Harnessing wind power
Could your home be suitable for a wind turbine?
On the face of it, wind turbines are a good bet because the UK gets around 40 per cent of the wind energy in Europe.
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The advantages of having your own turbine are that you get free electricity (although you obviously have to pay for the turbine and its installation) and reduce your CO2 emissions.
As long as your turbine complies, you can also earn money through the Government's Feed-in Tariffs scheme (see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk). This will pay you not only for the electricity you generate and use, but also for any you export to the National Grid.
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There are two types of domestic wind turbine: pole or mast-mounted ones, which are free-standing and usually around 5kW-6kW in power, and roof-mounted ones, which are smaller, at typically 1kW-2kW.
Turbines either store the electricity they generate in batteries, so it can be used on days when there's little or no wind, or are connected to the National Grid.
Roof-mounted turbines are the cheapest option. The Energy Saving Trust says that a domestic roof-mounted 1kW turbine will cost around £2,000, while a 6kW pole-mounted one will be around £22,500. It estimates that annual maintenance will cost £100-£200, with a well-maintained turbine lasting more than 20 years. If the turbine has batteries, these will need to be replaced every six to 10 years on average.
Location is key. They important things are the speed and direction of the wind and what obstructions are in the way, such as trees and buildings. Because of this, wind turbines aren't suitable for a lot of homes, but if you think yours might be a candidate, fitting an anemometer (wind gauge) for at least three months is the best way to find out how much wind it gets. Planning permission often isn't required for a domestic wind turbine, but check with your local council first because there will be exceptions. If your home's leasehold, you may need the freeholder permission.
Comments
by ClintEast
Friday, August 03 2012, 11:57AM
“roof mounted turbines cause issues with the massive acceleration from the vibrations.
the pub in melton had to have over £20k strengthening works done to it to stop the walls collapsing.
bear that in mind.
mast mounted ones in fields are ok and tend to be quiet if situated correctly although a local farmer has already had the council out as he is complaining about the noise from his own turbine! caauing him to keep awake at night.
but that's ok because the daily mirror has told us that windfarms are ok and we are just waiting for prog rock fan to put up a link so we can all believe him.”