Small Wind Turbines Gain

By John Vlahakis

Small wind turbine sales have surged in the last three years, with 10,000 new units installed around the country. A small wind turbine is defined as one that can generate 1200 kilowatt-hours a year. The average wind speed for a small turbine is 11.2 miles per hour and starts generating at 7 miles per hour. Sales of small-wind turbines, defined as 100-kilowatt capacity and less, grew 15 percent in 2009, representing $82.4 million in sales and almost 10,000 new units, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Sales were aided by a 30 percent federal tax credit for renewable energy investments and state incentives. One of the obstacles to installing a wind turbine is determining the optimum location on a property to capture the wind. Massachusetts has devised an online software program, http://cwest.cadmusweb.com/, to assist homeowners and business in that state for the best place to locate a wind turbine. Maximizing the efficiency of a wind turbine through proper placement optimizes the amount of electricity that is generated. Massachusetts offers a rebate based on ongoing performance of a wind turbine. Proper placement can increase ones rebate from that state. In the past installers and homeowners relied on satellite data to get an idea of available wind resource. New tools in assessing wind flow have helped improve wind turbine deployment, and have helped increase the sales of small wind turbines. Last month small wind turbine manufacturer Southwest Windpower launched an online version, http://www.windenergy.com/wind/index.php, for wind assessment. The software uses data from 3Tier, which provides data to estimate wind, solar, and hydropower potential. There are several noteworthy small wind turbine manufacturers to choose from; Swift Turbine, Helix, Windtronics, and Southwest Windpower are actively competing for this growing energy sector. By helping homeowners and business improve their site selection for sustainable energy, only strengthens alternative energies contribution to dumping fossil fuels.