The UK is Europe's windiest country, and large wind turbines are generating an ever increasing amount of the UK's electricity in a clean, non-polluting way. You can do this yourself on a small scale, but for most homes this is not an effective or cost-efficient way to use green electricity.
The best ‘small' wind turbines are mounted on a mast, in a windy location, away from buildings and trees. Small scale wind turbines are now being sold that fit onto buildings but there is no evidence yet that these work or produce enough electricity to justify their cost. You may be better off installing Solar Hot Water or Solar PV panels.
However, in some cases small scale wind generation can work well
Is my home suitable?
- The ideal setting for a wind turbine is a smooth-top hill with a flat, clear exposure. Wind speed increases with height so it's best to have the turbine on a mast or tower.
- Wind turbines work less well when they experience turbulence, which can be caused by buildings or large trees. This is partly why we remain sceptical about the efficacy of building-integrated turbines in urban settings
- You need to know your local wind conditions before designing a wind energy system (see below for extra information on this)
- Mounting a turbine on a building can damage the structure. You should seek professional advice before doing this
- Wind power is particularly suitable for remote off-grid locations where conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical. They work using a battery to store the energy. These systems are commonly combined with a diesel generator for periods of low wind. A combined wind and diesel system is more efficient than a diesel only system. It allows the diesel system to be used at optimum load for short periods of time to charge batteries when there is no wind
- You should note that installation normally requires planning permission from your local authority
How much will it cost?
- Larger systems from 1.5kw to 6kw will cost £4,000 to £18,000 installed. Roof mounted systems only cost from £1,500 installed, but will produce little power, and currently don't generally represent a good investment.
- These costs include the turbine, mast, inverters, battery storage when required and installation
- Turbines have a long life (up to 20 years) but need servicing every few years. Batteries typically last 6-10 years, depending on the type
- You can qualify for a grant of up to £2,500 to support the installation of a wind turbine from the DTI's low carbon buildings programme (click here for more info).
- There is currently not enough data from existing small scale wind turbine installations to provide an estimate of how much energy and carbon can actually be saved
What should I do next?
If you are interested in installing a system, then you should contact a reputable installer to assess your property's suitability, advise you on which system is best, give you a quote and advise you with grant funding. You can request a survey and quotation from our partner Wind Turbine installer by following this link to our enquiry form.
You should also contact your electricity supplier to see if they have a scheme where they will buy back your surplus electricity. You can also ask your installer for advice on this or visit www.uswitch.com to see the best energy deal for your home
Where can I get more information?
- A good source of information on local wind speeds is the British Wind Energy Association: http://www.bwea.com/small/index.html
- You can also collect your own information about wind speed by setting up an anemometer on a mast. You can buy these on-line by clicking here
