Domestic Wind Turbines

A rural living reader asks

I live in a village and have a reasonable sized garden and am considering getting a wind turbine.  What issues should I consider other than my neighbours?

Feb 4th, 2010

4 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Domestic Wind Turbines”

  1. Agent B Says:
    February 4th, 2010 at 3:33 pm

    What is “reasonable sized?” Do you, for instance, have a woodland walk?

  2. Consultant K Says:
    February 4th, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    I think “Agent B” has a very valid point on this one. Domestic wind turbines are defined as anything upto 500KW which is actually something very very large! But first let us address the basics! Wind Turbines will generate energy but in reality the first thing you should be considering how much energy you are using currently that you don’t have to (switching off, insulation and the like) as this is far better use of money!

    Now turbines come in all shapes and sizes and to give specific advice is impossible without looking at the site, considering the average speed, location of nearest substation and how much you can afford to spend. Size is important as the larger the turbine is, the quicker the payback is likely to be (as a general rule). Anything less than 1KW is unlikely to pay back in its lifetime and so unless you are off mains is a waste of money. It is about the 5KW mark that payback becomes reasonable and 15KW when you can expect payback in 5 or less years (assuming you are in it for the money). Now I am sure the google ads round here will give you a range of people to talk to but based on the return on investment figures I would definitely make sure Hannevind and Vergnet turbines are considered (this is based on standard figures for cost of turbine vs power curve). But as I said at the start, it is very site specific and so get talking to experts!

  3. A commoner Says:
    February 11th, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    Well this is all very helpful advice Consultant K, and these Hannevind and Vergnet turbines sound just the job. I am having trouble finding a UK supplier though. Would you happen to know who can supply them, and whether the supplier happens to be based in the Perthshire area?

  4. Consultant K Says:
    February 23rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm

    I would suggest if you are having trouble finding a UK reseller of either of these turbines, you are not looking very hard. Hannevind have a list on their website for each UK region while Vergnet have a long list of UK based resellers.

    Also, I would suggest looking at the energy saving trust website for more general information and the decc (department for energy and climate change) for wind speed data before contacting a reseller.

Provide common sense...

A dodo. Well known for its common sense.

About us

We are experts in all matters of life. You may consult us on any topic. On some matters, that we consider trivial or uninteresting, we may provide a short, even terse response to your query; in others, where the fancy takes us, we may pontificate at length providing an extensive discussion of the issue from which we shall draw appropriate conclusions. The choice is ours, after all, we know best.

Past sense