The project, "Power Through Policy: Best Practices for Cost-Effective Distributed Wind," will identify policies most helpful in making consumer-owned wind turbines more affordable, measuring the impact of various policy combinations on the cost of energy, and highlighting attractive state and utility markets for small wind turbines that offer the quickest return on investment.

Two veterans in the small wind industry, Mick Sagrillo & Ian Woofenden, review home-, farm-, business-, and school-scale wind turbines, with perspectives on the three most common mistakes to avoid and the three most important decisions you need to make for a wise buying decision.

Some states have rebates for Small Wind Energy Systems, and the number of programs have increased with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 extended many consumer tax incentives originally introduced in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) and amended in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343).

This web site uses the AWEA Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard for product listing and comparison.

"Wind energy works and makes environmental sense—more so today than ever before—but consumers have to be on their guard," writes wind energy pioneer, expert, and advocate Paul Gipe in his newly revised Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition: A Guide to Home- and Community-Scale Wind-Energy Systems. Gipe has worked for over three decades in renewable energy, has authored seven books, and has lectured widely on wind energy and how to minimize its impact on the environment and the communities of which it is a part.

The American Wind Energy Association provides Small Wind resources including information on the installation of wind turbines and the promotion of wind energy, along with market studies and policy information.

The Wind Powering America web site contains resources for Small Wind for Homeowners, Ranchers, and Small Businesses, including Small Wind Electric Systems Consumer's Guides, events, webinars, news, publications, and web resources. Wind Powering America is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program that leads the nation's efforts to improve the performance, lower the costs, and accelerate the deployment of wind and water power technologies.

Visit the Wind Powering America web site.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory operates a Small Wind Turbine Research program. Their work includes independent testing, regional test centers, turbine development, and field verification.

Visit the National Renewable Energy Laboratory web site.