Cost of Wind Turbines
Asking what is the cost of wind turbines is somewhat like asking how much does a car cost. You can buy a car for a few hundred dollars or spend millions. Similarly, wind turbines range in price from a few hundred dollars to several million dollars. The cost of a wind turbine will depend on several factors including the cost of the hardware, construction costs, financing costs, taxes etc. For purposes of this article, we will limit the discussion to the cost of wind turbines intended for farm or residential use.
The cost of wind turbines will vary depending on how much power the unit will generate. A very, very rough rule of thumb is that it will cost $ 1.00 for each watt per hour that the generator will produce. For example, a wind turbine that is has a rated output of 1 kwh (1,000 watts per hour) should cost approximately $ 1,000. The Windmax HY1000-5 Wind Generator available from Amazon sells for about that price (as of the date of this article.
In addition to the wind turbine itself, a mounting pole or tower will be necessary to get the turbine about 30 to 40 feet high. A wind generator tower kit from Amazon costs about $400.
Other pieces of equipment required to put the wind generator to use include an inverter and a deep cycle battery. These two items will add about another $200 to the cost of wind turbines. Last, but not least, is the labor cost of installation and the expense of an electrician to connect the system to the home power grid. Assuming these expenses to be about $500, the total cost of our wind turbine system will be somewhere near $2,000.
An alternative and less expensive approach to the cost of wind turbines for those who have the skills is to build you own wind turbine. You can find information on a a do-it-yourself by Clicking Here!
An Introduction to Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are based on the centuries old design of the windmill. Initially used to grind grain or pump water, the current applications have a far more beneficial use; that of producing energy.
Whilst the initial purpose of the windmill's design is still in use today, the application whereby the kinetic energy of the wind is transformed into mechanical energy for electricity is becoming increasingly more widespread in the bid to combat the detrimental effects of fossil fuels across the entire globe.
There are two very distinct designs for wind turbines; the vertical axis and the horizontal axis. The design title refers to the position of the sails that power the device in relation to the supporting tower.
How Much Do Wind Turbines Cost?
How much does a wind turbine cost can be answered partially. Cost components for wind turbines which are distinct from commercial scale wind turbine as outlined above. The cost includes wind resource assessment, site analysis expenses, the freight of the turbine and its price, as well as tower, construction expenses, interconnection studies, utility system upgrades, protection, transformers, as well as metering equipment, operations, warranty, maintenance, repair, insurance, legal and consultation fees, etc.
Other factors which have an impact on your project economics are financing costs, the size of the project and applicability of taxes.
How much does a wind turbine cost can be answered as: