Small wind energy systems can be connected to the electricity distribution system. These are called grid-connected systems. A grid-connected wind turbine can reduce your consumption of utility-supplied electricity for lighting, appliances, electric heating and cooling, and vehicle charging. If the turbine cannot deliver the amount of energy you need, the utility makes up the difference. When the wind system produces more electricity than your household requires, the excess is credited and used to offset future use of utility-supplied power. 

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Modern grid-connected wind turbines will operate only when the utility grid is available. They can also operate during power outages when configured to work in tandem with storage to form a home microgrid to provide back-up power.

Grid-connected systems can be practical if the following conditions exist:

• You live in an area with average annual wind speed of at least 9 miles per hour (4 meters per second).

• Utility-supplied electricity is expensive in your area (about 10 cents per kilowatt-hour).

• The utility's requirements for connecting your system to its grid are not prohibitively expensive, and there is sufficient capacity to integrate your system.