Home and Farm Scale Wind

Small wind turbines have capacity ratings from 1 to 100 kilowatts (kW) and can produce power for a residential home, farm, small business, school or campus. See the Windustry Scale of Wind diagram that depicts the differences in size and power of wind turbines.

Windustry is a nonprofit organization that promotes progressive renewable energy solutions and empowers communities to develop and own wind energy as an environmentally sustainable asset. Resources are provided for educational purposes, and Windustry does not endorse any wind energy company.


Small Wind Resources

  • Wind Basics - Learn everything from how wind energy works to the economics of a wind project with our Wind Basics series.
  • Planning a Small Wind Project - Find information, tips, tricks, and advice on putting together a small wind project of your own.
  • Small Wind Resources - Browse or search our library of resources related to small wind.
  • Wind Energy Companies - Find installers, dealers and other small wind-related businesses.

Consumers who install residential small wind systems with a nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts can receive a 30% residential tax credit for Consumer Energy Efficiency systems placed in service before December 31, 2016. Read more.


Small Wind Bulk Buy Program

Windustry and the Minnesota Region Nine Renewable Energy Task Force have launched a Small Wind Bulk Buy Program, supported by a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant, to help rural enterprises take advantage of the state's wind resources and net-metering laws. The bulk purchase will be for machines ranging in size from 2.4 kW to just under 40kW, and the program provides Small Wind 101 training sessions, as well as technical and logistical support. Read More.


Read more:

  • Bergey Excel-S wind turbine
    The Bergey Excel-S is a popular small wind turbine.

    Home Power magazine publishes an annual Wind Turbine Guide for considering and planning a wind energy electric system for home, farm, or business. The 2011 guide "Is Wind Electricity Right for You?" covers site evaluation, towers, and turbine choices. Wind energy experts Ian Woofenden and Mick Sagrillo review 24 small wind turbines with a detailed table of specifications along with wind installer survey results.

  • Small Wind Certification Council logo

    The Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) is an independent organization that assesses and issues certificates and consumer labels for the performance and safety of small wind turbines in accordance with criteria established in the AWEA Standard. SWCC Certification is based on an evaluation of the wind turbine design (Structural Analysis) and field testing (Power performance test, Acoustic sound test, Safety & Function test, and Duration test). Eligible turbines are currently defined as electricity-producing wind turbines with a swept area up to 200 m2 (approximately 50-65 kW).

  • Clean Energy Project Builder

    Clean Energy Project Builder (formerly REDI Resources) is an online directory of community and small wind, and solar power companies from all over the United States who serve Minnesota’s clean energy industry. The directory allows you to browse companies; to search by specific services like engineering, operations & maintenance, or legal services; to find companies near you using geographic search; and to find companies through a range of other details like service area, number of employees, or completed project capacity.

  • 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).

  • Wind Energy Basics

    "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 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.