Components: Off-Grid Wind System

The following components are necessary for an off-grid wind system (in order):

1. Wind Turbine or Turbines
2. Wind Charge Controller
3. Diversion Load (a device that dissipates excess power)
4. Bank of Batteries
5. Meter (optional, but invaluable for monitoring your batteries’ charge)
6. DC Disconnect
7. Inverter
8. Lots of Wire

Components: Grid-Tied Wind System

These components assume that you are building a grid-tied wind system without batteries.

1. Wind Turbine
2. DC Disconnect
3. Grid-Tie Inverter (converts power to AC, but also keeps it “in phase” with the utility company’s system)
4. Lots of Wire

Components: Battery-Backed Wind System

This differs from an off-grid system in that you are still connecting to the grid, but also creating the backup of a battery system.

1. Wind Turbine
2. Charge Controller
3. Diversion Load
4. Batteries
5. Meter (still optional but invaluable)
6. DC Disconnect
7. Grid-Tie Inverter
8. Yet again- a lot of wire