Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: A Wind Primer: Stuff You Need to Know 7
Chapter 1: Introducing the World of Home Wind Electricity 9
Chapter 2: Is Wind Energy for You? 19
Chapter 3: Deconstructing Wind-Energy Systems 33
Chapter 4: Electricity Basics — a Shocking Amount of Info 47
Chapter 5: Blowing through Vital Wind-Energy Principles 67
Part II: Assessing Your Situation 83
Chapter 6: The Home Energy Assessment: Gauging Your Energy Appetite 85
Chapter 7: Increasing Your Home’s Energy Efficiency 99
Chapter 8: Determining Your Site’s Wind-Energy Potential 117
Chapter 9: Defi ning Your Relationship to the Grid 137
Chapter 10: Calculating the Value of Your Investment 151
Chapter 11: If Not Wind, Then What? Other Options for Green Energy 165
Part III: Assembling Your System 183
Chapter 12: Gathering a Team of Experts — or Going It Alone 185
Chapter 13: Weighing Wind Generator Options 199
Chapter 14: Talking about Towers 219
Chapter 15: Checking Out the Rest of the System Components 237
Chapter 16: Tying Everything Together: System Sizing and Design 253
Part IV: Installing and Operating Your System 269
Chapter 17: Safety First! 271
Chapter 18: Installation Time 287
Chapter 19: Living with Wind Energy 305
Part V: The Part of Tens 315
Chapter 20: Ten Essential Steps toward a Successful Wind-Electric System 317
Chapter 21: Ten Wind-Energy Mistakes 323
Chapter 22: Ten Tales of Wind-Energy Users and “Abusers” 327
Part VI: Appendixes 335
Appendix A: Glossary 337
Appendix B: Conversions, Abbreviations, and Acronyms 345
Index 349
