Is it Right For Me?
Once you’ve invested in the equipment, wind energy is free and can pay back your investment within 3-6 years. With the Government’s ‘feed in tariffs’ guaranteeing to pay for the renewable energy you generate as well as for the excess energy you don’t use, it can even generate income for you. A 10kW sized turbine is ideal for most farms, small to medium sized businesses and even organisations such as schools and care homes. Now is the perfect time to invest in wind energy. However, although wind is available everywhere, it doesn’t mean wind turbines can work everywhere too. They work best in areas of reliable wind conditions, away from turbulance created from buildings or other obstructions.
The key to a successful investment is a sound site. For small wind turbine installations (also known as micro wind generation schemes), here’s a quick guide to what to look out for.
· Are you in a windy area?
Best results call for an average speed of 5m per second or above. Our wind calculator will give you an idea of whether your location is suitable but please note: these are estimates based on national wind maps and variations occur even within the 1km grid squares around your postcode. If you decide to go ahead, we’ll undertake an evaluation of your particular topography to try to make sure.
· Do you have at least 1 acre of land?
Densely urban areas are not suitable for larger wind turbines, and at least 1 acre of land is advisable to ensure optimum siting of micro wind generators. All wind turbines work best in exposed locations, or when they’re elevated high enough to reduce turbulence caused by these obstacles. In fact wind energy increases exponentially with height so it pays to consider this option carefully.
· Does your site have suitable access?
The position of any wind turbine structure and cable runs must be considered. To gain the benefit of free electricity, a micro wind generator needs to be connected to your meter unit. Typically a distance of 50m – 200m is ideal for optimising the size of cable run and separation from the turbulence caused from buildings or large obstacles.
· Are you able to make a suitable grid connection?
Unlike many others, a Bergey turbine can be connected to a single-phase or 3-phase supply. The alternative, especially with larger turbines is to feed directly into the grid by connecting to a transformer on an 11kV power line.
If you can answer yes to the above, then wind energy has the potential to be a good investment for you, bringing many powerful benefits.
SIAC Wind Energy will not recommend any solution where it might not deliver a sound return on investment.