Wind turbine recommendations

Looking for recommendations and information for a wind turbine that is reliable as my family ventures towards being off grid.
Considerations/questions:
- do all turbines make a loud humming sound?
- we have a site that averages 12-12.5 mph
- are there minimum wind speeds in which a turbine won’t generate electricity?
-anyone have recommendations on solar and wind power systems working together?
- we intend to hire out installation, any recommendations on companies in the Midwest?
- any other thoughts you’d like to share, we are open to ideas
Thanks!

I can offer some comments;
- Not all turbines make a noise
- starting speed for turbines is generally detailed in the specifications for that turbine
- solar and wind work well together, solar in day, wind day and night.
- Yachts use small turbines and one may suit you.
You may not need to contract out the job, some are  easy to install.

Most Wind Turbine
- require 30miles per hour wind to produce their stated power
- cut in at 7miles per hour
- produces about 1/10th their stated power at 12 miles per hour
- turbines with 9+ blades are recommend for 12mph winds
- Midnite Classic Wind&Hydro MPPT charge controller will give you twice as much power vs a PWM charge controller.
- 2000W turbine (70inch blade diameter at a height of 30ft) with wind speeds of 12mph will produce about 200W
- most homes will require 16,000W of turbine rated power (which turns to just 1,600W or 38KWH/day)
- $4,000 for a 2000W setup (https://windandsolar.com/missouri-freedom-48-volt-mppt-kit/ )
- but you should be able to spend only $1000 to add another 2000W to the system (https://windandsolar.com/raptor-g4-9-blade-freedom-wind-turbine-generator/ )
- $5000 will give you about 10KWH/day

For wind to really work, I recommend areas that are not in the green and yellow sections of the map below. Esp given that you wind turbine will not be at 30m(100ft), but closer to 10m (30feet)

Hi Corrine;
I have solar and Hydropower but not wind power.
I have considered it a few times but in the end, unless you live in an extremely windy place it is just not worth it.
Solar power, is now much better than it was when I started (1983) with the new charge controls (mppt) your panels can be located much farther from the batteries.
With my hydropower, I must use a constant diversion charge control. My hydro must always have a place to put power, a wind genny is the same.
This means I must have a place to use up any extra power that the batteries can not take.
As my batteries come towards a full charge less and less of my hydropower/ solar is needed.  
At my house, that means I need to be able to "dump" my extra power, at times that can be 30 amps @ 12-14 volts.
I do so with a series of heating elements (ballast resistor) and lights.
If you try wind power you will have to use a constant diversion control and set up a power dump.
At 12 mph average wind you will be spending way more money to set it up than you will gain power for your batteries.

Go solar, use an Mppt controller, use high voltage at your batteries(48) look at lithium batteries.
Wind power is awesome in the right place, but the infrastructure needed is large from supporting the genny in the air to charging your batteries.
 

 

Much depends on your objectives.  I think in terms of layers and redundancy.   My most basic complete system is sufficient to run a couple of led lights, charge a tablet and cell phone, run a radio, and operate a couple of fans.   It is actually two independent solar systems each with 150 watt panels and 4 wheelchair batteries   ( so people are not confused by other posts I have made, this is far from my entire system).

Assuming your needs are minimal, a small wind generator should work.   If you do go that route, you might want to include a small solar array as well.