Residential Wind Turbine Design Decision Support System

Residential homeowners in Virginia pay on average $130 every month for electricity and the price is projected to increase in the future by 0.7% per year. In comparison to the rest of the United States, Virginia homeowners pay 14% more than the national average. Further, the variance in monthly bills is $54, causing uncertainty in monthly cash flows for homeowners. Renewable energy systems show potential to reduce costs and variability. Solar panels are in widespread use, except in jurisdictions where they are not allowed for residential purposes (e.g. Virginia) or where there is nonexistent direct sunlight. Solar panels only provide power during daylight hours. Residential wind turbines offer a renewable energy alternative for specific locations where wind is sufficient (e.g. adjacent to large bodies of water) or where there is potential for Venturi effect which amplifies wind magnitude (e.g. urban canyons). A Decision Support System (DSS) was developed to assist consumers in the selection of a wind turbine for residential power generation for their specific location and their specific energy needs. A model of wind turbine characteristics: aerodynamics, gearing, tower and control system, as well as Life Cycle Costs, and break-even point was coupled with a stochastic simulation of local wind profiles. A Multi-Attribute Utility Analysis (MUAT) was used to rank the alternatives. A case-study for a property in Annapolis, Maryland, showed that using the Aeolos 10kW residential wind turbine would generate 5,298 kW per year. With an initial investment of $24,420, the break-even point is 76 years. Higher coefficients of power, government rebate incentives and possible roof mounting are identified to reduce the break-even time.