Wind turbines - Grants
There is very little information about this on the
internet. You can go around in circles for hours. Forget cyberspace; get onto your local Council, on the telephone ... ask for information on grants for energy efficiency and renewables.
Typical System Cost for a wind turbine system: £2,500 - £5,000 per kW installed.
Household grants are available through Clear
Skies Initiative - £1,000 per kWe installed up to a
maximum of £5,000.
Minimum size is 0.5 kW. Installations larger
than 5 kW are allowable but capacity above that level
will not incur a grant. The grant will be based on the
turbine rating at a windspeed of 12 m/s, which is
about 25mph.
Remember that the rated capacity of these
turbines is largely fictional. A 1kW turbine will
only deliver 1kW at its optimum speed, under ideal
conditions in a wind tunnel.
Most of the time you'll get a lot less - probably a
third of the rated capacity. Allow for this in your
calculations to avoid disappointment.
In order to qualify for a wind turbine grant you need:
1)All low-energy light bulbs in your house.
2)About one foot depth of thermal insulation in your loft.
3)Cavity walls, if you have them, to be insulated.
Regard any grant you may get as a bonus. If you really need
an uninterruptable power supply, it'll pay for itself
anyway.
ND / Habitat21
