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With
the increasing interest of small wind turbines in the U.S. market,
there is also an increase in new turbines starting to show
up. Some may be real performers while others may end up
producing little more than nice numbers on a spec sheet.
Since you are investing real money, you need real returns.
This makes it necessary to weed out the turbines that look good but
have little substance. A wind turbine manufacturer can claim
something
about their turbine that makes it the "best ever" but does this make it
the best one for you? Some of the claims are reasonable and
serve a good purpose while others sound
good but mean little in the
overall picture.
After all, most of us are used to buying all types of appliances for our homes on a regular basis so what makes this so different? At this point in time, those appliances we are comfortable purchasing are usually common items that are available in a number of locations, at affordable costs and if one breaks down, a replacement can be just hours away. A wind turbine is just the opposite. It is not a common item available from numerous local sources, they will typically stretch the budget, and a break down can be a big deal.
Typically, you want to get the most value for your money but the small wind industry has not been interpreted for us like washers and dryers. There are design characteristics and energy output numbers that need to be considered and most of the time you are on your own to figure out how they apply to you. Even if you work at a company with 100 employees, the chances of finding someone with wind turbine experience will probably be pretty slim. Finding multiple opinions and support may prove to be impossible.
Because of these factors, this is where we have set our goals. First, we have weeded through turbine offerings and have come up with the most likely candidates for a successful wind energy system. Second, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular (HAWT) wind turbines available in the U.S. Third, based on our real life experiences with wind power we give you something lacking in the wind industry field, our opinion.
NOTE
The information provided for the following list of wind turbine manufacturers is very limited. We have only posted basic specs and information here. The "Turbine Reviews" section in "The Complete Consumer's Guide To Wind Power" is not comprised of these exact pages. The ebook contains thorough, in-depth content, side-by-side comparisons, and our unbiased opinion of each turbine.