Solar panels vs wind turbines for a home setup in rural Colorado

I looked at both for my property near Durango and solar beat wind hands down after 3 years of data, what have you all found works better off-grid?

2 comments

2 Comments

lunawilson6d ago

We went with solar on our place near Salida and it was the right call. The winds here can be gusty but they are too unpredictable for a turbine to be worth the hassle. We put up 3.2 kilowatts of panels and a small battery bank, and it handles our fridge, lights, and well pump with room to spare. On those winter days when the sun is low we just watch our usage, but we have never run out of power. A neighbor tried a small wind turbine first and pulled it down after a year because it needed constant maintenance.

harper_owens6d ago

Yeah those small turbines are a pain. You have to be willing to climb up and fix stuff regularly or they just sit there broken. Solar is way more reliable for most people unless you have steady wind.