What is Wind Power?
A wind turbine uses the wind to turn aerodynamic blades attached to a rotor, which in turn generates electricity.
Why Install a Wind Turbine?
Wind turbines generate electricity, a higher grade of energy than heat. This means that it can be used for multiple applications such as powering appliances, generating light or indeed creating heat or cooling. Additionally, as electricity is ‘transportable’ it can be exported back to the grid and used to further offset overall electricity bills due to credits per kilowatt hour (kWh) paid by the electricity utility companies. The UK Government has announced its intention to introduce ‘feed-in tariffs’ (FITs) from April 2010; this is a mechanism that will allow private householders to receive a premium rate from electricity utility companies for electricity which is fed back to the grid. It is expected that these FITs will be set at a level which will significantly change the economics for Wind Turbines, enabling the householder to achieve a significant return on investment (ROI) from their installations.
How does Wind Power Generation Work?
DC electricity generated by the rotor on the wind turbine is connected to your domestic supply via an isolator and inverter (to convert it to AC). As the wind does not blow consistently, another power source is generally required as back up. If you are already on the grid you would remain connected in order to ensure power supply during periods of calm. In ‘off-grid’ situations (which is not unusual for wind turbine installations due to ideal siting conditions – see below) it is common to combine a wind turbine system with a diesel generator or other supplementary power source for calm periods.
Will it work for you?
There are two key pre-requisites for a successful wind turbine installation:
- Local average windspeed of 5m/second or greater
- No significant nearby obstacles that can reduce windspeed or create turbulence (e.g. large trees or buildings etc)
Additionally it’s worth noting that as a turbine large enough for an average house’s electricity generation requirements of approximately 2-5kW would need to be in excess of 10m in height there will be a significant visual impact (as well as some noise impact.)
Because of these factors, wind turbines tend to be more suited to remote locations, especially where there is no connection to existing power sources.