Local Knowledge About Windpower Systems

Although wind energy systems involve a significant initial investment, they can be competitive with conventional energy sources when you account for a lifetime of reduced or altogether avoided utility costs. The length of the payback period—the time before the savings resulting from your system equal the cost of the system itself—depends on the system you choose, the wind resource on your site, electricity costs in your area, and how you use your wind system. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has compiled wind resource maps that are available from the American Wind Energy Association and the National Technical Information Service. The DOE maps are good sources for regional information and can show whether wind speeds in your area are generally strong enough to justify investing in a wind system. Wind-turbine manufacturers can use computer models to predict their machines' performance at a specific location.