• Every town has different requirements regarding residential wind turbines. Check with your town about building codes, permits and setbacks before you install a turbine.

• Wind turbines cost between $14,000 and $19,000 installed. It can take up to a decade – sometimes longer – to recoup that cost with electric bills that are 30 to 80 percent lower.

• To be most effective, turbines need to stand at least 30-feet tall and be at least 20-feet away from any obstructions.

• Different seasons offer different levels of wind. For example, fall is usually windier than summer.

• A federal tax credit is available to homeowners who install a wind turbine between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2016. The tax credit is for 30 percent of the cost, up to $500 for each half-kilowatt of capacity, with an overall $4,000 maximum.

• Maine will offer financial incentives to homeowners who install a wind turbine, but those incentives have not been finalized yet. They will likely involve a tax credit or a direct rebate.

Not sure if you have enough wind?

• Several Web sites offer maps that provide general wind speed information, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s www.windpoweringamerica.gov

• For a look at wind speed at your address, one expert recommends http://firstlook.3tiergroup.com/

• Anemometers gauge wind speed. Low-cost versions are available at hardware and department stores, and homeowners can put them up themselves. Wind turbine dealers can gauge wind speed using more professional versions mounted on a pole.