Jim wrote:
snip

Would a homebrew roof mount system be a reasonable project?

Sorry - I came to this late - I am seriously looking for a device to
install here at home and it seems to me that only 2 makers are in the
running, but I would like to be proved wrong.

Renewable Devices (hooked up with SSE to the tune of £9M) and Windsave
(currently looking to float for £55M).

What sets them apart is the connection directly into the mains so they
export energy when it is not being used internally (no batteries).
Supposedly there is a quicker payback.

All the above auguments about efficiency, turbulence, noise, etc apply.

What makes them less than ideal consumer products is the price. I
calculate that the RD genny comes in at £9,000 installed. OK, grants
& payback may offset that, but that is not an attractive price for
1.5KW.

Similarly, but better positioned, is the Windsave at about £1500 for
1KW.

Come on. Whereas this thread is engineering based, due to the
interests of contributors, and the 'big windfarm debate' across the
country is landscape based, I feel this is a marketing issue. If these
were made in volume the cost should not be more than a dishwasher.
Every house should have one.

If you look at a micro wind generator there is not much that is more
complex than is found in a DVD player or such common appliance.

The argument should be to get these into volume production, get people
installing them and the energy equation will change rapidly.