How Much Power Will a Home Wind Turbine Produce?

By Steve Graham for Networx

A strong wind gust and attractive rebates may not add up to a good deal on residential wind power. Several factors affect the amount of power generated by a home wind turbine. Homeowners should avoid general ratings and carefully study the potential power-generating capacity of a wind turbine on a specific site.

Power Ratings

Most turbines have a power rating in kilowatts (kW). The rating is somewhat like a car’s horsepower figure. It shows which engine or turbine is bigger, but isn’t a direct measure of the machine’s full energy output. The number of “horses under the hood” doesn’t indicate the fuel efficiency or top speed without vehicle weight, driving conditions and other stats. At least most car buyers have already owned a car, so they have a rough idea how to translate horsepower figures. However, homeowners are typically buying their first turbine, so they have nothing for comparison.

Utility bills are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) — power usage multiplied by time. For example, a 100-watt light bulb left on for 10 hours uses one kWh. Many companies and industry groups say a 10 kW system will generate about 10,000 kWh per year (equaling the average power usage in a U.S. home), but the real output will be higher or significantly lower. The turbine puts out a maximum of 10 kW under perfect conditions, so it could theoretically generate 10 kW for 24 hours a day 365 days a year, or 87,600 kW per year. With soft breezes, it will generate just a handful of watts.

Calculating the real power output of a wind turbine in watts involves multiplying the mechanical efficiency by the wind speed, air density, and rotor blade length.

Wind Speed

Wind speeds and other weather factors make a bigger difference to power output than a turbine’s parts. This U.S. Department of Energy map shows annual average wind speeds at 50 meters above the ground. Residential wind turbines have been installed in most U.S. states, but many areas do not have enough wind to spin turbines. No matter what the installer or manufacturer says, you won’t generate significant power at speeds below 10 miles per hour.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Douglas S.

9:41AM PST on Jan 16, 2012

Nice

send a green star

Ruth R.

10:34PM PDT on Aug 7, 2011

Good.

Trish K.

12:34PM PST on Mar 6, 2011

This is year one for the schools first wind turbine. I hope it did well.

Eternal G.

4:17PM PST on Feb 28, 2011

Thanks!

Carol S.

6:40PM PST on Feb 17, 2011

I am behind in my emails and trying to catch up. I agree that natural wind does not generate much electricity. However, there are two alternatives to pursue. Use an airfoil effect such as putting a wind turbine in the hood compartment of a car, and leaving the compartment open, or wiring the turbine to a solar array. The array boots the turbine vanes, and the turbine creates more electricity. If the array does not generate enough with one turbine, wire it to boot another turbine and the second turbine will generate more electricity, until we improve both devices more. Another way to get more out of an array is to focus the sunlight on the guts below. Make the glass caps on the housing MAGNIFY light. Or maybe we want to experiment with very weak lasers and possibly refrigeration housing. Get more use out of the light, while keeping temps cool enough that the solar array does not go KERFLOOEY.