One of the best resources for homeowners interested in financial benefits to help defray the expense of their residential wind power system is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. It provides information on state, local, utility company, and federal incentives for the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Maintenance of a residential wind turbine falls into two categories: preserving the efficiency of the system and ensuring its safe operation. Fortunately, modern turbines have few moving parts and are designed to operate for up to 120,000 hours or roughly 15 years. The estimated cost of annual repairs and maintenance is about 2.5 to 2 percent of the original cost of the system, or about 0.01 cents per kilowatt hour.
Can you install your residential wind turbine yourself? Well, let’s be honest. There’s very little determined human beings can’t do when they set their minds to it. The real questions are:
Except for installations in remote locations, residential wind power systems are “on-grid” systems. Under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), the electric utility is required to connect with and to purchase energy from small wind systems, defined as those with a power-generating capacity of 80 MW and below.
