Many commercially available small wind turbines with plastic blades and steel towers are infamous for their low reliability, high embodied energy, and limited power output. Building them out of wood can addresses these issues. Because of their aesthetic appeal, and thanks to the ability to produce them locally, small wooden wind turbines can also improve the public acceptance of wind power. Furthermore, innovation in tower design facilitates the installation of small wind turbines, reducing the need for concrete foundations and heavy machinery. Image: A wind turbine with wooden blades. Source: EAZ Wind. Low Performance Tests have shown that commercially available small wind turbines may not always generate sufficient power over their lifetime to compensate for the energy that was needed...