Investing in wind turbines involves a payback period of about 6 years and 7 months to pay off the initial costs to manufacture and install the turbine. After this period, the turbine will generate electricity freely for another 19 years. This. . For example, a 2. However, this time can increase or decrease based on factors such as power requirements, local wind speed, and government incentives. The embodied energy in a wind turbine, which. . The time period it takes for a commercial wind farm to reach payoff, also known as the payback period, varies depending on a number of factors. This energy payback period is measured in 'months to. . How long does it take to pay back the energy and resources used to make a wind turbine, and are they worth building? Our readers have the answers What is the carbon payback period for a large wind farm, taking into account the energy and resources used for materials, manufacture and the. . The economic viability of a wind energy project is measured by its payback period, the time it takes for a turbine to generate enough net revenue to cover its entire upfront cost. This metric is a form of Return on Investment (ROI) specific to infrastructure projects.