Home Wind Turbine Kits: A Buying Checklist
What to check before you buy any kit or turbine listed for sale.
Check CertificationSearch for home wind turbines for sale and you will find a confusing mix of kits, complete systems and bold claims. This checklist helps you compare them on the points that matter, starting with certification and the tower.
Kit or Complete System?
Turbine-only kit
The turbine head, blades and sometimes a controller. You supply the tower, foundation, wiring, inverter and installation.
Turbine and tower package
Adds a matched tower, often tilt-up for easier maintenance. Foundation, wiring and labor may still be extra.
Complete installed system
A dealer or installer designs, permits, installs and commissions the whole home wind turbine system.
Home wind turbine kits suit people with real electrical and construction skills, and even then permits and utility approval still apply. Most households are better served by a complete, installed system with one party responsible for performance.
The Buying Checklist
- Certification. Look the model up in the ICC-SWCC directory of certified turbines. Certified turbines publish rated annual energy, rated sound level and power curves.
- Rated annual energy at a stated average wind speed, not just peak watts.
- Rotor diameter — the swept area drives energy more than the generator’s nameplate.
- Tower height, type and foundation design for your soil.
- Overspeed protection and a manual shutdown.
- Inverter compatibility and utility interconnection approval.
- Warranty length, what it covers and who honors it.
- Service and parts — who will maintain it in year ten?
- References from owners of the same model in similar wind.
Red Flags When Shopping
- Peak-watt claims with no certified energy rating or no stated wind speed.
- Promises that a turbine works well on a rooftop or in low, gusty wind.
- No mention of the tower, or a tower far shorter than the 30-foot clearance rule implies.
- Pressure to pay in full before permits and utility approval.
- Guaranteed savings figures that ignore your site’s actual wind.
The DOE’s Small Wind Handbook includes a longer list of questions to ask before buying. It is worth reading in full.
Kit and Buying Questions
Are cheap home wind turbine kits worth it?
Inexpensive kits sold online often advertise high peak watts but publish no certified energy rating. Many are fine as hobby battery chargers; few are suited to powering a house. Judge any kit by certified rated annual energy and by the tower it needs.
What does certification actually prove?
A certified small turbine has been tested to a recognized standard for power performance, acoustic sound level and safety and durability, and its ratings are published. ICC-SWCC certifies small turbines to the ACP 101-1 standard and renews certifications annually.
Should I buy a used turbine?
It can work for experienced owners, but parts supply and service are the risk. Confirm the maker still supports the model and have a qualified installer inspect blades, bearings and the tower before buying.
Check a Turbine’s Certification
Before you buy any home wind turbine, look it up with the Small Wind Certification Council to see its tested ratings.
Search Certified Turbines