Build a Small Wind Turbine for Your Home
Small Home Wind Turbine Build
Build a small wind turbine for off-grid or supplemental home power. A 400W to 1000W turbine on a guyed tower can meaningfully supplement solar in windy climates.
7mph
$1,200
Design or Source the Blades
Three-blade designs balance efficiency and vibration. Carved wooden blades from plans are a classic DIY approach. Prefabricated fiberglass blades from a kit supplier are more consistent for a first build.
Build or Mount the Generator
A permanent magnet alternator is the standard generator type for small wind. Hugh Piggott's Axial Flux design is the most documented DIY generator for builds under 1kW. Kits are available from Scoraig Wind.
Install the Tower and Controller
A tilt-up guyed tower is the safest DIY installation method. Use a wind charge controller matched to your battery bank voltage. Fuse the wiring between turbine, controller, and battery bank.
Build and Install Checklist
Measure average wind speed at your site for at least one month
Choose blade diameter and generator spec based on wind data
Source plans from Hugh Piggott or buy a tested kit
Build or buy a guyed tilt-up tower rated for your turbine weight
Wire turbine output to a dump load charge controller
Connect controller to a 12V or 48V battery bank
Install a fused disconnect between turbine and controller
Run the turbine at low wind before final tower raising
A small wind turbine complements solar well because it generates at night and in winter when solar output drops. Size the battery bank to store at least 3 days of average consumption for resilience.