Every month, Americans have to pay for the ability to light their homes, power their appliances and run their electronics. Two of the common types of power plants found in America generate steam to power turbines through burning fossil fuels or nuclear fission. As a result of these two electricity generators, the Earth suffers pollution, a loss in fossil fuels and exposure to harmful radioactive materials. Depending on where you live, there is a chance to escape having to pay for electricity and stop relying on environmentally harmful power plants.

Residential wind turbines can be erected on your property if it makes sense for your location. These turbines, over time, can bring down your energy costs to virtually nothing and in some cases you can sell electricity back to your local power company. Typically, wind turbines have mostly been used in rural areas. This is due to the milder zoning laws and fewer neighbors found in towns with larger properties. Now the small-scale turbine industry is putting focus towards bringing wind power to suburban communities. It is estimated that at least 15 million homes are capable of adopting wind power in a way that would be cost effective.¹

You might be saying; "That would be too expensive!" Actually, wind turbines pay for themselves after a few years of saving on utilities.  With such an important commodity helping your home, the value of your property will increase. As a bonus, wind turbines help the environment through offsetting "nearly 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gases" caused by power plants, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Fortunately, 47 of the 50 states allow these residential wind systems, and the majority are found in the Northeast and Midwestern regions.²

The catch with these wind systems is that you need to be in the right location and scenario for a wind turbine to be cost effective. There are some important points that must align before you consider this idea for your home. Your payback will come faster if more of these conditions apply to you. First, you should be paying more than 10 cents/kWh for electricity and your bill should average $150 per month at a minimum. Also, your utility should offer net metering, so you can save on your electrical bill and your state should offer a rebate program for wind power. Since a turbine of this kind requires wind, your home or some section of your property should lie in a class 2 or stronger wind area. It would be a good idea for your system to come with a good warranty of at least five years that can be transferred to whoever buys your home in the future.¹

Evidence of the evolution in wind power technology for city use has come recently from a project home in San Francisco. The 2007 San Francisco Idea House is one of the latest green case study homes from Bay Area based Sunset Magazine. Located in the heart of the dense Mission District, this urban Idea House features a tall wind-powered turbine tucked away in the backyard. Peaking just above the third story roofline while not being terribly obtrusive to neighbors, this turbine is new in the city setting. For one year a consultant will monitor the system and calculate how much power is generated.³ This information could lead to wind power being featured in urban, as well as suburban, areas in the near future. As wind power grows in popularity, perhaps the price of a turbine will drop so more people can get off the grid.

Sources:
¹ Pahl, Greg. "New and Improved Wind Power." Mother Earth News. June 2007.
    <http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/2007-06-01/Improved-Wind-Power.aspx>.
² "Wind Energy FAQ." American Wind Association. 2007
    <http://www.awea.org/faq/rsdntqa.html#Howdoresidentialwindturbineswork>.
³ Gregory, Daniel. "Living Green in the City." Sunset Magazine. November 2007.
    <http://www.sunset.com/sunset/home/article/0,20633,1666702,00.html>.