Wind Turbine Energy Systems

Much like solar energy, wind power is a free natural resource with one major difference in accessibility 24 hours a day. Residential wind turbines can harness wind power to your home, reduce pollution significantly, lower electric bills and decrease dependency on foreign oil. As long as there is an average wind speed of 8 mph free of obstructions your home is eligible for a system that works with utilities connected or create a system that is completely off the grid, using a battery bank to store the created energy.

The diversity of uses (charging batteries, connecting to the grid, pumping water) and operating conditions have gained considerable recently due to the reliability and decreasing costs to build an efficient system. The turbine's output must be conditioned through an inverter before being fed back into the utility grid.

The two different types of inverters are line-commuted and self-commuted. Self-commuted inverters need a reference from the utility grid to hold synchronization due to the oscillating turbines. When linked with a battery they will become part of an uninterrupted power supply that can come in handy during blackouts. Line-commuted inverters are actuated by utility line power that will stop functioning during the event of a blackout.

Grid-Connected Systems

Wind turbines connected with your current utilities works when the wind blows to generate clean, electricity to power your home. When your home uses more power than your turbine can produce, utility power takes over, similar to how hybrid cars switch from stored electricity to gas when the supply runs low. In cases when your turbine produces more energy than you use, you sell the excess back to the electricity company. Grid-connected systems use turbines rated between 10 and 11 kW, although some manufacturers offer turbines as small as 1 kW that are typically not designed specifically for the system.

Off-Grid Systems

Off grid systems allow you to store electricity in areas the power grid doesn't currently reach. Generating energy for a remote cabin using wind turbines in conjunction with solar panels can create a completely self sufficient, energy producing system.

If you have a question about wind powered energy systems or if you would like a free estimate on a project, please call our office at: (773) 703-6030 email us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or simply fill out an online estimate form for a free in-home consultation.