How reliable are wind turbines? Will I have to perform much maintenance?
Most small turbines have only 2-3 moving parts and are designed for a long life (20 – 30 years). However, as with any other hard-working machine, parts must be maintained and occasionally repaired. The average residential-sized wind turbine will put on as many “miles” in just four months as the average car does in its 100,000-mile lifetime. No responsible automobile owner would expect their car to perform for such an extended period of time with no tune-ups or oil changes, let alone without maintenance. More reading: Advice from an Expert Property Values in the AWEA small wind permitting guidebook, In the Public Interest: How and Why to Permit for Small Wind Systems at www.awea.org/smallwind/pdf/inthepublicinterest.pdf REPP study http://www.repp.org/articles/static/1/binaries/wind_online_final.pdf Advice from an Expert: Residential Wind Turbines and Property Value. American Wind Energy Assoc. http://www.awea.org/smallwind/sagrillo/ms_zoining_propertyvalues.html “Renewable Energy Study.
Most small turbines have only 2-3 moving parts and are designed for a long life (20 – 30 years). However, as with any other hard-working machine, parts must be maintained and occasionally repaired. The average residential-sized wind turbine will put on as many “miles” in just four months as the average car does in its 100,000-mile lifetime. No responsible automobile owner would expect their car to perform for such an extended period of time with no tune-ups or oil changes, let alone without maintenance. More reading: Advice from an Expert Property Values in the AWEA small wind permitting guidebook, In the Public Interest: How and Why to Permit for Small Wind Systems at www.awea.org/smallwind/pdf/inthepublicinterest.pdf REPP study http://www.repp.org/articles/static/1/binaries/wind_online_final.pdf Advice from an Expert: Residential Wind Turbines and Property Value. American Wind Energy Assoc. http://www.awea.org/smallwind/sagrillo/ms_zoining_propertyvalues.html “Renewable Energy Study.
