Small Wind Turbines Making Big Inroads

Martin LaMonica writes, "Consumer demand and improved technology are helping fuel sales, but the most important factor was the passage in October 2008 of a 30 percent tax credit for renewable energy systems. About half of the total industry growth has happened in the last three years, said Ron Stimmel, the manager of legislative affairs and small systems at AWEA, in an interview earlier this month. There have been about 100,000 units sold since 1980."

From the report: "The world’s leading 15 manufacturers continue to predict exponential sales growth in the U.S. market over the next five years, with projections of over one gigawatt (1,000 Megawatts) of cumulative installed small wind capacity in the U.S. by 2015..."

Full report can be downloaded here.