Small wind turbines in the built environment: opportunities and grid-connection issues

Small wind turbine systems used in the built environment are an increasingly more popular renewable form of distributed generation. The three basic types and the main technical characteristics are summarized. The siting aspects are discussed, with attention for the particular difficulties of roof or building integration. The grid connection aspects for an individual turbine and for a multi-turbine installation (small wind farm) are treated. The parallel with grid connection aspects of photovoltaic systems, often complementary in power production, is discussed.