Wind Energy in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the best wind resource is typically found at higher elevations and along the shore of Lake Erie. For a small wind project to be successful, a site's annual average wind speed should be no less than 10 - 12 miles per hour and the turbine should be positioned at least 30 feet above any obstacles that are within 500 feet. For larger turbines, a 6.5 + meters per second wind speed is typically needed to support a viable project. You can put a wind turbine just about anywhere and it will generate electricity. . .the question is how much and if the result satisfies your financial goals and other desired results. To help assess your wind resource, see our wind maps above.

Wind speed is a critical feature of the wind resource because the available energy in the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. This means that by doubling the wind speed we do not double the power in the wind but get eight times the power. So, a site with an average wind speed of 15 mph has the potential to contain eight times the energy of a site with an average wind speed of 7.5 mph. This means that the location of the turbine, on your property and in terms of height, is absolutely essential to getting the most power out of your system.

A residential wind system can cost less than $1,000 for a very small turbine or over $50,000 for a system that can fully power your home. Typical installed costs can range from $15,000 - $20,000 for a 1.8-kilowatt turbine that may power a lightbulb or two to $50,000 - $100,000 for a 10- kilowatt turbine that can power your home. Bear in mind that you do get what you pay for, therefore an inexpensive turbine will not produce significant amounts of electricity. The amount of power you get depends on your resource. Elements of an installed system include the cost of the turbine, the cost of the tower, and the cost of the installation. Do not skimp on the tower height as the taller the tower, the better the resource and the more electricity you will produce.

Most of the commercial-scale turbines installed in Pennsylvania are 1.5 to 2.5 MW in size and cost roughly $3 to 5 million to purchase, construct and install. How a project will be financed, owned, and operated can be just as critical to success as wind resource. Contact us for guidance.

How much money you save depends on how much electricity you produce and what your cost of electricity is. You wouldn’t fill a bucket with water if the bucket were full of holes. Before you invest in a renewable energy system, you should make your home or business as efficient as possible.

Efficiency means getting the same benefit with less electricity. For example, a laptop computer may use less than half of the electricity as a desktop computer. A LED bulb uses less energy and lasts longer than an incandescent bulb.

Conservation refers to your actions, what we call the COPs - cheap, obvious, and profitable, such as turning things off when not in use, unplugging devices that use energy even when they are not on, and lowering your thermostat and water heater when you’re not around. These changes alone can save you 10% - 20% on your energy bills!

The experts at Home Power magazine claim that every dollar spent on efficiency and conservation will save you three to five dollars on your solar, wind or hydro system. So, if you spend $200 to do an extreme green makeover of your home or business—that’s $1,000 you saved on your renewable energy system (because now it does not have to be as large since your energy demand decreased).

For small wind projects, begin by assessing your wind resource by using a wind map. Typically, on-site data collection is not necessary and cost prohibitive. Consult with an installer and have them review your property for any potentially problematic flaws. Check with your utility to ensure you can connect to the grid and with your municipality to ensure there are no policies restricting the installation of a system. A knowledgeable installer should be able to help you with these and other important tasks as well as assisting in system design and financing. You can then proceed to construction. The allotted time will vary, but on average may take a few months to design a layout and install.

Larger projects may follow a similar process, such as outlined below, although it can easily take 4 - 6 years to go from concept to completion.

• Determine Resource - Wind Map Analysis, Site Visit, On-Site Data Collection and Analysis
• Investment Analysis
•  Permitting
• Power Purchase Agreement
• Financing
•  Infrastructure Procurement (Turbines, Substation, etc.)
• Construction
• Operations and Maintenance

Beginning in the mid-2000s, investor-owned utilities in Pennsylvania were required to begin accepting electricity generated by individual consumers. Alternative Energy Credits may also be available. Before beginning a project, be it wind or otherwise, be sure to inform your utility so that you can plan accordingly for any requirements you may need to meet to connect your system to the grid.
Learn more: DSIRE: Net Metering
                       Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards

It is recommended that you compare multiple companies before you make a decision. Make sure to base your decision on equal offerings (for example: the same style of turbine at the same height, kW rating, etc.). Visit our starting a renewable project page for tips on this.

See our starting a renewable energy project page for financial resources.  

Generally speaking, for a small wind turbine, you need at least a 1/2 acre of open land where you can mount the turbine on a tower (though this depends on local zoning and regulations).

Larger turbines will need between one and several acres of open land during installation. Once complete, the space requirement will typically shrink, allowing activities such as farming to occur around the turbine. A wind farm, consisting of many wind turbines, may span hundreds or thousands of acres

A typical home in the United States uses approximately 11,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a year. The size of your turbine depends on your resource, your energy consumption, and how much power you want to produce. Invest in energy efficiency first and never skimp on the height of the tower. 

The amount of electricity you want to produce and space requirements are just a few of many factors that should factor into finding the optimal turbine for your site.

The Small Wind Certification Council has established criteria to test small wind turbines in a standardized form and then report the results on an "apples-to-apples" basis. Annual energy, sound, and power ratings are provided for each certified model. 

 Whether enrolled in the SWCC or not, it is important to conduct a thorough review of each turbine and manufacturer you are considering before making a decision, as the small wind industry continues to change and evolve. 

Links: HomePower: Is Wind Electricity Right for You?
            Mother Earth News: Wind Power: Are Vertical Axis Turbines Better? 

This varies by township. Contact your local township office and ask if your township has a residential and/or utility wind ordinance.  See an example PA Model Ordinance. Also see a catalog of wind energy ordinances from across the country. If no ordinance is established, DOE has developed a Wind Energy Guide for County Commissioners.  

Check your instruction manual for a maintenance schedule and guidelines. It is important to monitor the health of your wind turbine on a continual basis. If you hear or see something abnormal, it is important to address the problem to limit damage to your machine. Remember to use extreme caution around the turbine and to leave tasks such as climbing and electrical work to professionals. Utility-scale wind turbines require maintenance on a regular basis. Wind farms typically have a dedicated staff to complete this task.

A study evaluating the impact of wind turbines on “residential property transactions from 2005 to 2020,” was conducted by the Lawerence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2023. For properties located within one mile of a wind farm, the report found “that property value effects were evident beginning after the project was announced and continuing through the construction period, but abated three to five years after operation began. These effects were concentrated in counties with higher population densities and were not evident in rural areas,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The study included 428 wind projects in 34 states, including Pennsylvania.

Wind turbines, like all electricity sources, can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. On the positive side, wind turbines emit no greenhouse gases, require no mining for fuel, and use negligible amounts of water. They have a small footprint and the land around them can still be used for farming or forests. On the negative side, turbines and their access roads can fragment habitat. Unless carefully constructed and maintained, the roads can lead to erosion. The turbines must be properly sited to avoid avian migratory paths and bats. Turbines are also sometimes noted for producing noise and causing a shadow flicker. Some people enjoy seeing wind turbines, viewing them as kinetic sculpture and some find them aesthetically unpleasing.
Learn more: Environmental Impacts and Siting of Wind Projects

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has established voluntary land-based wind energy guidelines for wind energy projects. The Guidelines use a 'tiered approach' for assessing potential adverse effects to species of concern and their habitats," according to the guideline's executive summary. The guidelines provide an outline for understanding the characteristics of a site and monitoring the area before, during, and after construction of a wind farm. See the US. Fish and Wildlife Service's webpage for information about interactions between wind and wildlife. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has developed a Wind Energy Voluntary Cooperative Agreement with wind developers. They try to monitor, understand, and reduce impacts of the development of wind in the Commonwealth. Information related to the agreement and reports are available at the PGC's website. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program provides “information on the location and status of important ecological resources.” The program’s website includes a county inventory interactive map and an environmental review tool.

• Before a wind turbine can be installed, an obstruction evaluation/ airport airspace analysis (OE/AAA) may need to be completed by the Federal Aviation Administration.  Structures over 200 feet above ground level and those within close proximity to an airport, among others, must be reviewed.
  Learn more: FAA Wind Turbine FAQs 

Wind turbines in close proximity to a radar unit may interfere with an accurate reading, whether it be for defense purposes or weather monitoring.  When the National Weather Service's NEXRAD dopplar radar detects motion (such as rain), it concludes that it is precipitation.  The radar cannot differentiate between precipitation and a wind turbine, so a weather map may appear to have rain at a wind farm when it is actually sunny.  In Pennsylvania you may notice this effect on weather maps in Cambria and Blair Counties.  
Learn more: How Rotating Wind Turbine Blades Impact The Nexrad Doppler Weather Radar