Are you considering installing a vertical wind turbine to generate your own electricity at home or for your business?

If you reside in the UK, the good news is that we are extremely an extremely windy nation, in fact, 40% of all wind energy in Europe blows over the UK.

So which vertical turbine is the best for home use? What about costs and planning permission?

In this guide, we’ll answer all of the most common questions, as well as the potential limitations of wind power and what you can do to fill those gaps.

What is A Vertical Wind Turbine?

A vertical wind turbine also referred to as vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a newer design that is much more compact than traditional versions.

Vertical wind turbines have become increasingly popular, especially amongst those that reside in urban areas where space is more limited.

Additionally, VAWTs are better able to deal with turbulent and unconventional wind and generate electricity at slower speeds, which is ideal in areas where safety is a top priority.

Vertical Wind Turbines we Recommend:

If you live in the UK, we recommend the Airturb wind turbine if you are looking for a high quality and efficient vertical wind turbine.

The Airturb Model one is a vertical wind turbine that can provide any flat location with local and compactly generated wind energy. 

This wind turbine allows you to generate your own clean green energy 24 hrs a day and generates most energy from wind speeds of 5 meters per second.

Other advantages of the Airturb vertical wind turbine:

• Generates most energy from wind speeds of just 5 meters per second.
• Panel size just 1.5m high and 0.7m wide.
• Capable of generating 4,000+Kwh per year.

Is A Wind Turbine A Good Idea in the UK?

The first question you should start to ask is is your home/property suitable to a install a wind turbine?

It’s important to bear in mind that wind turbines need to be as high up as possible, to enable them to capture an adequate amount of wind to generate power.

You can achieve this height by installing your turbine on a tall building or having it pole mounted on your land.

If you believe you have sufficient amount of space for a wind turbine, there are some other important considerations…

What is Your Wind Speed?

Another important question to ask is how wind are you likely to receive in your area?

Obviously a wind turbine needs wind to generate the power, so if there is an insufficient supply in your area throughout the year, it’s not going to be very useful.

In order to be worthwhile financially speaking, a wind turbine needs to be exposed to an average wind speed of 5m/s (meters per second).

How do you measure your wind speed?

The most accurate way to measure the wind speed in your area is to use a device called anemometer, which measures wind speed accurately.

In order to get a good idea of wind speed, it’s no good taking a single days average, you ideally need to leave the anemometer for several months in the same location.

Once you have this data you can work out the average and determine if it meets the average wind speed of 5m/s (meters per second) requirement.

Can You Install a Wind Turbine on Your Property?

Do You Need Planning Permission for a Wind Turbine?

Whether you require planning permission for a new wind turbine installed on your property depends on your location.

For example, if you live in England and want to install a rood mounted wind turbine you do not need planning permission, yet it does need to meet the following criteria:

• The installation meets MCS standards.
• You have a detached house, surrounded by other detached houses.
• You’re only installing one turbine.
• You don’t already have an air source heat pump installed.
• The turbine doesn’t extend more than 3m above the height of your chimney.

However, if you live in Scotland you will need to seek planning permission for a roof mounted wind turbine.

What Size Wind Turbine Do You Need For a House in the UK?

In terms of power output, the size in wattage of wind turbine you will require depends on your electricity demands.

In the UK, the average household uses around 2,900 kWh of electricity each year, therefore, if you want to generate enough power to fulfil this amount, you would need a wind turbine that can generate around 241 kWh a month.

For illustration, a domestic wind turbine with a power output of 1.5kW could potentially generate around 300kWh per month (this is on the assumption that the wind speed will be around 15mph).

How Much Is A Wind Turbine?

A new vertical wind turbines costs will depend on the size and type of wind turbine you install, along with the company that installs it and their charges.

However, the average cost of a small roof-mounted turbine (between 0.5 kW to 2.5 kW), is about £2,500.

On average, a free-standing 5kW wind turbine may cost between £21,000 and £27,000.

However, please bear in mind there there are of other costs associated with buying and installing a domestic wind turbine including the planning permission process and the cost you will pay for the National Grid/or your energy supplier to connect it to the grid.