Wind Energy and renewable energy blog

Donald Trump has expressed his anger at the offshore wind farm granted planning consent off Aberdeen Bay in Scotland. The European Offshore wind Deployment Centre has been given the go ahead this week despite high profile attempts by Donald Trump to thwart the plans. The news comes to the delight of green groups like Greenpeace [...]

With the UK government feed in tariff (FIT) still looking healthy for smaller wind turbines many people want to know if their land is suitable to host a wind turbine.

There are many contributing factors to a good wind turbine site. The two key factors are wind speed and proximity to an electricity grid connection. Environmental impacts are also very important and proximity to for example hedgerows or buildings where bats may be present will need to be considered.

Wind Speed

You can find out an approximation of the wind speed in your area by inputting your grid co-ordinates into the DECC wind speed database. Be warned however localised physical influences can mean that the wind speed on your land is very different than the DECC predicted average. These influences can include local topography and presence of trees. Trees and undulating terrain can interrupt the flow of the wind and increase turbulence. Generally sites with wind speeds of 7 metres per second or above will be viable for wind turbines if there is a suitable grid connection point nearby.

An accurate wind speed can only be secured by using an on-site anemometer mast, although some wind farm developers have more detailed databases utilising collected mast data. Generally however if you own an open site on relatively high ground or near the coast, your site is likely to have a good wind speed. Clearly if your land is low lying and shielded by hills then wind speed is likely to be poor.

Grid Connection

For turbines in the 100-500kW range, your site needs to be close to a 3 phase electricity supply i.e. within a few hundred metres to 1km. Larger turbines need an 11kV or 33kV supply point within a few km.

Environmental Impacts

Wind turbines should be located away from buildings, trees and hedgerows potentially used by bats. If there are such features in the locality a survey by an expert consultancy showing that impacts will not be significant may need to be carried out. Check this website for a national bat and tree survey company.

New figures published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show renewable energy is now providing almost 12% of the UK’s electricity.

The amount of electricity generated from renewable sources increased to 11.7% in the third quarter of 2012, up from 9.1% in the same period in 2011. New renewable energy generating plant is responsible for the increase. Wind energy made the biggest contribution of all the renewable technologies, generating 45% of renewable electricity.

Greenpeace has released under-cover videos of Tory politicians revealing their plot to prevent further wind energy in England. The series of vidoes showing a Greenpeace activist posing as an anti-wind campaigner talking with MP Chris Heaton Harris, Lord Howell and former Tory minister Peter Lilley reveal a plan to try and de-rail climate change commitments [...]

The prime minister has insisted that there is no planned change to UK wind farm policy.

The PM was forced to confirm the Tory position as Labour leader Ed Miliband put David Cameron in the spotlight on the government’s energy policy.

The exchange followed further coalition conflict involving Conservative Minister John Hayes and Lib – Dem Energy Minister Ed Davey. Hayes was reported as saying the UK had ‘enough wind farms’ in the national press over the weekend. He is, according to the press, keen to implement a moratorium on onshore wind energy.