I've had various wind electric turbines continuously for the last 40 years. My first was a 6 volt Wincharger, it and my pickup's battery were my sole source of power for a bit less then a year! I'd charge two golf cart batteries, and then swap the cables to get 12 volts, the pickup had dual batteries and was driven daily. When I upgraded to a 12 volt Wincharger, it was a big deal, same power but I could charge my 12 volt batteries direct, wow! 12 volt incadescent bulbs were in use then, 12 volt flourescents were just starting to appear. Then, I went big time, and bought a rebuilt Jacobs wind turbine, 3000 watts I think it was, at 32 volts, I had free used forklift batteries by then, and my first solar panels, 35 watt Arco panels. Another several years, and I had a A.R.E. 2500 watt 24 volt turbine, (modeled after the classic Jacobs, big rotor, turning slow) all my gear was 24 by then, and a whole 1000 watts of solar! Then I sold that off grid property, on the condition I install grid power (at the buyers cost), I did so and sold off most of my off grid specific gear and moved once again onto raw ground but instead of 5 acres, 40 this time, now 70 after recently buying another 30, all the early roughing it paid off, as did not having a mortgage or other loans.
To my surprise, a boarded up not lived in for 40 years house near the bottom of my mountain property had power, so I abandoned any plans to be off grid again, and for 3 K I ran underground power up to my homesite. Then I installed a grid tied micro hydro system, and a 4 KW solar system, and, mostly for old times sake and I was in the habit of having one, another A.R.E. turbine, all of this grid tied, with no battery backup. After about 28 years off grid, I have zero desire to have a battery bank ever again. The A.R.E. has performed flawlessly, with zero maintenance, for going on 16 years now, in a at time brutal weather area. On a 60' tower, with no obstructions, it's pretty quiet and performs very well in light winds and always protects itself in high, can't ask for much more then that in a small wind turbine (12 ' dia.) BUT....if it blew up tonight, I wouldn't replace it, no way. I'd buy more solar. BUT, if I was off grid, I'd have another one for sure, as there is nothing better on a long cold windy winter night to have 2 or 3 KW going into your battery bank. Grid tied? No thanks, solar is king there.