Evaluating a Site
It is important to first think about how you want wind energy to work for you. Some want it to power portions of their homes, others would like for it to run a corporate complex and some may want to use it to make their municipal building green.
No matter what your needs are, wind energy has endless potential - if you have wind in your area. It would make sense that areas without much breeze would benefit far less from turbines than those with constant wind flow.
If you think your area is windy enough to power a small wind turbine, odds are you're right -- half the land mass in the United States has sufficient wind to make a small turbine viable. It's crucial, however, that the wind on your property is sustained for long periods at a time.
The Department of Energy measures wind power on a scale of 1 (weakest) to 7. If winds on your site are at least class 2 (annual wind speeds averaging 9.8-11.5 mph), it may be suitable for wind generation, subject to other conditions also discussed on this site.
To see how much wind is in your area, see our interactive wind map. Please remember that wind maps give only broad estimates -- the wind speed on any particular site is largely determined by terrain. Consult a turbine dealer or put up an anemometer to more thoroughly research your wind resource.
Source: American Wind Energy Association