Wind Turbine Payback in Independence County, AR
Wind turbine payback in Independence County
No. The turbine wears out before it pays for itself.
At 30 m, the height a home turbine tower usually reaches, the wind in Independence County, AR averages 4.7 m/s (10.5 mph). A 10 kW turbine there would make about 10,571 kWh a year, worth $1,453 at AR's 13.74¢/kWh. Against an installed cost of about $100,000, that is a payback of 69 years, and the turbine is built to last about 20.
What to do in Independence County
A home turbine is not worth buying for savings in Independence County unless your spot is far windier than the county average, 8.4 m/s at the hub against 4.7 m/s here. Per kW, solar panels would make about 1,291 kWh a year here against the turbine's 1,057, so get a solar quote first.
What would have to change
- Power would have to cost 47¢/kWh, 3.4 times what AR pays now.
- Or the average wind at the hub would have to be 8.4 m/s instead of 4.7. A taller tower or an exposed ridge can add some of that; a rooftop never will.
Against the rest of AR
Independence County is the 1,610th windiest of 3,144 US counties at turbine height; the national middle is 4.79 m/s. The windiest in AR is Mississippi County at 5.35 m/s, payback 49 years.
Month by month in Independence County
March is the strongest month here, at 5.54 m/s and about 1,389 kWh. July is the weakest, 3.50 m/s and 369 kWh, so the best month makes 3.8 times the worst. November to March brings in 55% of the year's output in Independence County.
| Month | Wind at 30 m | Output | Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.35 m/s | 1,268 kWh | $174 |
| February | 5.43 m/s | 1,193 kWh | $164 |
| March | 5.54 m/s | 1,389 kWh | $191 |
| April | 5.58 m/s | 1,365 kWh | $188 |
| May | 4.71 m/s | 901 kWh | $124 |
| June | 3.91 m/s | 504 kWh | $69 |
| July | 3.50 m/s | 369 kWh | $51 |
| August | 3.55 m/s | 383 kWh | $53 |
| September | 4.04 m/s | 557 kWh | $77 |
| October | 4.63 m/s | 859 kWh | $118 |
| November | 5.11 m/s | 1,093 kWh | $150 |
| December | 5.11 m/s | 1,129 kWh | $155 |
What a taller tower would buy
Measured at 10 m the wind in Independence County averages 3.44 m/s; at 50 m it is 5.43 m/s. That gives a shear exponent of 0.284, typical of ordinary open country. Going from 20 m to 50 m takes output from 7,547 to 15,534 kWh a year, 106% more, before counting the extra cost of the taller tower. Why tower height decides it explains the shear behind these numbers.
| Hub height | Average wind | Output | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 m | 4.19 m/s | 7,547 kWh | 96 years |
| 30 m | 4.7 m/s | 10,551 kWh | 69 years |
| 40 m | 5.1 m/s | 13,191 kWh | 55 years |
| 50 m | 5.43 m/s | 15,534 kWh | 47 years |
Counties around Independence County
None of the 6 closest counties is windier than Independence County.
- Jackson County, AR: 4.7 m/s, 10,571 kWh, payback 69 years (21 mi)
- Cleburne County, AR: 3.89 m/s, 6,037 kWh, payback over 100 years (27 mi)
- Sharp County, AR: 3.94 m/s, 6,280 kWh, payback over 100 years (31 mi)
- Izard County, AR: 3.32 m/s, 3,648 kWh, payback over 100 years (32 mi)
- Lawrence County, AR: 3.94 m/s, 6,280 kWh, payback over 100 years (33 mi)
- Stone County, AR: 3.32 m/s, 3,648 kWh, payback over 100 years (34 mi)
Sun versus wind in Independence County
Independence County gets 4.42 kWh of sunshine per square metre a day on average. One kW of solar panels here would make roughly 1,291 kWh a year; one kW of the turbine above makes 1,057. Kilowatt for kilowatt, panels make 1.2 times as much here as the turbine. Panel output assumes an 80% system performance ratio. Wind or solar runs the same comparison for every county.
How this is worked out
Wind is NASA's Power climate record, the 2001-2025 average at 10 m and 50 m for the county's centre, carried to 30 m with this county's own measured wind shear and spread into hours with a Rayleigh distribution. The turbine is a generic 10 kW, 7 m rotor machine with 10% losses. Cost is $10,000 per kW installed with no tax credit, because the federal one ended in 2025. One county-centre number cannot see your hilltop or your tree line, so treat it as the starting point for a site survey, not a substitute. The full method and its weak spots are in how the numbers are made.