Distributed wind energy systems are commonly installed on, but are not limited to, residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and community sites, and can range in size from a 5-kilowatt turbine at a home to a multi-megawatt (MW) turbine at a manufacturing facility. Distributed wind systems are connected on the customer side of the meter to meet the onsite load or directly to distribution or micro grids to support grid operations or offset large loads nearby. Distributed wind systems are defined by technology application, not technology size, and are typically smaller than 20 MW.
This animation explains the distributed wind system and illustrates how a turbine at a residential home can offset its energy usage. If you can't see the animation, please read our text version. Or learn the Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Distributed Wind on our blog.
Wind turbines used near homes are commonly in the 1- to 10-kW range but can be larger. They can be used to partially offset load or support a completely off-grid home. These turbines can sometimes be integrated with other components, such as PV systems and storage and power converters.