Free Wind Power Resources

The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has produced a Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer’s Guides to help homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses decide if wind energy will work for them. Click on a state name below to download the guidebook for that state. The U.S. Small Wind Guide is available in both English and Spanish. The American Corn Growers Association has also produced a Small Wind Guide.  Many of these documents are Adobe Acrobat PDFs. (Download Adobe Reader).

• Is wind energy practical for me?
• What size wind turbine do I need?
• What are the basic parts of a small wind electric system?
• What do wind systems cost?
• Where can I find installation and maintenance support?
• How much energy will my system generate?
• Is there enough wind on my site?
• How do I choose the best site for my wind turbine?
• Can I connect my system to the utility grid?
• Can I go off grid?

The Small Wind Economic Model is a spreadsheet tool that can help you analyze the economics of a small wind electric system and decide whether wind energy will work for you (MS Excel 102 KB).

Zoning for Small Wind

The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Small Wind Division offers a webinar series about wind power. These webinars target small wind installers, potential buyers, advocates, decision makers, and others.  You get the opportunity to learn about issues related to the zoning of small wind systems (up to 100 kW).

• Introduction to Zoning For Small Wind (PDF 420 KB and PDF 1.3 MB)

  from an ASES Small Wind Division Webinar, January, 2008.

• The Importance of Tower Height (PDF 592 KB)

  from the ASES Small Wind Division Webinar, March, 2008.

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