Wind Power

Wind Power can be used to generate electricity for your home using commercially available wind turbines, specially designed for domestic use.

The size of domestic wind turbines vary, but as a guide a typical domestic system is likely to be in the region of 2.5 - 6 kilowatts.

The ideal site for a wind turbine is on the top of a hill away from other tall buildings, however there are systems that have been designed specifically for more urban locations.

Wind Power systems can be installed in off grid locations (where the electricity grid is not available) or where there is a grid connection. A special inverter and controller converts DC electricity to AC at a quality and standard acceptable to the grid. For grid connected systems, no battery storage is required, and any excess electricity can be exported to the grid and sold to the local electricity supply company.

The cost of installing a wind turbine for your home is likely to cost in the region of £2,500 to £5000 per kilowatt of electricity. Government grants are available in many areas to help with the installation costs. In the UK, grants are available from an organization called clearskies, who make available £1000 per kWe installed up to a maximum of £5000 to help with the installation costs.

Small scale wind power is suitable for many homes, however depending on your location, planning permission may be required from your local government / council authority, as visual impact, noise and conservation issues have to be considered.