All wind systems consist of a wind turbine, a tower, wiring and the balance of system components, controllers, inverters and/or batteries. Wind turbines consist of blades on a rotor, a generator mounted on a frame and a tail. The spinning blades turn the rotor capturing the kinetic energy of the wind. This is converted to rotary motion to drive the generator. The best indication of how much energy a turbine will produce is the diameter of the rotor. This determines the amount of wind that will intercept the turbine.

Wind speeds increase with height in flat terrain. This is why towers are used to mount the wind turbine. Generally speaking the higher the tower the more power the wind system can produce. A general rule of thumb is to mount the wind turbine 30 feet above any obstacle that is within 300 feet of the tower.

Manufacturers

• Southwest Windpower