Wind Power

Prior to the 20th century, windmills were used extensively to produce mechanical energy: to pump water, to grind grain and to power mills of all kinds. More recently, wind turbines have been employed to produce electricity. Wind energy is renewable, reliable, and clean, but with certain drawbacks: the turbines can be noisy at a short distance, and they can be disruptive to some wildlife. The main problem with wind energy is that, as with micro-hydro, location is all-important. Wind turbines are obviously only productive when the wind is blowing. Large "wind farms" are now in operation in locations with strong, sustained, year-round winds. For the potential home user, average wind speeds in the exact location under consideration must be determined. This requires the use of an anemometer (a wind odometer).

Rocky Mountain Institute: Wind Power: An introduction to wind power from the Rocky Mountain Institute. Includes links to some suppliers of wind systems.
American Wind Energy Association: AWEA is the trade association of the wind power industry. They are strong advocates of wind power, obviously, and their site is full of up-to-date information on wind energy-related technology, policy developments, manufacturers and the state of the industry in general. Includes this FAQ on small turbine applications.
Wind Energy and the Homeowner: From the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Wind Energy Program, this site provides legal, financial, environmental and other important information to "help you decide if a wind system is practical for you."

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