People in the renewable energy industry have for some time been sceptical about the effectiveness of small -domestic scale wind turbines in urban areas. DIY store B&Q starting selling the Windsave 1KW turbine in 2006 for £1900 and at one point it reached their best selling product status in terms of value. However people who bought the product on the basis of claims that turbines could save you 30% off your electricity bill started to raise questions about their effectiveness.
A recent study by onsite renewables specialist Encraft monitored the productivity of 28 new rooftop turbines in various locations across the UK. The findings were that average wind speeds measured at all sites were up to 67% lower than anticipated.
A previous interim report said “The reality is that the majority of turbines in this trial will struggle to achieve 200 kWh in a year, less than a quarter of government assumptions and a tenth or less of some manufacturer claims (of 2000-4000 KWh)…The ancient warning to customers- “caveat emptor” or “buyer beware” could scarcely be more relevant”. The average household electricity demand is around 24,000 KWh per year
Recommendations in the report for improving information for consumers included methods for establishing a more likely accurate wind speed.
B&Q said “The vast majority of B&Q’s customers live in highly urbanised areas, hence this particular finding is cause for concern for the company.” B&Q said it had decided to withdraw the turbines as a result of the study.
