Wind Power for Homes and Businesses

If you are considering using renewable energy in your home then you may be considering a domestic wind turbine. Small domestic systems known as micro-generation turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home. There are two types of domestic-sized wind turbine. Firstly, there is a mast mounted turbine which is free standing and erected in an exposed position. Secondly, there is a roof mounted turbine which is much smaller and can be installed on the roof of a home. If your micro-generation turbine is attached to the National Grid you can sell generated electricity to an electricity supply company. If the turbine is not connected to the National Grid, unused electricity can be stored in a battery for use when there is no wind. Domestic turbines are more suitable in rural locations, where wind speeds are greater and there will be less turbulence from neighbouring buildings.

Domestic turbines that are well sited could save you around £380 a year off electricity bills and save around 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Furthermore, new Feed-in Tariffs (clean energy cash back provider) means that energy suppliers make regular payments to households and communities who generate their own electricity from renewable sources. The scheme guarantees minimum payment for all electricity generated as well as separate payment for the electricity exported to grid [1]. Furthermore, domestic turbines are silent, reliable and have minimal (often none) visual intrusion.

Before spending a lot of money installing a wind turbine for your home or business, it is vital to survey the potential site to ensure the prevailing weather conditions are suitable, what size would be best and what site would be ideal for installation. By using a power predictor or a wireless weather station you can collect data on wind speed and direction within a year in order to evaluate the best option for you. You will need an annual mean wind speed of at least 4m/s to be able to generate a reasonable amount of energy, and ideally in excess of 4.5m/s.How much you choose to spend on a wind turbine depends on a number of factors too. These include how much energy you need, how much you use, and how suitable your site is for sending any excess to the grid. Answering these questions by using a technical survey will help you choose the best model (maximum capacity) for your location and how you intend to use it. Larger models usually cost more but are designed to cope with higher winds and are therefore able to produce more electricity. A technical site survey will also establish information concerning the cable lengths, the earth installation and foundation required. Such technical surveys are usually free or you get your money back once an order has been made [2]. Moreover, when planning to install a domestic turbine it is important to seek permission from your local authority first.

The effect of millions of small micro-generators across the country, in domestic dwellings, businesses and public buildings, has the potential to meet much of the national demand for electricity. Micro-generation also eliminates losses due to centralised generation, transmission and distribution. This means that carbon dioxide savings are virtually doubled [3]. Thus, micro-generation has a role to play in combating global warming, increasing security of energy supplies and generally creating sustainable communities and these attributes make domestic turbines worthy of investment.