Small Wind Systems
http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/Wind/Small.shtml
Small electric wind turbines for residential or small commercial use have
been available for more than three decades. The current technology is highly
reliable and converts wind energy into electricity efficiently. Wind
turbines for a residential application typically range in electrical output
capacity from 500 watts up to 10 kilowatts. These systems are mounted on
towers between 60 and 100 feet off the ground and may have blades or rotors,
similar to those on an aircraft engine, up to 25 feet in diameter.

For an excellent small wind guide, please see:

Small Wind Electric Systems: An Oregon Consumer's Guide
(PDF 1.6 MB)

Apples & Oranges 2002 - Choosing a Home-Sized Wind Generator" (PDF)
Reprinted with permission from Home Power magazine August/Sept 2002 and
author Mick Sagrillo. The Oregon Department of Energy makes no guarantee of
the accuracy of the information provided and does not endorse any of the
products discussed.
Windustry's introduction to wind energy:
http://www.windustry.org/basics/03-knowwind.htm

Permitting Small Wind Turbines: A handbook. Learning from the California
Experience.
http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/permitting.pdf

The American Wind Energy Association Small Wind section:
http://www.awea.org/smallwind.html

Small wind turbine manufacturers:
http://www.awea.org/faq/smsyslst.html

A Web site for farmer owned wind turbines: http://www.windustry
org/farmer/default.htm

How to Develop a Locally Owned Wind Farm (PowerPoint Presentation)


From: http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/Wind/windhome.shtml
Wind Energy Information




How Wind Power Works
Wind turbines have blades designed like airplane wings. They rotate due to a
pressure differential caused by air moving over the surface of the blade.
The blades turn a rotor which drives an electrical generator. Turbines are
designed to automatically face the wind either mechanically or by
computer-controlled drive systems.

Small Wind Systems
Small electric wind turbines for residential or small commercial use have
been available for more than three decades. The current technology is highly
reliable and converts wind energy into electricity efficiently.


Wind Resource Assessment
To assure that the wind resource at your site will provide you with an
appropriate return on you investment, you should collect wind speed and
direction data.

Interconnection Issues
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council´S (IREC) 2003 publication on
interconnection categorizes the issues in three groups: Technical, Legal,
and Fees...

Distributed Wind (Small Wind Farms)
Unlike large central-station generation, which is connected to the utility
transmission system, distributed generation is typically smaller and
connects to the grid at distribution-voltage levels.

Permitting/Siting
The goal of a wind facility permitting process, as with other energy
facility siting processes, is to reach decisions that are timely and avoid
unnecessary court challenge; ensure project compliance with existing laws
and regulations ensuring environmental protection at a reasonable cost.

Transmission
Wind and other renewable resources may be affected differently than
conventional generation by new electric industry rules because of such
inherent characteristics as their location dependence, intermittency, and
low capacity factor.

Integration With Utility Operations
"Wind power plants generate electricity when the wind is blowing, and the
plant output depends substantially on the wind speed. Wind speeds cannot be
predicted with high accuracy over daily periods, and the wind often
fluctuates from minute to minute and hour to hour. Consequently, electric
utility system planners and operators have been concerned that variations in
wind-plant output may increase the operating costs of the system as a whole.
.."

Financial Aspects & Incentives
What are the factors in the cost of electricity from wind turbines? What
incentives are there for developing a wind system? What financial resources
are there to help offset the cost of the system?

Economic Development
Throughout the world, development of wind energy is seen as a way to assist
the expansion of local economies.

Working with Commercial Wind Farm Developers
Our Web page on Distributed Wind and Small Wind Farms highlights that
landowners in some parts of the world

Wind Energy Guide for County Commissioners
(PDF 1.1 MB)

Wind Energy Atlas Viewer

Wind Energy Information for Landowners

From: http://www.absak.com/library/wind-turbine-home-power
Wind Turbines for Home Power
With good, consistent wind flow, wind energy is one of the most economical
forms of alternative energy available today… If your wind flow fluctuates,
wind turbines can still be an excellent addition to a solar system,
providing more consistent year-round power.Advances in wind turbine
technology have focused on improving the efficiency of the components and
reducing the number of moving parts, resulting in very reliable and
effective turbine designs. Today, wind turbines are an essential part of a
reliable renewable energy system.
Wind Turbine Basics
How Wind Turbines are Used
Types of Wind Generators
Using Wind Turbines in Alaska
Benefits of Wind Energy
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