The running costs of a wind turbine are comparatively low and the fuel, the wind itself, is free. Wind energy technology is robust, requiring little in the way of maintenance and, in fact, most installations only require an annual check up. Typically, turbines have a working life of between 20-25 years. However, for stand-alone systems the battery life is only around 6-10 years depending on battery type. Consequently, these will have to replaced at some time during the life of the system.

However, as a piece of mechanical equipment the turbine will need to be serviced and the cost of this service could be important in determining its overall cost-effectiveness. The cost of the servicing will depend on the availability of a qualified company which will vary depending on the location.