower height of 80 to 120 ft. The DOE recommends at least Class 2, which describes a site with the following conditions: Height Above the Groundīased on this, you can produce more electricity with a wind turbine by using a taller tower. The wind resource handbook from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) uses 7 classes to describe wind resources. Is Your Land Suitable for a Small Wind Turbine?Īccording to the US Department of Energy, sites with an average wind speed of at least 10 mph are suitable for grid-connected wind turbines.