sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ecotricity, Energy Saving Trust, Narec, RenewableUK

Generate Your Own Power

Your Guide to Installing a Small Wind System

– Cut your carbon footprint – Save on your electricity bills – Make money on your investment

Pleasedocument note: Feed-in are currently Tariff rates under inside review. this

Generate Your Own Power 01

Saving carbon and making money

Plenty of people like the idea of generating their own energy, attracted by the prospect of cutting their carbon footprint and reducing their bills.

The combination of a new government Clean Energy Cashback scheme, energy incentive scheme and the availability companies are obliged to pay you for of accredited installer companies means the energy you generate. A small wind it has never been easier or more cost- turbine can deliver thousands of pounds effective to install a small , a year in tax-free income, whilst also capable of generating enough electricity cutting your current energy bills. to power the average home. So, if you’ve already bought a bike and There are now a large number of small changed your light bulbs, but are unsure wind systems available that vary how you can cut your carbon footprint enormously in height and output. further, wind turbines could be the answer. In fact, the environmental and In short, if you have access to a windy financial benefits of installing a small location and have a reasonably large wind system are becoming increasingly garden or field, then there is a wind difficult for environmentally conscious turbine suitable for you. landowners to ignore.

And what’s more, small wind systems This publication accompanies our can provide an attractive return on your case studies booklet (pictured right), initial investment. As a result of a new which illustrates a range of applications government incentive known as the possible for generation. What is a small wind system?

Mention wind turbines and people often Small wind systems Power (kW) Annual energy Total height (m) Total installed think of the turbines erected on hills or production (kWh) cost (£) out at sea that stand up to 200 metres Micro wind 0–1.5 Up to 1,000 10-18 0.5 – 5k tall and produce enough power for Small wind 1.5–15 Up to 50,000 12-25 2 – 50k thousands of homes. Small-medium wind 15–100 Up to 200,000 15-50 50 – 250k However, the UK is currently home to Note: The average UK domestic household consumes approximately 4,400 kWh per year. many of the world’s leading producers of 60m small wind systems that typically stand just 10 to 50 metres tall, often making All of these turbines may be a lot smaller A small–medium turbine of 50m in total them roughly the same height as a large than their larger cousins, but they still height could supply enough energy for 55m tree, house or agricultural outbuilding. pack a hefty punch. Even the smallest 60 homes, or equal to the needs of a of wind turbines can produce several factory, small business or farmstead. Small wind systems vary in their design, hundred kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, size, power and cost, but can be broken equivalent to between 5% and 20% down into the categories shown in the of an average UK home’s annual needs. table above. In the right location, a larger 20 metre- Small wind systems harness the tall free-standing turbine can generate power of the wind to generate clean tens of thousands of kilowatt-hours and can be connected a year, producing the vast majority to mains electricity supply (on grid) or of the power your building uses. alternatively used to charge batteries (off grid). The two main designs are horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). Small wind systems are predominantly installed on free-standing masts in open and exposed locations.

Micro Small

0 – 1.5 kW 1.5 – 15 kW

Micro Small Small – Medium 0 – 1,250 W 3,000 – 15,000 W 20,000 – 100,000 W Generate Your Own Power: Your Guide to Installing a Small Wind System 03

It’s not just the size difference; small wind turbines have different operational characteristics and are sited in different locations. This 3MW large wind turbine 60m will cost millions to construct and install, and can generate enough energy to meet the electricity demands of 55m approximately 2,000 homes a year.

45m

40m

35m

30m

25m

20m

15m

10m

5m

Small – Medium

15 – 100 kW

Micro Small Small – Medium 0 – 1,250 W 3,000 – 15,000 W 20,000 – 100,000 W Making money from thin air

Small wind systems have always made sense from an environmental perspective, but this year a major change to the government’s renewable energy incentive scheme means they now make sense from a financial perspective as well. Generate Your Own Power: Your Guide to Installing a Small Wind System 05

Energy from National Grid

Generated & Exported Energy

I Import Meter

E Export Meter

G Generation Meter

I National Household Grid Energy Use E G

The Clean Energy Cashback scheme, Small wind systems otherwise known as ‘Feed-in Tariffs’, Power (kW) Generation tariff* (p/kWh) Export tariff† (p/kWh) is a new government financial Micro wind 0–1.5 34.5 pence 3 pence incentive that promises households and businesses financial payment for Small wind 1.5–15 26.7 pence 3 pence producing their own renewable energy. Small-medium wind 15–100 24.1 pence 3 pence It works by guaranteeing a set price Notes: for the energy they generate as well as * These tariffs are accurate for new installation until March 2012. an additional set price for any surplus † Some energy supplier will offer over and above the guaranteed minimum of 3p/kWh. electricity that is exported to the grid.

As a result you can accurately predict The levels of generation tariffs vary how much money you can generate based on the size of technology you from a renewable energy system, install, so a 1.2kW micro wind turbine making it easier to justify the upfront will be paid just over 34p for every cost of installation. kilowatt-hour produced, while a 6kW small wind turbine will receive slightly Clean Energy Cashbacks less per unit of electricity, 26.7p. Thirty four pence might not sound like a lot of Accessing the Clean Energy Cashbacks money, but the kilowatts soon add up. (Feed-in Tariffs) is remarkably simple. In , Scotland and , all Everything depends on the wind, but you have to do is select an approved a typical small wind turbine with a technology, such as a wind turbine that capacity of 15kW can generate tens of has qualified for the thousands of kilowatt-hours a year – Certification Scheme (MCS), and install it under the clean energy cashback that using an MCS-accredited installer. could equate to over £10,000 a year.

Your energy company is then obliged to All the tariffs are also index-linked, enter your installation into the scheme so once your wind turbine is installed and pay you for the energy you generate payments rise each year with inflation. and that which is exported, providing And there is an export tariff that fixed payments for years to come. If you guarantees you an extra payment for any are a domestic customer, this payment is energy you don’t use and export back to tax-free income. the grid. Annual economic benefit – A typical 11kW small wind turbine Generation 0.267p x 28,000 kWh (Generation Tariff x Total energy) £7,476 Case Export (50%) 0.03p x 14,000 kWh (Export Tariff x Exported energy) £420 Reduced bills 0.15p x 14,000 kWh (Retail price x Onsite use) £2,100 Studies Annual maintenance – £250 Total yearly earning £9,746

‘Everything depends on the wind, but “We’ll export we should get about 2,000kWh of power a month’, he says. ‘January was a bit about half the quiet, but apart from that every month has been around the expected level and power and use we’ve generated 7,500kW so far.’ the other half to The net result will be a hefty windfall for John and his family. ‘We’ll export about power the farm” half the power and use the other half to power the farm and the potato store’, he says. ‘Overall, we should make Scottish farmer John Zimmerman around £10,000 a year, and in a good reckons his new 11kW wind turbine year for wind it could be more.’ could quickly turn into ‘a wee goldmine’ thanks to the new Clean Energy The Feed-in Tariff is index-linked so Cashback scheme. payments will rise each year. With energy prices expected to climb it is John installed the 18-metre-tall Gaia- likely his returns will increase over time. Wind turbine at his farm near Montrose ‘We spent £55,000 installing the turbine back in December, and has signed a this winter, but it’s an investment’, Feed-in Tariff agreement with Scottish he says. ‘It should last 25 years and Power that will see him paid 26.7 pence we’ll get a payback pretty quickly.’ for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) the turbine generates, and a further three pence for each kWh he exports to the grid. Generate Your Own Power: Your Guide to Installing a Small Wind System 07

It is a similar story at the other end of the country, where the Felstead family have installed a 6kW capacity Proven wind turbine at their home near Ashford in Devon. They are now in the process of signing up to the Feed-in Tariff and are expecting some handsome returns.

‘Including foundations the turbine cost £23,000, but with the Feed-in Tariff we expect it to pay for itself in around eight years’, says Louise Felstead, adding that the turbine is already saving the family money on their energy bills. ‘It’s great to watch the turbine working and the electricity meter going backwards.’

“It’s great to watch the turbine working and the electricity meter going backwards” There are a number of important planning and technical issues that What you need to know anyone wanting to install a small wind system needs to address before they get started. But don’t about installation worry – none of the paperwork is onerous, and most of it is simply designed to ensure your wind turbine delivers as expected. Generate Your Own Power: Your Guide to InstallingGenerate a Small Your Wind Own System Power 09

Planning Operation and maintenance Currently all small wind systems Modern small wind systems are Has your wind turbine require planning permission. Your remarkably robust; after all, they are got MCS approval? MCS-accredited installer will have had designed to cope with gale-force winds. plenty of experience of planning rules They are also very easy to operate – it and will be able to guide you through the really is a case of plug them in and watch The Microgeneration process. The more data and photographs them go. But turbines have moving parts Certification Scheme (MCS) you can include of the turbine, its and are designed to last up to 20–25 is an independent scheme proximity to buildings and its acoustic years, so they will require occasional supported by the Department characteristics the better. You should maintenance. As with all building of Energy and Climate speak to neighbours and inform them improvements, it is worth checking the Change for the certification of of your plans as early as possible, terms of the warranty and putting in microgeneration products and and talk to your local authority at the place a maintenance agreement with installation companies. earliest opportunity. your supplier. MCS provides reassurance Connection Industry standards to consumers through the For on grid applications, your wind The UK’s leading small-scale renewables assessment of microgeneration turbine is only useful if it is connected. standard is the Microgeneration products and installers, in You need to consider how the turbine Certification Scheme (MCS), which accordance to robust quality, will be connected to the appropriate requires all turbines carrying the MCS performance and safety criteria. building or the local distribution label to undergo intensive testing so as to network before going ahead with the provide customer assurance on product Remember that you will only be project. Underground cabling is likely performance, reliability and design. eligible to receive FiTs if you are to be required and this could affect Any MCS-approved products will have using MCS approved products where the turbine can be located. The detailed information on annual energy and installation companies. more cabling that is needed, the more production and acoustic characteristics. the project is likely to cost, so talk to You can find a list of MCS your MCS-accredited installer to make MCS accreditation can also be secured approved products and sure you have chosen a site where by installers, who are similarly tested installers on the MCS website: connection is cost-effective. to ensure they have the skills and understanding to install small wind www.microgenerationcertification.org systems in line with industry best practice. Location, Location, Location

Are small wind systems right for you?

The best wind turbine in the world is Once you’ve established that you may Top tips for selecting the right site only as good as the wind that turns it. have a good site it is worth installing a If you are going to get the most out of wind gauge (your turbine installer can – Identify an exposed site, clear your wind turbine it is vital to select a help you do this) to double-check the of nearby obstructions. windy location. For a wind turbine to strength of the wind. The more wind – Contact an MCS-accredited be worthwhile your site’s annual average speed data you can collect the better, installer for advice on whether you wind speed needs to be at least 4.5 but three months should be long enough have picked the right location. metres per second; any slower and to establish whether you have a good – Check the online UK wind a wind turbine is not for you. site or whether you need to reconsider. speed database and other wind estimation tools. Thankfully, the UK has some of the So if you have the right location, – Consider installing a wind gauge strongest and most consistent winds small wind systems can be the most for at least three months to check in Europe, so if you have an exposed effective means of generating your the wind speed – you want an rural site or access to a hilltop, then own energy. They are a proven and average of at least 4.5m/s. there is a good chance the winds will reliable technology, easy to install – Check you can connect the turbine be strong enough. and maintain, and can generate to your property and the grid. sizable amounts of electricity. – Remember: the higher you get, There are a number of online the better the wind. Raising a windspeed databases that will give you turbine by just five metres can a good indication of local windspeeds. improve energy output by around 30%, so think big. – Contact the local authority to check if there are any planning restrictions. Generate Your Own Power: Your Guide to Installing a Small Wind System 11

Wyn Jones, who lives in Powys, The wind meter confirmed the “…the strong Wales, and actually works for the Jones family’s intuition, revealing renewable energy team at property the average wind speed for the site winds used to firm McCartneys, helping people install was over 5m/s. The family has since wind turbines for a living, took a well- installed a 6kW Proven wind turbine be a detrimental trodden approach to assessing and expects to generate over £2,500 his home’s suitability. a year through the Feed-in Tariff. feature of our ‘Whereas the strong winds used to be He installed a wind meter to check the a detrimental feature of our property, property, they wind speed in the field by his family’s they are now a plus’, says Wyn Jones. home after the online database of wind ‘It’s great when you see the wind blowing are now a plus” speeds suggested it may not have been and the turbine generating power.’ a good location. ‘The database said the average wind speed in our area was 4.2m/s, which is not really fast enough’, he explains. ‘But the database is just a guide that shows wind speeds for one- kilometre-square areas – we knew we had a windy site because the wind whips up the valley.’ Small Wind Checklist

Make sure you Apply for planning Links 1 have the right site 4 permission For a wind turbine to work Like many building improvements Wind speed database (NOABL) you need an exposed, windy you will need planning approval. www.RenewableUK.com site not too close to buildings. Talk to your neighbours and – wind tool local authority about the project www.carbontrust.co.uk Double and triple early on, and work with your – wind tool 2 check the location installer to ensure you get the www.energysavingtrust.org.uk No one wants to waste money application right. Department of Energy on the wrong site, so check and (DECC) the national wind speed database Check for MCS approval www.decc.gov.uk and preferably put up a wind 5 If you want to make money Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) meter for at least three months. through the clean energy www.microgenerationcertification.com cashback scheme (Feed-in Can you connect? Tariffs), you need to use an 3 Check with your installer that the MCS-approved wind turbine turbine can be connected to your and installer. MCS applies to property and the grid. installations (product and installer) in the 0-50kW range.

Go ahead! 6 There has never been a better time to install a wind turbine. A well-located wind turbine will pay for itself within eight years, add value to your property, reduce your energy bills and, perhaps most importantly, ensure you are doing your bit to help the planet. So, what are you waiting for? The UK is home to a growing number of small wind turbine manufacturers Suppliers and installers. Over 20 manufacturers and more than 30 installation firms are members of trade association RenewableUK. If you live in a windy location then there is a supplier to suit you not too far away:

RenewableUK Installers Testing/Certification/Consultancy/ Manufacturers/Product Companies Utility/Academic

Ampair Energy Ltd Aeolus Power (Wind-Energy) Ltd Bineri Ltd Bergey Windpower Co. Ardenham Energy Ltd Centre for Alternative Technology Better Generation Ltd Bee Green Energy Centre for Eclectic Energy Ltd Brumac Wind Energy Ltd CREST Endurance Windpower Inc. Bryan J Rendall (Electrical) Ltd Ltd Evance Wind Turbines Ltd CEI Ltd Evoco Energy Ltd Day Cummins Ltd IEP Ltd Fortis Wind Energy Dulas Ltd Intertek Gaia-Wind Ltd Eagle Power (Gumbley & Company Ltd) GenDrive Ltd Encraft Open University Proven Energy Ltd The Green Company (Europe) Ltd Pegasus Planning Group Marlec Engineering Co. Ltd ICE Renewables Ltd Reactec Ltd NHEOLIS IMS WindPower RWE Renewables Ltd Northern Power Systems McGill STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Quiet Revolution Ltd Scaled Energy Ltd TUV NEL Ltd Tradewind Turbines Ltd ScrewFast Foundations Limited University of Birmingham Vertical Wind Energy Ltd Segen Ltd University of Edinburgh Wind Energy Solutions B.V. SMI (Electrical) Ltd University of Exeter Windflow Technology Ltd Southern Renewables Ltd University of Glasgow Sustainable Energy Systems University of Nottingham VG Energy Ltd University of Southampton Windcrop Ltd University of Strathclyde University of the West of England

For full small wind membership listing, please visit our website www.RenewableUK.com Our vision is of renewable energy playing a leading role in powering the UK.

RenewableUK is the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association, specialising in onshore wind, offshore wind and wave & tidal energy. RenewableUK Formed in 1978, we have an established, large corporate membership Greencoat House, Francis Street ranging from small independent companies, to large international London SW1P 1DH, corporations and manufacturers.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7901 3000 Acting as a central point of information and a united, representative Fax: +44 (0)20 7901 3001 voice for our membership, we conduct research; find solutions; organise Web: www.RenewableUK.com events, facilitate business development, lobby and promote wind and Email: [email protected] marine renewables to government, industry, the media and the public.

RenewableUK is committed to the environment. This document is printed using processes that are:

to landll printed by SEACOURT.net, counted amongst the top environmental printers in the world