So, when it comes to answering the question: Should I buy solar panels or a wind turbine for Christmas? You might get more bang for your buck if you go wind ... if you can go wind. There are other factors to consider, size being one of the biggest (pun unintended). You're gonna need a lot of wrapping paper.

There are a few drawbacks to small wind, of course. For example, what if the wind stops blowing while you're trying to watch the Super Bowl? To make small wind systems practical, they're usually used in concert with solar panels or tied into the energy grid. That way, you're not worried about losing power.

Another drawback, as I alluded to before, is finding the right application for a wind turbine. Sure, it's nice to think that your condo board might band together for the planet (and the financial gains) and buy a turbine, but it's not likely. Or, if you own a business, the financial breakdown might look great, but the huge turbine on your property may not.

The upside is, your renewable energy investment would be producing a greater return and in so doing, you're also putting more KW of clean energy back onto the grid -- a win-win. Combine that with the uncapped 30% federal tax credit for renewable energy, and all of the sudden smallish investors can reap larger returns using a small wind system.

While you're out shopping for small scale wind systems, the segment to stay away from is "micro wind." The general rule of thumb (which I just made up) is: If the turbine is smaller than a smart car, it probably won't ever offset the carbon emission used to build it.