Wind Power/Energy - Introduction

In terms of harnessing wind energy, Britain is uniquely placed in Europe as we receive about 40 percent of all Europe's wind! So we ought to be able to exploit this to our advantage.

Unfortunately, nothing is a straightforward as it first appears and there are many factors to be considered before selecting wind energy as a viable alternative energy source for the domestic user.

One of the first points to make clear is that the annual mean wind speed (AMWS) is critical to the amount of power you can generate from a wind turbine. At an AMWS of 5 metres per second (m/s), a 5kW (peak) wind turbine will generate around 8.7 MW hrs of energy per annum - enough to meet most home energy needs and with perhaps additional capacity (the annual electricity consumption of a medium sized home is in the region of 4-6MW hrs).

If however the AMWS is 4 m/s then a 5 kWp wind turbine will not meet your energy needs and a larger installation would be required (say 6 kWp). Of course if the AMWS is higher (say) 6 m/s then a 2.5 kWp installation may suffice. The cost of wind generation is around £3.5k per kW, so dependent on AMWS the overall cost may vary between £8.75k to £21k. Therefore an accurate wind survey for any proposed location for a wind turbine is essential. Please refer to see the Factors to Consider section for further details.

Use the options to the left to explore Wind Power/Energy systems in more detail.

Contact us on 0800 634 5349 or 01484 687866 to discuss your requirements, arrange a survey and quote or simply find out more about wind power/energy systems.