Are you looking to cut down your electric bills and live in a windy area? Well, a new home based wind turbine could be the answer for you.

According to company spokepeople, Cascade Engineerings Swift Home Turbine can be purchased and installed for around ten thousand dollars. Between energy savings and government tax incentives the payback can be less than 3 years if you live in a windy enough area.

I am all for alternative energy, as long as it has a payback. The idea of going green for the sake of going green tends not to do too much for me. But when partnered with an economic incentive, I am all for it. And I think I am not alone.

Like other wind turbines, the Swift has blades that turn in the wind to power a generator. But rather than the typical three blades, the Swift has five and a ring that goes around them. That “outer diffuser” ring cuts the noise level to 35 decibels and the vibration, according to the company.

The turbine, with a seven foot diameter, also has two fins to direct the turbine to face the wind, able to turn 360 degrees and shut down if the wind is too high.

It can generate 1.5 kilowatts with 14 mile-per-hour wind and about 2,000 kilowatt-hours over a year. U.S. households typically consume between 6,500 and 10,000 kilowatt-hours in a year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

At a cost of $10,000 installed, it’s a bit lower than the typical per-watt cost of solar electric panels. But state rebates, the cost of electricity, and the wind or solar resource make a big difference on the actually up-front cost. Cascade Engineering estimates the payback on the upfront cost can be as low as three years but varies widely

Small wind recently benefit from the extension of renewable energy tax credits, giving consumers $1,000 tax credit for residential systems and $4,000 for commercial buildings.  via CNET News.

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