Small Wind Power Annual Installations Will Double in Capacity by 2018

The small wind turbine (SWT) industry is maturing, signaled by the expanded role of SWT certification, the existence of hundreds of manufacturers located around the world, the expansion of dealer networks, and the growing number of national and regional industry associations.

The number of applications is also growing, including applications in telecommunications, defense, and other sectors that involve producing power in remote locations.

According to a new report from Navigant Research, annual global installations of SWTs will roughly double in the next five years, growing from 86 megawatts (MW) in 2012 to 172 MW in 2018 and representing $3.3 billion in revenues.