What are.....wind turbines?
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Like a windmill, a turbine has blades, which are turned by the wind. The energy created by the spinning blades is passed down the shaft of the turbine into an electricity generator.
The wind has been used for hundreds of years to generate energy. For centuries, windmills used its power to work machinery for crushing grain or pumping water. Today however, turbines, are more commonly used to generate electricity.
One of the benefits of wind turbines is that, unlike solar power, energy can be generated at night and in the winter.
Considering installing a wind turbine?
There are different sizes of turbine available for domestic use with differing levels of power generation so it is worth investigating how much power you need to generate before investing in a turbine.
Wind turbines are most effective when they are placed in an exposed site such as on top of a hill or where there is open land all around - putting a turbine near trees or buildings will affect how well it generates electricity as it will not have an uninterrupted flow of air.
Nationally, planning policies are being revised to encourage more people to install renewable energy technologies, but at the moment, wind turbines do require planning permission. It is also worth speaking to your neighbours to see if they have any objections to you putting up a wind turbine.
More information on costs, planning permissions and other aspects of wind turbines is available from the Energy Saving Trust.
The renewable energy calculator on Green Energy 360 can help you find out the average wind speed at your property based on your postcode. Without the correct windspeeds a wind turbine won't generate enough electricity for your needs.
If you are considering or have installed a wind turbine up to five megawatts since July 2009 then you may be eligible to claim payments for the electricity you generate under the new feed in tariff. Levels of payment depend on the technology and are linked to inflation. Visit the feed in tariff page to find out more details.
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