Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: A Wind Primer: Stuff You Need to Know 7

Chapter 1: Introducing the World of Home Wind Electricity 9

Chapter 2: Is Wind Energy for You? 19

Chapter 3: Deconstructing Wind-Energy Systems 33

Chapter 4: Electricity Basics — a Shocking Amount of Info 47

Chapter 5: Blowing through Vital Wind-Energy Principles 67

Part II: Assessing Your Situation 83

Chapter 6: The Home Energy Assessment: Gauging Your Energy Appetite 85

Chapter 7: Increasing Your Home’s Energy Efficiency 99

Chapter 8: Determining Your Site’s Wind-Energy Potential 117

Chapter 9: Defi ning Your Relationship to the Grid 137

Chapter 10: Calculating the Value of Your Investment 151

Chapter 11: If Not Wind, Then What? Other Options for Green Energy 165

Part III: Assembling Your System 183

Chapter 12: Gathering a Team of Experts — or Going It Alone 185

Chapter 13: Weighing Wind Generator Options 199

Chapter 14: Talking about Towers 219

Chapter 15: Checking Out the Rest of the System Components 237

Chapter 16: Tying Everything Together: System Sizing and Design 253

Part IV: Installing and Operating Your System 269

Chapter 17: Safety First! 271

Chapter 18: Installation Time 287

Chapter 19: Living with Wind Energy 305

Part V: The Part of Tens 315

Chapter 20: Ten Essential Steps toward a Successful Wind-Electric System 317

Chapter 21: Ten Wind-Energy Mistakes 323

Chapter 22: Ten Tales of Wind-Energy Users and “Abusers” 327

Part VI: Appendixes 335

Appendix A: Glossary 337

Appendix B: Conversions, Abbreviations, and Acronyms 345

Index 349

About the Author

Ian Woofenden is a Senior Editor with Home Power magazine, the Northwest & Costa Rica Coordinator with Solar Energy International, and a wind-energy author, consultant, and instructor. He has been living off-grid with his family and several wind generators for almost 30 years.