Environmental and performance evaluation of a roof-mounted small wind turbine.

摘要

This study examines the performance and environmental impacts assessment of a 400 W roof-mounted wind turbine. A theoretical life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to conduct the environment assessment, while a field test was used to evaluate the turbine performance.;A synthesis of the life cycle and performance results indicated a need to improve the operation efficiency and manufacturing processes to achieve energy payback in low wind speeds environments.;The LCA comparison between the small wind turbine system and an equivalently sized diesel generator system demonstrates that small scale wind power can offer a 93% reduction in greenhouse gases. A year long comparison of wind speeds measured both from a tower and from a location above the peak of a rectangular shaped home reveals that mean wind speeds above the rooftop are accelerated by approximately 20%. While this result is specific to the building and rooftop geometry, it illustrates the potential for roof-mounted small wind turbines.