Wind Power

Amazingly two fifths of all of Europe’s wind energy blows over the United Kingdom which makes it the perfect place for small household wind turbines. These small scale turbines are known as “microwind” systems and they are able to generate sufficient electricity to power a standard home.

A wind turbine generates electricity by using its large blades to capture the wind. As the blades are blown round they operate the turbine which in turn generates the electricity. There are two different options with regard to generating wind power in the home these are a roof or mast mounted system. Roof mounted systems are the smaller of the two and as the name suggests are fixed to the roof of the home; they are usually between 1 and 2 kW in size. Mast mounted turbines are the larger option and are separate to the home, installed in an appropriate position nearby. These are anywhere between 2.5 and 6 kW in size. Obviously the bigger the turbine the more power generated and it is also the case that the stronger the wind the more electricity on either size system.

There are a number of benefits to having a wind powered home; reduced electricity bills and if connected to the National Grid even the possibility of making money by selling on excess power, if not Grid connected the ability to store electricity in batteries to be used when required at a later date, cutting carbon footprint and of course using an abundant energy source.

There are some things to consider before installing one of these systems; small home turbines work best in areas open to the elements and not obscured by obstacles such as buildings, hills or trees, in order to achieve optimum results the turbine needs to be in an area with a minimum wind speed of 5m/s. It is also important to find out if you will require planning permission as most of these systems do. Another major consideration is of course cost, a roof mounted system will set you back around £1,500 or more and a mast system will cost anywhere between £11,000 and £ 19,000 including fitting. There is a possibility of getting a grant to help towards the costs and you can find out more from the Dept of Energy and Climate Change at www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk. There are also the savings in electricity to bear in mind when looking at costs as well and it has been found that a 2.5kW mast in the right place will save around £380 a year.