Wind Turbine Cost

Wind turbines harness the power of wind without using any fossil fuels or creating hazardous waste making them an Earth friendly choice. There are a few factors to consider when considering a turbine, like the size, output and installation which can affect the cost and amount of money saved. Each item is laid out and considered equally to show that that savings and environmental benefits can easily outweigh the initial costs of a wind turbine.

As energy costs rise many companies and individuals are turning to alternative energy sources, one of the most promising in the United States are wind turbines. Wind turbines are costly investments at first however; easily produce enough energy to power a home or factory. This saves the companies and individuals hundreds to thousands of dollars each year on energy.

There are two type of turbines, commercial and the smaller “private” models. Most turbines seen around are for commercial use because they are the most cost effective. In 2008 the average cost of a wind turbine was $3.5 million installed. There are a lot of variable costs that need to be considered, for example permits, insurance, maintenance, freight of the tower and turbine, power upgrades, legal fees and general construction costs, which are all included in the above figure. There are lot of processes that go into turbines and cost vary so it’s hard to put a set price on one, however they pay back their set up costs with interest.

For smaller more private turbines the cost drops to $3000 to $5000 per kilowatt of capacity up to 100 kilowatts. This gives smaller businesses and private farms the most cost effective way of getting only the power they need. The size needed to produce enough kilowatt energy to power the average home for a year is a 10 kilowatt machine, with a price tag of $35’000 - $50’000.

The real number to be considered when buying a wind turbine is the amount you will save each year. Like the cost of the turbines, these numbers vary on average wind speed of the area, the size of the blades and how you install it. For example the two main ways to install a private turbine is either on or off the grid. The grid is actually controlled by the electric company, meaning that if you install on the grid you can sell the unused energy to the company instead of paying them. You monthly bill could now be a monthly check.

The other choice is off the grid, this is great for a small machine, these are normally used to power part of the house, for example the furnace not the entire house. Thus you would still have a bill each month but at a large reduction. The cost of wind turbines can be measured in dollars and environmental impact. For each wind turbine that is installed there is energy being generated that isn’t depleting natural resources (like fossil fuels or natural gas) or giving off hazardous waste. While there is no real way of putting a value on that there is value in knowing that wind turbines are helping create a cleaner energy for tomorrow.

 
For more information about Wind Turbine Cost:

What does a Wind Turbine Cost?

How much do wind turbines cost?

The cost of the commercial wind turbines