Residential small wind energy is finally getting cheaper with the help of Honeywell’s wind turbine by Earthtronics.It sounds great so I put it to the test at my residence in New Hampshire. First, I went to the NREL website to run a wind speed and wind class simulation for my specific location. The small wind energy simulation resulted in the following:

64.04 KW/hr is the average power my residence generates per month with a wind class of 2 which equated to 4.9725 m/s wind speed per month. The utility rates are about .15 cents per KW in the area which means I’m saving just under $10 bucks a month or a $120 a year (roughly). That would probably be the average of my monthly utility. I can’t say spending $4500 bucks before rebate incentives is worth 1 free month a year at the current electricity rates.

In New Hampshire the incentives for small wind renewable energy is not as beneficial as the rest of the country which can range from 30% – 60% in rebates on equipment and installation cost. If you’re curious about incentives in your state check the Database of State Incentives for green and energy initiatives. If you are lucky enough to apply 50% or greater rebates within your state to the honeywell small wind purchase and have greater wind class speed than 2 you have a viable supplement to your energy needs.

There is still room in the market place for small wind energy products priced in the $1000 to $2000 dollar range for residential solutions for blokes like me and you. Combine the price point with some rebates and you have a real product and a huge market. Go get’em entrepreneurs!