The sight of wind turbines around the UK is not an uncommon one but it is only lately that domestic wind power is being more seriously considered. The UK accounts for 40% of Europe’s wind energy but this is largely untapped with only about 2.2% of our electricity currently generated by wind power. This lags well behind many other European countries some of which generate 20% of their electricity from wind. Domestic wind power is another way of harnessing this energy thus helping the environment and saving money.
Wind turbines use the wind’s lift forces to turn aerodynamic blades that turn a rotor which creates electricity. Open, high, flat areas are best suited to wind turbines but they can also be used to provide domestic wind power on a smaller scale than those we see dotting the landscape. It is worth looking into the wind in your area, however, and the NOABL database contains information on local wind speeds. Go to The British Wind Energy Association (www.bwea.com) for more information. It should also be noted that domestic wind turbine installations usually require planning permission.
The cost of domestic wind power is typically about £2,500 to £5,000 per KW installed. With wind turbines over 6m in height you can expect to save approximately one third off your annual electricity bill.
Domestic wind power can be used to simply provide power to your home with a battery storage facility or can be connected to the national grid. In this case excess energy can be sold to the local electricity company.
Source: www.bwea.com 2009
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