in hopes to become more "green", and maybe saving some money, i have been considering a wind mill for my property, as we have an almost constant breeze/wind. i was wondering if anyone on board has gone through an evaluation and even an installation, and would be willing to share some info. thanks.

 

It's an attractive idea. Unfortunately for me, it wouldn't be cost-effective in my area.

This page:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Wind/wind.htm
has a lot of helpful information. The suggestion of building a Windmeter/Anemometer is a really good one, and could be built very inexpensively to help decide if the larger and much more expensive project will result in a net cost/performance benefit.

 

I've been doing a lot of evaluating, but no installing yet.

Many of the commercially available systems will begin generating power when the wind is around 7mph (11kph) or more. They don't really generate much power until wind speed is around 20mph (32kph).

Note well the wind speed picks up as one gets higher off the ground. A tower is a big plus for a wind power system. Do you have any CC&Rs or troublesome local codes or ordinances which would prohibit a fifty or hundred foot tower?

If in the US, you can obtain records of observed wind data from your local NWS office. They can also help you project wind speeds at various altitudes above your proposed tower site. (I really enjoy it when my tax dollars actually DO something for me.)