For our American cousins, home wind turbines are nothing new, as more and more homeowners start supplementing their solar installations with a little wind power.
But it's not that simple.
Although nearly 10,000 turbines were sold in 2009 (compared with just 2,100 in 2001), many residents are fighting for permits and permissions to put up a wind turbine.
Some states make it incredibly easy whilst other states are proving more problematic to deal with.
Boston, in particular, is promoting small scale domestic wind power as both ecologically friendly and important for jobs and the economy.
It's already got planning codes in place to address the noise pollution, height of turbines and any other safety issues with mounting a small scale turbine within a residential area.
One problem is the public's acceptance of wind turbines which has been compared to people's initial reactions to satellite dishes, now commonplace on virtually every home.
It's a useful insight into the sorts of problems homeowners in the UK may face if domestic wind turbines are to take off here in the UK.
A key factor is going to be local Government planning rules and the forward thinking and flexibility of those rules to encourage, rather than stifle, what could be a very useful source of renewable energy for the UK's homeowners.
photo credit: cristian bortes
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