Meanwhile, basic industrial and commercial applications necessitate wind power reaching 20kW or greater. Higher powered turbines, from 1.5k or more megawatts, are typically used for larger applications and projects, such as a wind farm. These large turbines are able to dish out energy that can supply electricity to thousands of houses. Micro turbines, on the other hand, are designed to produce and distribute power for specific applications, such as battery charging and sailboats.

When you are considering the turbine capabilities from a wide selection of the product, take into account your house’s electrical requirements and the wind conditions within your location. Usually, a wind turbine within a range of 5 to 15kW will be sufficient enough to meet the needs and demands of your home’s electrical systems, yet the average wind speed in your home is also a crucial factor.

If your planning to buy the best small wind turbine for single home use, here are the top five picks to choose from.

First, Vestas V27′s. You can find the wind turbine manufacturing company in Denmark, particularly Copenhagen. The wind turbine model is ideal for installation in Italy or Northern Ireland or any other area wherein high FIT’s apply for turbines under 250kW.

The second, Goldwind Wind Turbines, Catering to the needs of Chinese clients, the wind turbine is a great-value product with one of the world’s best price to kilowatt ratio. It is available worldwide and with a full turnkey solution.

Third, Kenetech KVS-33 wind turbine. Located in California, USA, the manufacturer’s sell the Kenetech KVS-33 turbine with rated output of of 300kW with integrated settings for 360kW and 410kW.

The fourth, the Bonus 600 MK III wind turbine with a high power output of 600kW. The wind turbine is available at a bargain price in Germany with a full service history and a brand new gearbox in 2009.

Lastly, the GE 1.5 MW wind turbine in New York, USA. It has a high rated capacity of 1,500kW and a cut-in wind speed of 3.5m/s. Power control is achieved by an active blade pitch control while the gearbox has a three-step planetary spur gear system.

In Denmark, modern wind turbines have been developed and used since the 1980s. Denmark resorted to the use of wind energy in order to limit their emission of carbon dioxide produced by coal-fueled power plants. In 2010, about 1/4 of the electric consumption of Denmark is by wind energy. Denmark also houses half of the biggest wind turbines in the world. It is also the home of the two largest wind turbine manufacturers and exporters.

In 2000, Samso, a town/island in Denmark attempted to be a town powered only by wind energy. It established numerous large wind turbines to supply the citizens power needs. The attempt failed to attain a 100% wind energy powered town; however, it became famous for being the largest community with the lowest carbon dioxide emission.

The attempt of Denmark in Samso sparked the drive to create more towns wherein the carbon dioxide emission is low if not, eliminated. Cities in the United States of America like New Hampshire, Los Angeles, and Oregon are gradually using more and more wind turbines to supply their power needs in order to decrease their carbon dioxide emission as well.

But wind turbines are large in size. If installed, they take up a lot of space which may have been ideal (to developers) for a residential suburb or a commercial business. Also, a lot of them must be installed to supply the power needs of the community. So, to achieve a 100% wind powered community, many business opportunity and development will have to be sacrificed.

For this reason, England has been exploring the idea of airborne wind turbines. However, studies show that it does not produce a sufficient amount of energy enough to support a wind-powered society. Some companies are also entertaining the idea of combining solar energy and wind energy. They are planning to put a solar energy saving device or structure at the top of a wind turbine to increase the eco-energy supply. Small and portable wind turbine technologies which are ideal for less energy consumption are also being produced today to save space.

It may hold true for now that a 100% wind-powered community is not possible but with the continuing research and development on wind turbine technology, the potential for such a thing is getting closer.

“This new standard is the most significant milestone in the history of the small wind industry because it provides, for the first time, third-party verification of real world performance and a highly technical review of a turbine’s strength and safety,” said Mike Bergey, president of Bergey Windpower and the 2011 president of the Distributed Wind Energy Association. “This is huge for consumers because it addresses the ‘hucksters and hype’ problem in the small wind marketplace. We are very proud to be the first to achieve this game-changing certification.”

The total installed wind power around the world had reached 197, 039 MW by the end of last year and is expected to reach an incredible 1,750,000 MW by 2030. The wind turbine market is projected to reach $93.1 billion by 2016.

At the forefront of the industry is China, which recently passed the U.S. for total installed wind power capacity last year.

These kind of turbines are different than the ones you see off most coastal regions, as the floating wind turbines are mostly used in deep waters and are a relatively new technology that requires extensive research and development.

“In order to take the lead in offshore wind power, we want domestic studies and developments to take place and manufacturers to boost capabilities,” Trade ministry official Masanori Sato told Reuters.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries are among the companies Japan intends to work with to make sure that research and development is completed in time to meet the deadlines.

Bison 2 will generate 105 megawatts of power and will consist of 35 Siemens direct-drive wind turbines.

“This project demonstrates that renewable energy can be a low-cost generation option that will benefit all of our customers,” said Al Hodnik, chairman and CEO of Minnesota Power’s parent, Allete. “At the same time, it’s a logical next step that advances Allete’s growth strategy to meet the demands of an evolving energy industry.”

Many electric car owners have wind turbines at home and operate their electric cars 100% off the grid.

The National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States (pdf) unveiled by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Energy Secretary Steven Chu today in a joint press conference in Norfolk, Virginia, focuses on overcoming three key challenges: the relatively high cost of offshore wind energy; technical challenges surrounding installation, operations, and grid interconnection; and the lack of site data and experience with project permitting.

“Through the Strategic Work Plan, the United States is synchronizing new research and development initiatives with more efficient, forward-thinking planning so that we can help quickly stand up an American offshore wind industry,” said Interior Secretary Salazar.

The number of people employed full-time in the large-scale onshore and offshore wind energy industry rose to about 9,200 in 2010 from 4,800 in 2007, RenewableUK said today in an e-mailed report. Belfast Harbour plans to create 300 full-time jobs in a 40-million pound ($65-million) project to build a new quay for use by Dong Energy A/S to assemble turbines and foundations, the port and wind farm operator said today in a separate statement.

The U.K. is banking on wind energy to help meet its European Union target of deriving 15 percent of energy for electricity, heat and transportation from renewables by 2020.

But the overall growth rate was lower than the previous year for the first time in 20 years. In 2009, 38.6 GW was installed.GWEC noted that more than half of the new capacity built in 2010 came outside the traditional wind markets of Europe and North America, with China and other Asian nations witnessing a boom. China alone added 16.5 GW, to almost have the total new capacity.