| By :
Roger Brown
Wind turbine costs can seem so simple. You just look at the price you pay, order it, and wait for it to arrive and then plug in to your house. What could be simpler? Well, that is not the case unfortunately. There are many additional components that you at least need to consider to make the wind turbine work. Here are the major components in addition to the device itself that you need to look into in your analysis: * Tower - the tower may or may not be necessary for you and your situation. If you need one, it will likely come close to doubling the cost of your installation. But you may not need one at all. If you are putting the device up on your roof, you can get by without having one. However, if you are trying to get the strongest and most consistent wind, you will install a horizontal wind turbine at least 100 feet up in the atmosphere and that will, of course, require a tower. It may however, be more cost effective for you to live with less wind energy and spare yourself the expense and hassle of the tower. * Replacement costs - you cannot afford to leave replacement parts costs out of your equation of total cost. Among the items that wear out the quickest are the blades. It is probably a good idea to have an extra set on hand. There are many varieties to choose from, depending on your particular turbine and the types of materials you choose. The more expensive variety of blades are made out of composite materials and are very light which is conducive to a low cut-in speed. * Routine maintenance - this won't be a large cost, but one that needs to be accounted for nonetheless. You can safely assume annual cost for routine maintenance will be under $200 for a small wind turbine for your home. Routine maintenance tasks include making sure that the oil is okay and does not contain particles of metal that will decrease the life of the motor, as well as making sure the connections are all types of the blades don't come off in high winds. * Grid Tie Inverter - you will need this if you want to export power to the grid. Doing so is a great way to monetize your investment quickly. The grid tie inverter is a small device that will convert the DC, or direct current, that you make with your wind turbine into AC, or alternating current, that is used and distributed by the power company. Obviously, you can't make this connection yourself. You will need someone the utility approves to tie in your system with that of the local electricity grid. In conclusion, it is wise to consider all your wind turbine costs before you leap forward to purchase.
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