HOW GREEN IS YOUR HOME? Is a wind Lurbine right for your home?

If you’re thinking of resorting to wind power to bring down your bills, check out our expert Tim Pullen’s ultimate guide to wind turbines

- Tim Pullen

Wind turbines are now a common feature of our landscape. They have their advocates and their detractors but they’re here to stay. However, the domestic wind turbine has never really caught on and there are many possible reasons for this; one of the main reasons being that they are far less accessible than solar PV panels. As a consequence, every town and city has suppliers and installers of PV panels whereas wind turbines are still considered more ‘exotic’.

The UK is considered to be the best location in Europe for wind power, and one of the best in the world, so it only makes sense to exploit the precious resource that is wind at domestic level. First, you need to know how suitable a wind turbine is for your property and whether it makes financial sense to go down this route. Below, I’ve covered the practical aspects of installing and running a wind turbine, all of which will help you to make a decision that could save you money in the long run.

HOW DO WIND TURBINES WORK?

There are two fundamental types of wind turbine: horizontal axis and vertical axis, and both work in the same way. Horizontal axis types are the typical ‘windmill’ seen on every other hillside and are by far the most common. Vertical axis are, as the name suggests, upright and rotate in a horizontal plane. These are far less common to the extent that most people have never seen one, however they have a couple of significant advantages. They are usually quieter, have less vibration and are more effective in turbulent wind as they don’t mind which direction the wind is coming from. These are significant issues in the domestic context as it makes them more versatile and less intrusive on neighbours. But ultimately, they are more expensive.