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Benefits and costs of having your own windmill all depend on where you live. Current technology requires about 10mph average wind speed in order to make enough electricity for the average American home. For pumping water or charging batteries at least an average of 6mph is recommended by most manufacturers.

The federal government does have wind maps available at eere.energy.gov. These will help in assessing if individual windmill is feasible for your needs. Those few purveyors in the marketplace will do a feasibility assessment too.

Rising energy costs and technology improvements are lowering wind requirements and overall equipment costs at lightening speed. California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts all have state funded grant or rebate programs designed to pay as much as half the overall start up costs. Illinois had a program that ended in April, 2007 and have yet to renew. The bad news is that only limited areas have enough wind to make individual windmills feasible in any of these states.

A large number of individual electrical providers have small rebate programs for installations of solar or wind energy systems to lessen the strain on the overall electrical grid. So far the federal government only gives tax incentives for solar but not for wind power. That may change as the rural and farm lobbies push for a farm bill with sustainability grants.

Space and height is a requirement for reliable wind energy. The biggest mistake that early wind installations for the home or farm made was towers that were too short. A minimum of 90 to 120 feet tall to get above ground turbulence caused by trees, structures and natural geography. One acre of land is needed to comfortably place this tall tower.

Improvements in sound reduction and size of blades make them more amenable to suburban environments. Local zoning and covenant agreements are becoming more amenable to windmill installations for individual homes.

The Federal rules require that local utilities buy your excess energy. Efficient systems are now available to work seamlessly with local utilities. Power fluctuations are no longer an issue.

The average cost for start up is about $32,000 for a 10KW system. Installation may run anywhere from $6,000 to $25,000. This may sound high, but with a rebate program that pays half, no or little utility bill things start to sound better. Now add in average thirty year life with little or no maintenance beyond oiling the parts.

Loan payments can be tailored to match your old utility expenses. You get free electricity in six to twenty years depending on the wind. This means that you pay no more on a month to month basis. When the equipment is paid for the energy is free.

This can be a remarkable return on investment. Many seniors see it as a way to have no utility bills rather than having to face rising energy prices on a fixed income. For everyone it means less of a carbon footprint.

Learn more about this author, Betsy Young.
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