Installing a residential wind turbine is easier than ever.  Most professional installers handle all the details for you including the installation itself as well as all the paperwork required to apply for all rebates, building permits and inspections.  Although the process may vary slightly by location, there are 7 key steps to installing a residential wind turbine:

• Step 1: You request a free wind consultation
• Step 2: You decide if wind is right for you
• Step 3: You choose a professional wind turbine installer
• Step 4: The wind turbine installer completes all paperwork including your rebates and incentives
• Step 5: System installation and required inspections
• Step 6: The installer turns on your system
• Step 7: You claim your rebates and incentives

The first step in the process is to request a free wind consultation. You can learn a lot about wind by reading information on the web (like you are doing right now) but many questions are tough to answer without professional experience. A professional wind turbine installer can also give you immediate cost and benefit estimates, as well as outline the applicable rebates and incentives.

After speaking with professional wind installers in your area, you should be armed with all the benefits and costs associated with a residential wind turbine. The decision is now in your hands. Most homeowners understand that a wind turbine can save a lot of money (in many cases – thousands of dollars a year) but they need to balance the up-front costs for a wind turbine. The good news is that some installers offer financing and leasing options that are incredibly attractive.

Once you’ve decided that you want to invest in a wind turbine, you should choose a reputable wind turbine installer. Make sure the installer is a licensed contractor in accordance with the rules and regulations of the states they service. Always ask for references and pick installers that have at least 50 annual installations.

Once you have decided on a wind installer, the rest of the process is pretty much taken care of. They will start by filling out all the necessary paperwork. The amount of paperwork varies by location, but will typically include forms for rebates and incentives, building permits, agreements with your utility and so on.

Regarding the rebates and incentives, many wind installers will be able to calculate the amount of your rebate before installing the system. It is common for the installer to reduce the cost of your system by the rebate amount so that you don’t have to wait for the rebate.

This initial process of preparing all the paperwork and getting the permits may take 3-6 weeks.

Once all the paperwork is ready, the installation begins. Most residential wind turbine installations are extremely straightforward and only take a few days.

After your system is installed, there may be a couple inspections that need to occur. These usually take place by the utility company and any groups overseeing building permits. This should be handled by your installer.

After inspections, your system is ready to be turned on. Say bye-bye to high electric bills forever!

Most likely, your wind turbine installer will have already reduced the cost of your system to account for the applicable rebates.  Your wind turbine installer will also give you information on how to claim your 30% federal tax credit for the system.  The federal tax incentive is a simple tax form (Form 5695) and has no upper limit!