The New York Times published an article on small wind a few days ago, which suggests that the growing demand may be driven by show.

The Times reports that Mayor Bloomberg wants to put little wind turbines on bridges and that late-night TV host Jay Leno has one on installed on a garage he owns. Museums and airports are bolting them on, too. However, the facts are that small wind costs at least $1 more per kilowatt hour than big wind, it's got a terrible return on investment, and urban buildings are poor places to put them.

Even Ron Stimmel, the American Wind Energy Association employee with responsibility for promoting small wind, confessed to the Times, "In an urban environment, more times than not you’re better off with a solar panel.” Ron might not be a contender for his organization's Salesman of the Year Award, but at least he's honest.

The article also quotes the owner of mini-wind company Blue Green Pacific as saying, "We're pre-bleeding edge early." He might as well lay it right out there: "Nobody wants to buy our stuff."

So why are small wind systems growing so popular? As a representative of Harvard puts it, they are "outward symbols of our commitment to renewable energy and sustainability here on campus." In other words, they make people look green. Buying renewable energy from professional, well-planned wind farms certainly makes a lot more sense economically, but mom and dad won't see it when they visit their genius children on campus.

I think small wind will remain educational, experimental, and ostentatious for quite some time. Although the cost of small wind will surely drop, it will never be as cheap or efficient as its big bro. But over the short term, at least, it may do a fair job of making the neighbors jealous.

Image by Flickr user Bella731