Wind energy

Wind has a reliable energy source in the form of wind. Small turbines can be fitted on the roofs of individual houses and buildings to provide local power supplies that can also sell any excess production back to the National Grid.

There are issues with planning permission with regards to installation of wind turbines, so contact your local planning authority to get their advice.

 

You will need to check a couple of other factors when looking at wind power, most important is have you got enough clean air to make the investment worth while. Average wind speeds need to be above 6m/s to make turbines work efficiency, but most do not reach peak output until speeds of 12 m/s or above are reached.

Interference from tall structures (trees, buildings etc.) also can compromise the efficiency of production and also reduce the life expectancy of the equipment. So a rough rule of thumb is that any turbine should be approx. 10 times the height of the nearest obstruction away from it. So if you have a 5m tall tree as the nearest tall obstruction. then the turbine should be 50m away from it. This will allow 'clean air' to turn the turbine rather than it 'awing' in the turbulence caused by the wind passing the tree.

Roof top turbines are therefore not very effective in urban areas unless they are above the typical roofline. In many ways it is better to buy electricity produced from wind via a specialist provider rather than trying to produce it yourself (unless you have a good area for the turbine - see above).

More detail is available from the Greenspec website