Wind Power in the Backyard

A compact and affordable backyard wind turbine is now available that could cut utility bills in addition to generating clean energy.

Homeowners will soon be able to generate clean power in their backyards while reducing electricity bills, thanks to a small, quiet, and affordable wind turbine developed by Arizona-based Southwest Windpower. The company designed the turbine in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has 120 orders already, and expects to sell 1500 units next year.

The turbine can be designed with a tower as short as 35 feet. It delivers 1.8 kilowatts of power and gives best results when installed on a property of greater than 0.5 acre with wind speeds above 10 miles per hour, the manufacturer says. The costs of the turbine plus installation fees add up to $9,000–12,000, about half the price of other similar-sized wind generators.
Trial runs show that it trims $500–800 off of an average home’s yearly electricity bills, depending on the wind speed in the area and the local price of electricity.

Company officials say the system will pay for itself in 5–12 years. States such as California and New Jersey are helping to promote backyard wind power with consumer rebates that cover half the installation cost, says Miriam Robbins, the company’s marketing manager. Plus, where possible, customers could sell any extra power they don’t use to utilities.

The key to encouraging homeowners to invest in wind energy is “getting the cost down even more through more mass-produced pieces,” Robbins says. The company is pushing for more state-sponsored rebates. But interested buyers might face additional challenges—local zoning rules that prohibit wind turbines in a backyard and municipalities that restrict the tower’s height, not to mention neighbors and bird enthusiasts who object to the sight of a turbine in their neighborhood.