Of all the wind energy in Europe, 40% of it blows across the UK, but less than 1% is actually harnessed [1], therefore it is a great source of renewable energy that should be better utilised. Historically, humans have always made use of wind power, for example in sail ships. The most recent form of utilisation of wind energy has been in the form of wind farms. The first wind farm was built in 1980 in New Hampshire, USA. Since then they have been installed across the globe including the UK. An emerging form of wind power technology is that of the microwind turbine, which the average household can use.

Wind turbines utilise energy from the wind by using large blades to catch the wind. The wind drives the movement of the blades, which in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity [1]. Essentially, kinetic energy is being converted into mechanical energy.

There are two types of microwind turbines that can be used for households. The mast-mounted wind turbine is freestanding. The roof-mounted turbine is smaller and can be installed on the roof of a building. The wind turbines vary in power rating from 1 to 6 kW, but it is generally thought that to be able to generate the same amount of electricity that most households use in a year, you will need a microwind turbine rated at 2.5kW.

Why install a microwind turbine?

• Wind energy is a form of renewable energy, therefore it doesn’t involve the release of harmful greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and it will cut your carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust [2] carried out a study looking at the potential of microwind turbines and found that if 10% of households used them, 0.6 million tonnes of CO₂ of emissions would be saved.
• Once you have installed the turbine you can generate electricity to help power your home and therefore reduce your energy bills.
• On windy days you can store excess electricity in batteries and use it on calm days.
• Over the long term, money is saved.
• You can sell excess electricity that is generated if you are connected to the National Grid.

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Things you need to consider

Before you install a microwind turbine there are several things that need to be considered. Firstly is there enough wind in your area to make the use of a wind turbine viable? Ideally there needs to be an average wind speed of 5m/s  [1]. The Carbon Trust [2] found that microwind turbines are far more likely to be effective in rural areas as wind speeds are generally higher.

Another very important point to consider is that of planning permission. You will normally need to get planning permission to install them and due to their size and the fact that they can be heard, it is not uncommon to face resistance from your neighbours.

The location of the wind turbine needs to be carefully considered; whether it should be a freestanding one or one that is placed on the roof. When looking at this you should take into consideration any obstacles such as trees, hills and other buildings. You should also look into where the greatest clean airflow is on your site, i.e. close to a chimney is not suitable.

The Carbon Trust [2] have an online tool (The Wind Yield Estimation Tool) on their website which enables you to calculate the annual mean wind speed, energy generation and carbon savings. All you need to do is input your postcode and details of the surrounding area into the tool and it will advise you on the location of your prospective wind turbine. The Energy Saving Trust website also includes a lot of information on the installation of microwind turbines and the links are available below.

Our experts can help you with all these issues so why not get a quote today?

References

[1] The Energy Saving Trust (2010) [Online]. Available from www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

[2] The Carbon Trust (2010) [Online]. Available from www.carbontrust.co.uk