Backyard Wind Energy Systems
Small (also called "Backyard") wind turbines use wind energy to produce clean, emissions-free power for a home, farm, or small businesses.

With this simple and increasingly popular technology, individuals can generate their own power and cut electric bills while helping to protect the environment.

Small wind turbines are usually defined as having rated capacities of 100 kilowatts or less, and can now be connected to the utility grid and net-metered.

Is Your Property Suited for a Wind Turbine?
A backyard wind turbine can be a quite tall because it needs to be high above nearby buildings, trees and other obstacles.

Typically, a property of one acre or more is needed and the tower must be tall enough so that the bottom of the blades is at least 30 feet above any obstacle in a 300 foot radius.

The economics of a wind system are very sensitive to the average wind speeds.  Your property should have at least a 10-mph average wind speed.

Cost and Financial Incentives

The cost of a wind energy system can vary based on a number of factors, including turbines size, tower height, and layout of your property.
As a rule of thumb, the installed cost of a system could be $6,000 or more per kW of turbine capacity (i.e a 10 kW turbine would cost $60,000 installed).

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) now offers rebates of up to $56,000 for residential (up to $200,000 for commercial and municipal) wind turbines.

Additionally, am income tax credit of 30 percent is available from the Federal Government.

With these attractive financial incentives, the net cost of a 10 kW turbine that would otherwise cost around $60,000 installed can be as little as $17,000.

Click here for more information on the LIPA rebates.

How To Find Wind Installers on Long Island

It is important to select a knowledgeable and experienced installer of wind energy systems.  To help consumers find such contractors, reLI is currently establishing criteria for listing of installers on our web pages.

>>>Come back soon for a listing of Long Island wind installers

...but in the meantime, you can click here to see a list of solar installers on our SunshineIsFree.org pages who also install wind turbines.

More Information

Click here to visit LIPA's Wind Energy Program pages

Click here to read "Small rooftop wind turbines: Common questions and answers"

Click here to read Frequently Asked Questions on small wind energy systems by the American Wind Energy Association

Click here to read "Wind Turbine Buyers Guide" by Mick Sagrillo

Click here for a list of wind turbines that are eligible for the LIPA rebate (pdf file)

Click here to see the Long Island Wind Resource Map

Click here to read about Long Island Town's wind codes and regulations

www.WindWorks4LI.org