How Long Does a Wind Turbine Take to Pay for Itself
Installing a wind turbineWhy use wind power?
Wind energy is plentiful, renewable and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when used instead of electricity generated from fossil fuels.
We're all being urged to reduce carbon emissions, so harnessing wind power to create energy is an attractive option. At present just 2% of Britain's power comes from renewable energy sources, and wind provides less than half a gigawatt – enough to power around 250,000 UK homes..
Harnessing wind power
Wind turbines produce electricity by harnessing the natural power of the wind to drive a generator.
Wind-derived electricity comes from two main sources, industrial wind farms and domestic small-scale wind turbines installed by home owners.
Wind farms
Britain has over 200 wind farms. The UK will need to erect up to 20,000 more wind turbines to meet EU targets of generating 20% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Domestic wind turbines
The UK's largest study into wind turbines, conducted by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), has shown that very few UK locations are suitable for home wind turbine placement - find out more about the EST's wind turbine field test results here.
However if your location is suitable and you decide to go ahead and install a domestic wind turbine, grants of up to £2,500 per property are available from the government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme towards the cost of installing a certified wind turbine by an approved installer. We've got more information on government grants in our wind and solar power guide.
Which? also bought and installed a domestic wind turbine, the Windsave WS1000 to see how it performed over a year- find out more about how about our wind turbine test here.
Advantages of wind power
- Electricity generated by the wind does not emit CO2 or leave any waste products. Wind is also an infinite resource that cannot be exhausted.
- A small home wind turbine cuts reliance on traditional fossil fuel resources by using the power of the wind to create electricity.
- Small domestic wind turbines can potentially provide 30 to 35% of an average home's electricity needs, and pay for themselves in 8-10 years. This is a much quicker payback than most solar-power generated electricity systems.
- Wind turbines rely on simple mechanical processes. Once the wind turbine is up and running there are few running costs.
- Large-scale wind farms can be built at sea as well as on land to exploit the UK and surrounding seas' abundant wind flow without cluttering the landscape.
Disadvantages of wind power
The EST's study into wind turbines concluded that fewer sites than previously predicted were suitable to install the technology, and homeowners should install an anemometer (a wind gauge) for at least three months to determine the average wind speed for the location before considering a wind turbine. According to the EST, a suitable site will have a minimum average wind speed of 6m/s - the vast majority of UK households have an average wind speed of less than this.
- Both small- and large-scale wind energy installations need planning permission. Many developments are consequently blocked by other local residents or neighbours.
- Wind turbine costs are high. Smaller roof-mounted turbines start from around £1,500, ranging up to £25,000 for a larger-scale mast-mounted model. Large-scale wind farms also require a significant start-up investment from industry.
- The amount of electricity generated is dependent on the speed and direction of the wind. The wind speed itself depends on a number of factors, such as location within the UK, height of the turbine and nearby obstructions.
- Many people dislike the appearance and sound of wind turbines in the landscape, although noise pollution is less significant for micro-wind turbines.
- Anti-wind farm groups argue that wind farms damage habitats and harm birds and marine ecology (see the wind farms section for more).
- Wind is an unpredictable energy source and requires the back up of more traditional and polluting methods of energy generation.
Opposition to wind farms
Despite claims of cheap, renewable and clean energy, wind farms have been opposed by many groups making the following claims:
- Wind farms built in prominent and scenically beautiful locations turn natural areas into unattractive industrial landscapes.
- Wind turbines kill significant numbers of birds through disturbance, habitat loss/damage or collision with turbines.
- Wind is too unpredictable to be a reliable source of energy and turbines produce only a fraction of their potential energy.
- Wind farms can be costly to maintain and more expensive to build and maintain than traditional energy plants.
- Wind farms take up more space to produce the same amount of energy as other methods such coal-powered stations.
- The authorities should concentrate on reducing energy usage rather than producing more energy.
The most high profile anti-wind power organisation is Country Guardian, specifically set up to fight against the development of wind power. The RSPB, The Campaign to Protect Rural England and Views of Scotland have also voiced concerns against wind farm developments.
The government, the BWEA and environmental groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are all broadly in favour of wind power development.
Buying and installation
Choosing a wind turbine
There are two types of turbines: roof mounted and free standing mast mounted. Turbines can either be connected to the national grid or stand alone, generating energy stored in a battery.
Turbines come in a range of sizes, prices and powers, from generating less than 100W to around 50KW. Choosing a turbine design and size to suit your site is very dependent on individual circumstances.
Smaller micro-turbines are often used to charge batteries whilst those of 0.6kW upwards can also be used to generate electricity for houses and businesses. Roof top models vary from 0.5kW to 2.5kW in size.
Checklist
Installing a wind turbine
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Choose your site
Choose a site where the turbine can be mounted as high as possible. You'll need somewhere where there are few surrounding obstructions such as trees and tall buildings
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Wind speed
Get a reliable estimate of the wind speed at the site of your turbine. A professional measurement is preferable, but an estimate of the annual mean wind speed for a given OS grid reference can be found using the UK wind speed database
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Planning permission
Ask your local council if planning permission is needed. It's also good practice to speak to your neighbours at early stage to smooth over any initial objections
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Additional costs
Factor in additional costs such as planning permission fees, cabling and installation. Ask your turbine supplier for an estimate of these and any potential additional costs
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Connecting to the national grid
Contact your electricity supplier during the planning phase if you'd like to connect your turbine to the national grid. You may need permission to connect and your electricity supplier may charge a fee.
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Insurance
Speak to your home insurance provider to see if it's able to cover your turbine for repair, replacement and theft
Energy production increases with wind speed, up to a maximum level, and a minimum wind speed is usually necessary for turbines to start generating electricity.
Ask manufacturers for the specifications of their products when choosing a turbine, including the rated wind speed and energy generated.
Where to install your wind turbine
Small-scale wind power is particularly suitable for remote off-grid locations where conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical.
Building-integrated wind turbines are also suitable for urban locations for installation in homes and other buildings.
You can usually install a roof-mounted turbine anywhere there's a reasonable amount of wind, such as a gable end or the side wall of a building.
The optimum site for a wind turbine is a smooth-topped hill with clear exposure, free from excessive turbulence and obstructions such as trees, houses or other buildings. However, other areas may have a sufficient wind resource to make a wind turbine worthwhile.
Wind speed increases with height so it's best to have the turbine high on a mast or tower.
Planning permission for wind turbines
Contact your local council to ask about planning permission if you're considering installing a wind turbine. The majority of local authorities are keen to encourage the installation of renewable energy systems.
If planning permission is required, your neighbours will be consulted to voice any objections they have to the wind turbine. For this reason it's good practice to speak to your neighbours before investing time and money in the planning process.
How Long Does a Wind Turbine Take to Pay for Itself
Source: https://www.which.co.uk/static/flash/GreenHome/reports/installing_a_wind_turbine.htm