Residential wind turbines are those operated by homeowners for their private use. The American Wind Energy Association says that a typical home using 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year would need a turbine that can generate between 5 and 15 Kilowatts of power.   These wind turbines are much smaller than the turbines used by commericial wind farms but are still large relative to the typical piece of equipment found in the average home.   For example, a 10 kW Bergey Excel wind turbine has blades that are 7m (22ft) in diameter and is installed on towers over a 100 feet hight.

Homeowners that desire to be completely independent from the electric grid must also invest in deep cycle batteries to store energy that they can use when the wind is not blowing.  These homeowners can still remain connected to the grid so that when the wind is strong and their batteries are fully charged, they can sell wind-generated energy back to their local utility.   Homeowners who use wind power also often choose to meet some of their power needs through other energy sources such as solar panels, with solar power often being abundant when the wind is calm.

For a 10 kW wind turbine with all appropriate equipment installed and connected to the grid, one should expect to pay $35-40,000 according to the American Wind Energy Association’s Small Wind Toolbox. A 3 kW turbine, with nearly everything included costs about $15,000 up front.   Maintenance is also required for turbines.   The Danish Wind Energy Association states that maintenance costs 1.5-3% of the ticket price for the entire wind turbine’s life (about 20 years).

In some states it is possible to break even or make money from an investment into a wind turbine, but generally that requires the state to support net metering. Net metering means that a single electric meter connects the homeowner to the electric grid.  Electricity purchased from the local electric utility causes the meter to turn one way; wind-generated electricity sold to the local utility turns the meter the other way.  The homeowners bill is based on the net reading.

Michigan recently (April 2004) put a net metering program in place, which will make residential turbines attractive in the western Upper Peninsula.  Before the net metering program was in effect, UPPCO paid home power producers less for electricity than what homeowners paid to buy electricity.   Hence, homeowners who set up a residential wind turbine in Michigan did not do it for purely economic reasons; they often place value on reducing their dependence on non-renewable and polluting energy resources and in increasing their independence from the power grid.

Only a few people in the western U.P. are currently using wind power and other renewable energy sources to provide electricity for their homes.  For example, Terry Kinzel and Sue Ellen Kingsley of Hancock Township generate their electric power using a micro-wind turbine, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and a micro-hydro turbine.  Terry Kinzel has this to say about the energy system:

“The hydro turbine produces about 180 watts, continuously 24/7 - so it is by far our biggest producer of electricity. …The PV are rated at 480 watts in full sun - however since they're arranged to produce 17 volts (for our 12 volt system) the actual power is less. … I don't know how much the wind turbine produces. It's rated at 400 watts at 25 mph winds, but virtually never produces that much. In our particular setting production is also significantly diminished by the fact that the tower is not tall enough to get the turbine up above the turbulence which really affects the output. Just observationally, it does seem to produce more in the winter (more wind) which compliments the PV.”

A good way to meet people who produce their own power and see their set-ups is to go on the National Solar Home Tour which occurs the first weekend in October each year (October 1 in 2005).

Wind Power in the Western Upper Peninsula