Remainder of the Planning Process

If small wind seems both affordable and possible for your situation, here are some things you still need to consider in sizing, purchasing, and installing a small wind system. Make sure you have completed Steps 1-6 under The Crucial Stuff before proceeding below! You can either go through these steps yourself or contact a dealer who can provide you with guidance.

Please note that if you’re interested in a turbine under 500 W in power, a number of the steps below will be of less concern (notably steps 8, 9, and 13).

Step 7: Electrical Requirements & Turbine Sizing What are your electrical requirements and what size of turbine will you need to satisfy them? Now that you’ve identified where you can save energy, you will need to determine with greater precision the turbine size that meets your annual electricity use and peak power requirements. (For more information, see Sizing Your Turbine)

Step 8: Net Metering (optional) If you're going on-grid, how do you interface with the utility? (optional) You’ll need to research how grid interconnection is done for your electrical utility and whether they have a ‘net metering’ program in place to track and bill the electricity you use from the grid and the electricity you store in the grid. (For more information, see On- or Off-Grid? and Connecting to the Grid)

Step 9: Financial Incentives Are there any financial incentives to help you pay for your small wind turbine? You will need to research any provincial, local, or utility-level financial incentives that could help make your small wind system more affordable. (For more information, see Incentives & Support)

Step 10: Siting How do you figure out exactly where to put the turbine on your property? You need to be sure you are able to site your turbine in a high-wind area of your property that is far enough from buildings, fences, animals, roads, and on a tall enough tower to be well above buildings, treetops, and any other wind obstructions. (For more information, see Your Turbine Site)

Step 11: Legal Stuff What other legal issues will you need to deal with? You will need to investigate the legal and regulatory issues that apply to your site. This includes zoning ordinances, building codes, land use regulations, and possibly insurance. (For more information, see Legal & Regulatory Issues)

Step 12: Wind Resource (optional) What is the exact wind resource at your site? The Ballpark Cost estimate you saw earlier in this planning process was based on estimated wind data from Environment Canada's Canadian Wind Atlas.  Depending on the size of your turbine (and therefore the cost-effectiveness of the options), you may want to confirm the wind resource at the proposed turbine location and height, since wind is affected by subtle variations in landscape and tree growth. (For more information, see Measuring Wind)

Step 13: Feasibility Assessment with RETScreen (recommended for 1 kW and above) How can you get a better estimate of a turbine's technical and financial feasibility? The Ballpark Cost estimate you saw earlier in this Roadmap made certain assumptions about wind in your area and was based on only a few turbine options.  Now that you have a better idea of your electrical requirements and financial incentive options, a more detailed feasibility analysis is highly recommended before investing in a small wind system.  Download the free RETScreen tool to do this assessment. (For more information, see Using RETScreen and Sizing Your Turbine)

Step 14: Social, Environmental, and Other Considerations Is there anything else you should consider before shopping for a turbine? A number of other aspects need to be considered before you buy a turbine, such as noise, neighbours and potential bird impacts.  These issues should be understood and explored to minimize surprises and problems when implementing your system. (For more information, see Other Considerations and Benefits & Issues)

Step 15: Buying & Installing How and where should you buy a system and how should it be installed? You can buy a turbine and accessories/electronics either direct-from-manufacturer or from a dealer.  If you are having somebody professionally install the system (recommended for turbines larger than 1 kW), you need to ensure that the dealer/installer is qualified and that they can provide an appropriate service plan. (For more information, see Purchasing Tips and Installation & Maintenance)

And that's it!  You're well on your way to using small wind to generate electricity from a clean, renewable resource!