Estimate wind turbine payback period, annual savings, ROI and cost per kWh from installed cost, yearly generation, self-use, tariff, feed-in rate, maintenance and incentives.
ROI/year = annual net value ÷ net project cost × 100
Simple Cost per kWh
Cost/kWh = lifetime cost ÷ lifetime kWh
📋 Quick Reference
Payback Reading
Under 5 yearsstrong
5–10 yearsfair
10+ yearsreview
Small Wind Reality
Tower heightcritical
Turbulencebad
Capacity factorkey
Value Inputs
Self-usehigher value
Exportlower value
Maintenancededuct
📚 Engineering Notes
Annual kWh decides paybackA cheap turbine in poor wind can still have bad payback. A costly turbine in strong clean wind can be more practical.
Self-consumption usually mattersEnergy used directly at your load often has higher value than exported energy, depending on local tariff rules.
Maintenance is not optionalSmall wind turbines have moving parts, bearings, tower hardware and controller protection. Include annual maintenance.
Hybrid systems can improve usefulnessFor off-grid systems, wind may add value at night or in cloudy seasons. Use the Solar Wind Hybrid System Calculator for combined sizing.
What is a Wind Turbine Payback Calculator?
A wind turbine payback calculator estimates how many years it may take for a wind turbine system to recover its net installed cost through electricity savings and export income. It also estimates annual net value, simple ROI and cost per kWh.
How long does a wind turbine take to pay for itself?
The payback period depends mainly on installed cost, wind speed, annual kWh, electricity tariff, feed-in rate, maintenance cost and tower location. Small wind turbines can have long payback if installed in low wind or turbulent rooftop locations.
Is a small wind turbine worth it?
A small wind turbine is more likely to be useful when the site has clean wind, enough tower height, no major obstruction and a real need for energy. It may be less practical if the turbine is mounted too low or surrounded by buildings and trees.
Why does self-use change payback?
Self-used electricity normally offsets the retail electricity price. Exported electricity may receive a lower rate. That is why the self-use percentage can strongly affect the final payback calculation.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Calculate the annual net value from self-used energy, exported energy and maintenance cost. Then divide the net project cost by the annual net value.
It depends on local wind, installed cost and tariff. A 5kW turbine in a good wind site may produce useful yearly kWh, but in a poor site the payback may be very long.
Annual savings are roughly self-used kWh multiplied by your electricity tariff plus exported kWh multiplied by the export rate, minus yearly maintenance.
It depends on location. Solar is often more predictable, while wind can be valuable at windy sites, at night, or as part of a hybrid off-grid system.
Rooftop wind is often turbulent and slower than wind at proper tower height. Since wind power changes with the cube of wind speed, small reductions in wind speed can heavily reduce energy output.
LCOE means levelized cost of energy. In this simple calculator, it is estimated as total lifetime cost divided by total lifetime energy output.