Book excerpt: The consumer guide to small-scale wind electricity production! Maybe you're not T. Boone Pickens, but you can build your own home-sized wind-power empire right in your back yard. Wind Power For Dummies supplies all the guidance you need to install and maintain a sustainable, cost-effective wind generator to power your home for decades to come. This authoritative, plain-English guide walks you through every step of the process, from assessing your site and available wind sources to deciding whether wind power is the solution for you, from understanding the mechanics of wind power and locating a contractor to install your system to producing your own affordable and sustainable electricity. Guides you step by step through process of selecting, installing, and operating a small-scale wind generator to power your home Demystifies system configurations, terminology, and wind energy principles to help you speak the language of the pros Helps assess and reduce your energy needs and decide whether wind power is right for you Explains the mechanics of home-based wind power Shows you how to tie into the grid and sell energy back to the power company Offers advice on evaluating all of the costs of and financing for your project Provides tips on working with contractors and complying with local zoning laws Yes, you can do it, with a little help from Wind Power For Dummies.