Small Wind Electric Systems

Article 694 handles the parts unique to wind: a turbine that cannot simply be stopped, output that varies wildly, and the need for a way to brake or divert the load safely during service.

Wind is a smaller slice of the work than solar, but the same forward-looking logic applies — you plan for a source you cannot fully switch off, and you build controls that respect that.

When it applies

Small wind systems get their own article because the output is variable and the machine spins whenever the wind blows. You deal with turbine output that swings with gusts, disconnects that safely stop and isolate the machine, and how the whole system ties into a building or the utility, much like solar but with rotating mechanical energy behind it.

Common mistakes

• Sizing conductors and protection to average output instead of the peak the turbine can deliver.
• Forgetting a way to brake or divert load so the turbine is not left spinning into an open circuit.
• Skipping proper disconnects at both the turbine and the point of connection.

In the field

On a rural install I make sure there is a clear, labeled way to shut the machine down and isolate it. A turbine you cannot safely stop is a hazard to whoever climbs the tower.