My experience is of a 1KW Windsave. It's generating about 300 units a year, which gives a payback of approx 20 years. OK, but not as good as it was sold. My observation would be that the biggest loss to efficiency is turbulence. We're isolated, but we have a hipped roof, and even when the wind is in the right direction we get a lot of bounce back from the roof causing turbulence and eddying. I'm assuming that since you're looking at a small turbine, you're not up a tall pole, so my advice would be to look at vertical axis. They don't suffer from turbulence and eddying to anything like the same extent as horizontal axis. This link takes you to some Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ideas.
http://greenterrafirma.com/vawt-designs.html
Regards
Tony Richardson

I was wondering why the USA flag, then I checked out the website.!!
 
Its funny when conversing with people on the web, about wind turbines, often I get the question, what happens when all the wind is used up, its much better to use fossil fuels they say, as they are limitless. So many deniers, who have been brainwashed by the fossil fuel lobbyists in Washington.

I am all about using all the earths natural resources that can't be used up! When the wind isn't blowing, then the sun should be shinning and your solar pannels should pick up the slack! (Especially in the Summer here in Wisconsin, we have absolutly no wind in the Summer but lots of Sun! With my Wind Turbine I always have battery backups, so that when the wind does die down and there is no sun, then I will be covered either way! Fossil Fuel is a joke! Well at least someone is saying it out loud in the Government!
From an Obama advisor to the other members of the G20 reveals that the administration plans to push for elimination of fossil fuel subsidies. Says the letter: “The G-20 should commit to take the lead in eliminating non-needs based fossil fuel and electricity subsidies and to provide technical assistance to non-G20 countries taking steps to reduce fossil fuel and electricity subsidies.” Obama reinforced the point in his speech before the UN, in which he said, “Later this week, I will work with my colleagues at the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge.” Well, I guess we will see what happens with that! I am not a huge fan of Obama because I feel he is all talk and no walk. He is just a puppet that was needed to do a tap dance in front of the media to distract the people from noticing how the government is trying to take over and take our freeedoms away and screw up our country! Why didn't they just elect a woman to be president! Why not? All the past presidents had mothers didn't they? Well how do you think some of the best presidents became the best presidents? Their mother!

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JKPLANET,
Dont be so negative towards Obama.
 
He is perhaps the only president of late who dares to open his mouth and say something about the USAs ignorant way of producing energy. No matter what someone says, there is always someone who say no you cant do this, that wont work, why like that, and the bottom line is always, "we are becoming a socialistic state", government deciding everything for us.
It is perhaps time that someone started deciding things up top in the states, because private enterprise is just crap. The good old American way of life has just about crippled the worlds economy due to nothing more than greed, greed, greed

Forgive me Contadino...but I have to say I agree (again)with Fridiheim. Jkplanet you should be thankful for what you have in your President. As Fridiheim says don't be so negative. After all, have you forgotten the previous incumbent? Hardly boosted US prestige throughout the world did he? He was generally acknowledged as a buffoon across the planet. Obama may not be perfect but he is your best hope and all that "Government is taking away our freedoms..." talk translates as "We should be allowed to do whatever we like, without any government interference, irrespective of the consequences to any one else in any other country. I will always remember the sacrifices made by the people of the USA during the second world war and the terrible losses sustained by the US military (along with those form all the other protagonists) but modern america seems a world away, introspective, self obsessed and isolated. Sorry again Contadino...

Well definitely the world has moved on in the last decade or two and many effecient technologies have evolved to provide high effeciency wind turbines.
M not using them but you must make sure that conditions are favourable for that.

Have you looked at Ridgeblade? It's a helical blade, mounted on the ridge. Not susceptible to hunting or eddying, and presumably effective unless the wind direction is straight down its axis. Don't know much more - it's a very new product.