
A personal wind turbine is one of the easiest ways to generate modest amounts of power for areas that do not have access to a power grid, or for lowering impact on existing power use. They are typically between 100 and 1000 watts. 500 watts is enough to power a television, speakers as well as few lights. When low energy use appliances are used this can be thoroughly adequate for most people.
A personal wind turbine works best charging a bank of deep cycle batteries so power can be used at any point as long as the batteries are charged. They are only useful alone when the building is not inhabited full time, or with a huge battery bank and powerful turbines. If the area is going to be inhabited it is best to combine this system with a solar array for power production in many different conditions.
A personal wind turbine can be found for less than five hundred dollars or built from parts that are easy to find at any local hardware store. They are not difficult or complex contraptions, but they do require a bit of mechanical and electrical knowledge to build or assemble. Small systems under 1000 watts can be done with very little experience, but larger systems should have a professional installer.