BLOWING IN THE WIND

While wind energy boasts a smaller carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels, it is not without its own set of environmental challenges.

For one thing, we don't see wind turbines in regular households as often as we see solar panels, for a good reason. Commercial wind turbines cost about 2.6-4 million dollars to build and more than 40,000 dollars to operate and manage, while they require 25-40 acres of land to be built and stand, which would be nearly impossible for most residential households to operate.

Residential wind turbines do exist, but according to industry estimates, the cost of installing a small wind turbine can range from 15,000 dollars for a 5-kilowatt system to upwards of 175,000 dollars for larger 15-kilowatt systems, significantly more than the average 27,300 dollars cost for a 10-kilowatt solar panel installation.

Factors such as the need for open space, strict permitting and zoning requirements, limited wind resource availability, and ongoing maintenance costs contribute to the difficulties of implementing wind power on a residential scale. As a result, solar power remains the more accessible and affordable clean energy option for the majority of households.

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