Wind Energy

Angelbabes · 16 Feb 2010

Well I am here again looking for lots of info this time...

I have been considering a wind turbine for my next project as I live very rural.

Is there anybody out there who has installed one.

Also the goverment has some incentives for rural installations... has anybody been involved.

Looking at around 15kw/h machine... any idea of costs, what it entails etc...

Thanks in advance

Angelbabes...

Taylortwocities · 16 Feb 2010

There have been two studies (EST and Warwick Wind Trials) both of which essentially said 'don't bother' with urban small wind see: http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/1351/Measure+the+wind+before+you+install+a+turbine/ for links.

the minimum wind speed you need to make it viable is 5 to 6 m/s, and the general database is notoriously variable as it gives an average over quite a big space. Good idea to put up an anerometer for 3 months to measure av wind speeds.

One contributor said that to generate enough energy for a small house would take a turbine with blades large enough to rip off your gable end.
(Ooh Matron!)

Solar looks like a better bet

londonboy · 17 Feb 2010

I fitted one before, £2000 it cost and it can generate 500w at BEST.

Fit solar PV, you can currently get £2500 back from the government.

Chri5 · 17 Feb 2010

Council will require approval for wind power. Have a chat with them and they could help point you in the direction of an existing setup in your rural area.

Might be best to approach them from a eco view and ask about all power alternatives.
Ground source heating could be viable, as could solar and / or wind.

chapeau · 17 Feb 2010

londonboy said:
Fit solar PV, you can currently get £2500 back from the government.

Yes, and they recently published the amount you can earn by selling the electricity generated to the grid, and it makes it sort of approach economically interesting to fit solar PV now.

Unfortunately for the DIYer the certification requirements to connect to the grid make part P look like a piece of pee.

londonboy · 17 Feb 2010

chapeau said:
londonboy said:

Fit solar PV, you can currently get £2500 back from the government.

Click to expand...

Yes, and they recently published the amount you can earn by selling the electricity generated to the grid, and it makes it sort of approach economically interesting to fit solar PV now.

Unfortunately for the DIYer the certification requirements to connect to the grid make part P look like a piece of pee.

Yes I do agree with you about the certification.
Although there isn't much difference (PV vs wind) in connecting a supply to the grid.

In the long run I'd certainly fit PV, it also increases the value of your home too.

empip · 17 Feb 2010

House mounted at 15kWh plated output ??? Joking.

15 kWh - plated = 131.6 mW per annum.
Realistically onshore say 10% (Govn' will say 20%) - 13 mW per annum.

About 3 or 4 average homes at about 309kWh per month ??

Costalot I would think for that kind of output - or did you mean 15 kWh per annum ??

Thinking 11kWh turbine 13 metre rotor diam. for about £70k inc foundations - access may cost...

Think I read somewhere up to 15kWh output one will be paid 26.6p per kWh generated irrespective of usage.

-o-

ColJack · 17 Feb 2010

you're best off getting a CHP for that kind of money and having gas piped to your property..

a tesco near us had 3 turbines fitted around it's carpark, but they are not windmill type, they rotate horizontal not vertical..
i believe they are called vertical axis wind turbines if you want to google them..

Steve · 17 Feb 2010

I wonder how much rent I could charge to an energy generating company to have a turbine in my garden . . . (if the planning restrictions werent an issue!)

londonboy · 17 Feb 2010

Steve said:
I wonder how much rent I could charge to an energy generating company to have a turbine in my garden . . . (if the planning restrictions werent an issue!)

Well I know of a farm that had a mobile phone mast put on it... £40,000pa

Steve · 17 Feb 2010

londonboy said:
Well I know of a farm that had a mobile phone mast put on it... £40,000pa

'kinell. Did he just sell his massey ferguson and put his feet up?

Theres a masonic hall next to my shop which has a discreet phone mast on it. Not sure how much they are paid for it. A few of our shops have them on too (out back, not visible to the public)

Angelbabes · 17 Feb 2010

Thank-you fella's...

For empip, Coljack, Taylorwocities and Londonboy...

The turbine would be free standing with a blade diameter of approx 13m.
It is expected to cost around 56 -63k and pay around 25p per/kw/h.
My only neighbour is around 1.4 mile away with the next about 2 miles away.
I have 2 acres of garden which is on the slope of a large vally.
The nearest gas is around 24 miles away and that is Calor.
The wind is blowing around 50-65% of the time 24/7
Solar panels are fine in the summer but daylight in winter can be as low as 7hrs.

The plan is free leccy for moi with a payment to boot...
The investment will pay for itself within 10 years and I still get my leccy for free...

So... Has anyone installed something of this size... what maintaimance do they require etc...

Thanks again fella's...

empip · 18 Feb 2010

Here is a Wind Energy Reference Manual
http://www.talentfactory.dk/en/stat/units.htm

-o-

chapeau · 18 Feb 2010

londonboy said:
Yes I do agree with you about the certification.
Although there isn't much difference (PV vs wind) in connecting a supply to the grid.

Next door neighbour is doing a course in renewables and is being taught that a home PV system gets its phase information from the grid. Therefore, he says, if the grid goes down you will not be able to use your PV system at home.

Sounds hokey to me, would have thought the DC/AC inverter would have its own 50Hz timing generator in there for when this happens. Do you know if that is the case?

Was up in Orkney over the summer and it doesn't half blow up there. An island was going through the process of getting its own massive commercial wind turbine installed. Over the predicted lifetime of the installation it would generate millions in profit for the island community, pretty much making it self sufficient. A rare good use of wind power I would say.

At the county fair, amongst all the stands selling tractors and animal feed and other various farming paraphenalia, there was a outfit selling domestic wind turbines (several tens of thousand of pounds, not the rubbish B&Q ones). The figures they gave for Orkney also made economic sense, but only if the figures were accurate.

londonboy · 18 Feb 2010

chapeau said:
londonboy said:

Yes I do agree with you about the certification.
Although there isn't much difference (PV vs wind) in connecting a supply to the grid.

Click to expand...

Next door neighbour is doing a course in renewables and is being taught that a home PV system gets its phase information from the grid. Therefore, he says, if the grid goes down you will not be able to use your PV system at home.

Sounds hokey to me, would have thought the DC/AC inverter would have its own 50Hz timing generator in there for when this happens. Do you know if that is the case?.

Yes thats correct if the grid goes down they have to cut off, its some regulation (G83), I assume its so that someone working on the mains in the road can't get a belt from a backfed cable.

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Wind Energy

Similar threads