Siting small wind turbines

A recent survey has indicated that improper siting has been a common cause of dissatisfaction among users of small wind turbines. That is, the user has not received the power output or machine life he expected. Most potential purchasers will need to be reasonably certain of the cost of wind power for their particular application before they decide to buy a wind energy conversion system (WECS). Such an assessment requires an accurate knowledge of wind characteristics at the turbine site. A procedure is presented for choosing the best available site for a wind turbine. A method for estimating the pertinent wind characteristics once the site is chosen is also described. In some cases, extensive onsite measurements may be required before an accurate analysis of turbine performance can be made.