Basic of Solar PVSunbird Energy
Basic of Wind PowerHow do wind turbines work?
Wind turbines use large blades to catch the wind. When the wind blows, the blades are forced round, driving a turbine which generates electricity. The stronger the wind, the more electricity produced.
There are two types of domestic-sized wind turbine:
-Pole mounted: these are free standing and are erected in a suitably exposed position, often around 5kW to 6Kw
- Building mounted: these are smaller than mast mounted systems and can be installed on the roof of a home where there is a suitable wind resource. Often these are around 1kW to 2kW in size.
Costs, savings and maintenance
Costs
The cost of a system will depend on the size and the mounting method: building-mounted turbines cost less to install than pole-mounted ones. For equipment and installation, with VAT:
- a roof-mounted 1kW micro wind system costs around 2,500 euros
- a 2.5kW pole-mounted system costs around 17,000 euros
- a 6kW pole-mounted system costs around 26,000 euros.
Savings
Building-mounted turbines tend to produce less electricity per kW than pole-mounted ones. A well-sited 6kW turbine can generate around 10,000kWh per year:
- equivalent to around 5.2 tons of carbon dioxide a year
Maintenance
Maintenance checks are necessary every few years, and will generally cost around 150 euros to 250 euros per year depending on turbine size. A well-maintained turbine should last more than 20 years, but you may need to replace the inverter at some stage during this time, at a cost of 1,300 euros to 2,600 euros for a large system.
For off-grid systems, batteries will also need replacing, typically every six to ten years. The cost of replacing batteries varies depending on the design and scale of the system. Any back-up generator will also have its own fuel and maintenance costs.