Wind for Your Home

When we think of wind energy, our vision is of massive turbines and wind farms. But by utilizing small wind generators in the residential environment, you can have an efficient and affordable energy option.

How it Works

Much like a windmill, wind turbines can be installed in a variety of ways. They can be mounted on a tower or on your roof, to best capture the wind’s energy using their blades. When the wind blows, the low pressure air causes the rotor to turn and spin the generator that produces energy. That energy is then used instead of taking power from the grid. This drastically cuts homeowners’ electricity bills.

Practicality

With a region that experiences an average of 9 to 14 mph sustainable winds, homeowners in the Midwest can easily take advantage of wind power resources. Small wind technology requires as little as 3 mph of wind to be able to create energy.

ROI

The Return on Investment for wind power resources depend largely on the system, the installation site and the homeowners’ preferences. Over the last 20 years, the cost of wind energy has dropped by 80 percent. In most cases, homeowners can recoup the cost of their system in as little as six years.

Additionally, homeowners may take advantage of up to a 30% income tax credit on federal taxes after implementing wind energy systems. Small wind in our region also offers the opportunity for selling excess energy back to the grid.

Duke Energy has a comprehensive net metering program. Net metering is when the energy company calculates the difference between the amount of electricity supplied by the electric company and the amount generated by the customer during a given billing period. When the meter determines that you fed electricity back into grid, you receive a credit on your electricity bill, reducing your costs when you do use electricity from the grid.

Product Offering

After reviewing the latest wind information, the EcoEnvironments team will assess your site’s viability and determine which wind turbine installation will best fit your home’s energy needs. We will then install the appropriate turbine and connect it to your electricity grid via inverter to allow you to draw from excess energy stored in batteries when the turbine isn’t able to produce enough energy.

Often, we recommend vertical axis wind turbines to take advantage of the changing wind directions and wind speeds of the shorter towers associate with residential units. These products are quiet and often aesthetically pleasing as well.

One of our small wind manufacturers is Urban Green Energy, and their website contains useful information about the available offerings.

Contact us today to learn more.