What to look for:

• A system, not just a turbine

  As well as a turbine, you will need either a bank of batteries (for a standalone system) or an inverter (for a grid-tied system), cables and controls. These should be sized and installed by a professional.

• Turbine characteristics

  The principal concerns are the rating (i.e. maximum power output) and the cut-in speed. You may also need to ascertain whether you need a permit from your municipality.

• Location

  Local average wind speed will determine whether or not a wind turbine is viable in your locality. It is possible to calculate, from recorded weather data and from turbine characteristics published by the manufacturer, how much power you may obtain from the wind. We will shortly be adding to this a facility for doing such a calculation, for turbines manufactured by companies subscribing to this directory.

• Net metering

  SaskPower's policy on net metering (selling power back to the grid at the same unit price as you buy it from the grid) is official as of 2007:Oct:01. Check the policy carefully for details.