Are Rooftop Windmills Feasible?

Popularity

• Interest in small-scale, rooftop windmills increased after the U.S. Congress bolstered tax credits for them in 2008, according to Slate. Consumers could write off almost a third of their cost. The next year, the market expanded by 13 percent. Slate reports the small turbines were included in the Consumer Electronics Show for the first time in 2011.

Benefits

• One advantage of installing wind turbines on roofs is they don't visually ruin the rural landscape with large fields of towers and large blades, according to "Newsweek." Also, on roofs with plenty of wind, turbines can generate enough power to meet a home's needs. Under the right conditions, these windmills will begin producing free electricity after roughly five years until about 15 years later, when the turbines often wear out. Other benefits noted by Popular Science include allowing property owners to get off an electrical grid and helping their government meet goals for mixed energy generation.

Problems

• Clean Technica said British researchers found urban turbines generate more carbon than they save when factors such as shipping, production and upkeep are considered. These mini-windmills need exposed landscapes with strong winds. In fact, turbines in such rural spaces can generate nine times more power than if they were in a city. Buildings and other structures block wind and, according to Popular Science, they create wind turbulence at rooftop height. Also, Slate reports turbines can create vibrations and roofs may not support the windmills.

Rooftops vs. Towers

• Building a tower for a turbine -- as opposed to putting one on a roof -- may not be feasible in an urban area because of lack of land or laws restricting structure height, according to Popular Science. Towers, which catch the wind where it blows freely, are far more popular than rooftops when it comes to turbine installation. Almost 99 percent of small windmills that went into operation in 2009 were on towers, according to Popular Science.