Wind power compliments solar PV and solar thermal. Windmills have been in use since the 1600s to pump water or grind grain into flour. Modern windmills, or wind turbines, produce electricity directly from the wind.
Typical wind turbines consist of a set a blades which capture the wind and turn the electrical generator. The generator is connected to a set of batteries or to an inverter which converts the generator electricity into regular 120 Volt AC power. Wind turbines are mounted on top of towers 50 to 250 feet in the air. The wind turbine must be above the trees and building to get a steady flow of wind. Wind turbines have various designs depending on the application and the amount of electricity produced.
Residential systems – These systems are typically used in rural areas to supplement the regular electricity available from the power grid. These turbines will tower mounted. And typical produce 1 to 10 kW. Residential customers can sell the excess electricity which is not used back to the power company.
Commercial systems- These systems tend to be much larger, 100 kW to 1.5 Mega Watts. Again, the turbines are mounted on towers, 200 to 400 feet in the air. The turbines are specially designed to with stand the higher winds speeds at these heights. The turbine blades might measure 150 to 200 feet in diameter. The commercial system will be used as a local power plant producing electricity to be sold directly into the electric grid.
Rebates / Incentives – There are various rebates available on wind turbines. Please check with our Engineers to get the latest rebate information.
