Wind and solar powerWindsave wind turbine

The Windsave WS1000 was the first small wind turbine that uses wind power to generate a direct supply of electricity to be compatible with mains supplies. 

We bought one and had it installed to see how much electricity it could provide a typical, suburban home. 

We bought ours from B&Q, which now sells a newer Windsave model.

How does a home wind turbine work?

Electricity is generated when the blades are turned by the wind. The amount of electricity generated depends on the speed and consistency of the wind.

The generated electricity is ‘plugged-in’ via a patented box (called an inverter) into your home’s standard mains supply.

The turbine doesn't operate as a stand-alone system, so you still need mains power – and it won't work if there's a power cut. 

Instead, it supplements your normal electricity supply and potentially contributes towards reducing electricity bills.

Where was the Windsave WS1000 mounted?

Our Windsave WS1000 turbine was installed by Windsave-approved installers to the side of our tester's house. 

Ideally, wind turbines should be positioned wherever there is maximum exposure to the wind, usually as high up as possible, facing the prevailing wind. Nearby trees and buildings can affect performance. 

These rules to maximise performance were followed as far as possible with our wind turbine, mounted on our tester's suburban home.

Home wind turbines can usually only be installed by approved installers, who can provide further advice on the best position.

Was planning permission required?

We recommend that you check with your local council  about planning permission if you are considering installing a turbine.  Most councils encourage the installation of the renewable energy products and systems, although there can be delays. 

Our own planning permission took several months, although this lengthy delay can be attributed partly to the novelty of home wind turbines and council's inexperience in dealing with such applications. 

How did it perform?

In our case, not very well. A year after we bought the turbine, windsave required us to sign a disclaimer saying that we understood that the turbine could only be recommended for areas with average annual wind speeds of five metres per second (m/s) or greater. Our tester's area has an average of 4.7 m/s - just below this. 

During our 180 day trial, our turbine actually used more energy than in generated - a net loss of 9.4 kilowatt hours of power.

This was a big surprise - we suspected that performance would be poor when we saw the disclaimer, and we'd heard negative publicity concerning wind turbines, but we didn't expect that our turbine would actually cost money to run.

This is because the inverter that converts energy from wind into a form that's usable by the mains constantly uses power, even when the turbine isn't turning. 

A stronger wind would, of course, have generated more power and cancelled out the inverter's energy use but, according to Windsave's own estimates and other research, you need to be living in a very windy area to generate significant amounts of power. 

Visit www.bwea.com/noabl to find out the average wind speed in your area. 

Noise

Our wind turbine also made two distinct noises. 

From the outside of the house it made a whooshing/whirring sound that wasn't excessive or annoying. From the inside however, the noise was more of a moaning/humming sound, changing in frequency as the wind rose and fell. This was a more disturbing noise that frightened our tester's children in the night.

Vibration

As well as noise, our turbine suffered from some vibration at higher windspeeds, which was felt in the house. 

We suspect that the vibration was caused by imperfect mounting of the turbine blades, however.

How much did it cost?

Our Windsave turbine cost £1,595 including installation. In our case, planning permission costs came to a further £200.

Conclusion

The evidence is stacking up against home wind power in urban and suburban locations. 

Our turbine experiment showed poor results for our suburban family home and, other bodies, such as The Carbon Trust, are suggesting that carbon emissions saved by a turbine may not make up for emissions generated when it was made. 

Don't consider a wind turbine unless you live in a very windy area.