Greening Your Home - Wind Turbines and Lightning

I've never seen this addressed.

Say you put a small wind turbine on your roof, which by function is directly tied into your electrical system. What protects you from a lightning strike? Obviously a grounding wire I'm sure, but even then, considering the turbine is directly tied into your electrical grid, which is also directly grounded past your breaker, what prevents the lightning from taking the expensive path to ground and blowing out everything in your house?

Generally speaking, the last place you want a wind turbine is on your roof. At least one that is capable of generating a useful amount of electricity.

The forces these things generate are enormous. Even the vertical axis models. It really is best anchored into the ground.

Grounding of a ground-mounted unit is typically internal and direct.

Lots of people put small vertical axis ones (or even horizontal axis ones) on roofs. Its very common.

Plus, if you have a multistory building, you're gaining height (thus wind speed) without having to create a tower.

This aren't big turbines, they're little ones, but I'm sure still attractive to lightning.

Then I would consult the turbine I&O manual, or ask the turbine manufacturer.

The only turbines I've seen that are very common are the marine units for keeping the sump pump batteries charged.

Aspen, are you right on the Lake, maybe they're common with that constant wind. Brrrrrrr spent too much time in Great Lakes......

i have never seen a small vertical wind turbine, who makes them? what kind of output?

life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies