Once you’ve found that your particular piece of property is appropriate for wind power, you should research the different costs of wind systems and which will meet your energy needs. Some are actually hybrid systems that include not only the wind system, but also solar panels and a generator to ensure an ample supply of power to your home.

A small off-grid wind system is actually quite simple. It generally consists of a wind turbine that generates electrical power; a battery bank that stores the power; and an inverter, which, just like the inverter in the solar power system, changes the power into usable electricity.

You need to place the wind turbine on a tower that is approximately 100 feet high. At this height the winds are generally faster and less turbulent. Two or three blades are attached to the turbine. When the wind blows over the blades, they rotate. When they rotate, a shaft inside the turbine converts that movement into electricity.

Smaller vertical wind turbines have recently been developed for use in home power. These turbines take up less space than traditional horizontal turbines, and some can capture wind movement from all directions.

A relatively new product on the wind-power market is a vertical spire. One such product, marketed as Windspire, generates power when wind blows against the vertical airfoils, causing them to spin. This power is then converted to AC electricity and is immediately available to provide energy to your building. These spires are only 30 feet tall and 4 feet wide. In 11 mph annual average winds, each spire will generate about 2,000 kWh per year.