News & Articles on Small & Household Size Wind Turbines
Small wind turbines encompass a broad range of wind turbines from micro turbines, to mini turbines, to household-size turbines. Wind turbines in these size classes may have power ratings from a few watts to dozens of kW. Internationally, this category includes wind turbines up to 15 meters (49 feet) in diameter. Wind turbines of this size may have power ratings from 50 to 100 kW.
While ducted or shrouded wind turbines and Vertical Axis Wind Turbines can be of any size, they are listed here because they are outside the mainstream of the commercial wind industry.
Choosing Windpower by Hugh Piggott
By
Paul Gipe
Hugh Piggott is one of the English-speaking world’s true experts on small wind turbines, especially for off-the-grid applications.
Small Wind Turbine Size to Meet Household Consumption
By
Paul Gipe
You can’t get something for nothing. North Americans who think a micro or mini wind turbine will meet all their household consumption are in for a rude surprise. A wind turbine with a rotor 1-2 meters in diameter (3-7 ft) will not provide a significant portion of their domestic electricity consumption unless they are extremely conservation minded.
Rooftop Turbines: Rooftop Mounting and Building Integration of Wind Turbines
By
Paul Gipe
Why You Shouldn’t Do It
Allgaier in Holzhausen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
By
Paul Gipe
December 4, 2005 Typical of rooftop turbines, the rotor is tied down on this non-operating WE-10 Allgaier turbine in Holzhausen, …
Net-Metering? It’s Time for Wind & Solar Without Limits
By
Paul Gipe
The renewable lists buzz with discussions about net metering. Renewable’s advocates spend hours, days, years even trying to implement net metering over utility objections. Why bother? Net metering is often so limited to be next to useless, and even where it is used to some extent it accomplishes little.
