Factors such as possible complaints about noise from neighbours plus one of the walls in the property vibrating have to be taken into account. These are designed to be fitted on rooftops and on the gable ends of properties. Electricity generation is limited to just a few hundred watts at best which is enough to power energy efficient light bulbs throughout a typical home on a windy day.Īdvances in engineering have resulted in much quieter wind turbines with greatly reduced vibration. These are designed to supplement national grid electricity and therefore reduce the overall electricity bill for their owners. That being said, recently Micro Wind Turbines have started appearing across urban areas of the country. ![]() The DC electricity generated is stored in battery banks and then processed through inverters to make AC electricity for use in normal household appliances.īecause of the noise they generate, they tend not to be suitable for use in urban areas, together with the problem of lower average wind speed. They are particularly useful in off-grid situations where a property needs to be energy self-sufficient. In recent years mini wind turbines have become more and more popular, located on the top of a 5 meter pole at the bottom of a garden or near farmhouses and barns and generating a few kilowatts of electricity. Installing a battery to store any excess power means that you are benefitting from more ‘free’ electricity which might make more financial sense than earning the export tariff then having to buy that same electricity at a somewhat higher price than the one at which you sold it in the first place. The second benefit will be that any surplus electricity that you produce can be exported to the grid which will earn you a tariff paid by the network to whom you are connected at the rate prevailing at that time. There will be an immediate reduction in the cost of your electricity from the grid as you will be producing free electricity for your own use. This produces a swishing sound in time with the rotation of the blades, as well as noise from the turbine machinery. The relatively weak but characteristic noise of wind turbines is generated mainly by the movement of the blades through the air. Currently however, a roof mounted turbine can be bought for around £2,000 for something producing up to 2.5kW. Wind turbines will usually work efficiently for at least 20 years, but with regular maintenance and low-cost repairs, they can be expected to last for a considerably longer period.Īs with any type of renewable energy equipment, the cost of roof-mounted wind turbines will vary depending on manufacturer, size and type and installation costs. ![]() The more accurate figures would be provided by the surveyor in conjunction with the manufacturer of the equipment in relation to the area in which the property is located. The swept area of a building mounted wind turbine cannot exceed 3.8m 2.Īn average annual wind speed of about 14mph on a 1.5kw wind turbine will meet the needs of a home requiring 300kwh per month. ![]() The distance between the ground and the lowest part of the wind turbine needs to exceed 5m and a minimum of 5m needs to be between the turbine and the boundary of the property. Including the blades, no part of the turbine should protrude more than 3 metres above the highest part of the chimney and the overall height of the house plus the wind turbine should not exceed 15m. A single turbine is considered as permitted development but if the property already has an air source heat pump installed planning permission is required. In Scotland particularly, they need to be in a detached house and be surrounded by other detached houses in the vicinity. Usually they are only allowed on detached properties and often prohibited on listed buildings or in conservation areas. Planning requirements may vary accoridng to the part of the country and the mortgage lender and insurance provider should be notified. ![]() Roof Mounted turbines with a suitable wind source are usually 1KW-2.5kW in size and only 1 is allowed per house.
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