Using the power of the wind to produce electricity is easier than you think, and what's more it is free.

Small wind turbines:

Small wind turbines are ideal for small households, small communities and businesses to provide on-site electricity generation. First of all you will need to ascertain whether your particular site is windy enough, you can do this by visiting the UK Wind Speed Database website, this will approximately give you the average wind speed in your area. You must of course take into account any local topography and any nearby obstructions such as buildings, trees and nearby hillsides. If your average wind speed is of 4-5 meters per second then you have a site which is worth while installing a wind turbine. It is also possible to purchase a small wind speed calculating instrument at sailing chandlers or specialist shops such as The Weather Shop this will help you initially to work out if your site is worth pursuing with a wind turbine.


Choosing the right size turbine:

The average house uses about 4,700 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity annually. This will of course vary from house to house but you will be the best judge of that. Rooftop mounted generators are mounted on either the side or on top of the house/building, vibration can be a problem so care that the vibrations are not transmitted through joining walls etc.

There are a number of small wind generators available at sailing chandlers that are perfectly capable of keeping a 12/24 volt leisure battery topped up.


Grid connection:

National Grid connection is possible and the contribution you make can be eligible for the Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) under the Renewables Obligation. When you connect to the grid it has to be approved by your local electricity distribution utility. The company will require the connection to be of satisfactory technical standard.


What happens when the weather is not windy:

In most systems you have a mix of wind generation and solar panels so when one element of your system is only producing low or no power the other will be taking it's place. This is typical in off grid systems where partial usage of renewable energy powers part of your energy usage. For systems that are on grid then the mains power is present for the non productive periods and automatically kicks in.


Price guide:

Small wind generators	*approximately £,500 - £950
Medium wind generators	*approximately £1,800 - £2,500
Large wind generators	*approximately £2,500 - £6,000

*Plus installation costs which vary from region to region.

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