Remember, It's a system.
Disconnects, cable, batteries, charge controller,inverter .....
Consider solar as part of the system also.
With wind, height is the key.
Can you put up a tower to get above the tree line?
5.5KW you are looking probably around $20K+ investment, is it worth it?
You need to take into consideration the cost of maintenance for wind turbines. They are a mechanical device with moving parts that will experience wear and tear...also consider how you will mount the turbine and access it. Wind is a no-go here in Southern IN. Just not worth it...Solar is the cheapest its been in a while and I would encourage you to start there if you are a newcomer to alternative power.
The nearest treeline to us is ~ 4 miles west. Even then it's pretty thin. It's plat and we're at the peak of a "hill"... ok, not really a hill in the traditional sense, but up here in the "flatlands" anything that is higher than the fglood waters is a hill. Solar is extremely expensive, and wind is plentiful.
No, solar is not extremely expensive, and once installed has very low operating costs. It may be more expensive for your site than wind, but generally will be within a factor of 1.5 or so. That you have a good wind gradient to tap into is a plus for you, and solar may not fit your needs for a variety of reasons, but "extremely expensive" is not one of them.
I've been generating my own power for two decades plus now and the cost for solar has gone down from the $5-6 a watt in 1989 dollars when I first installed my first panels to the last time I bought panels 6 months ago I paid $1.36 a watt in 2011 dollars to my door. In that time period the cost for wind generation equipment has stayed roughly the same in actual dollars, although it's gotten cheaper in adjusted dollars.
Unless you are going to scale up into the megawatt range, the installed costs and operating costs for wind are higher than you might think, even on a good site.
What is your generating capacity, if you don't mind me asking?
No, solar is not extremely expensive, and once installed has very low operating costs. It may be more expensive for your site than wind, but generally will be within a factor of 1.5 or so. That you have a good wind gradient to tap into is a plus for you, and solar may not fit your needs for a variety of reasons, but "extremely expensive" is not one of them.
I've been generating my own power for two decades plus now and the cost for solar has gone down from the $5-6 a watt in 1989 dollars when I first installed my first panels to the last time I bought panels 6 months ago I paid $1.36 a watt in 2011 dollars to my door. In that time period the cost for wind generation equipment has stayed roughly the same in actual dollars, although it's gotten cheaper in adjusted dollars.
Unless you are going to scale up into the megawatt range, the installed costs and operating costs for wind are higher than you might think, even on a good site.