Hello. Would be interesting to know which has provided better ROI.
What is the return of energy to installation cost ratio for both the solar panels and the turbine?
There are so many variables involved, someone could make the numbers say whatever they want.
If I ignore variables for the solar array like peak/holiday/weekend rates, electrical rate increases, etc... I would wind up with a ~10 year ROI time. If I try to calculate all these variables, it is closer to 6-8 years ROI. As more time passes and I get more data, I will have a more accurate picture. You have to remember I haven't even had the system for a full year yet. I think 8 years is a good estimate though.
The wind turbine is a little more difficult because I've had it for less time and wind is harder to predict than sunlight. When I calculate the numbers I have, I get an ROI time between 3-100 years depending on which snapshot of data you use. If I were to make a lot of assumptions, I think a ~20 year ROI time is possible. If I installed a larger more powerful wind turbine & batteries (mine aren't installed yet) I think I could have reduced the ROI time, but for a residential neighborhood I think I have pushed the limits of sanity already.
I should note that these ROI times include owning the equipment outright at the end of the time period. While a wind turbine will likely be non-functioning and worthless in 20 years, a solar array will still have a high value in 8 years, likely meaning in the case of the solar array your ROI is actually getting a free solar array.
My conclusion is that while wind turbines are not ready for typical residential use yet, solar power is a no brainer for anyone living in a sunny climate who owns their home and plans to live there for a decade or more.