large wind

Large wind turbines can vary in size from 20 kW up to 1-2 MW. A 50 kW rated system will typically have a rotor diameter of 15m on a tower at least 20m high. A 1 MW turbine will have a rotor diameter of about 55m and a turbine height of 50m or more. A 50 kW tower mounted turbine will typically cost around £50,000 to install. A much larger 330kW turbine will cost between £300,000 and £400,000. On a good site you can expect a payback on your investment of between 5-10 years.

The output (hence payback) of wind turbines varies significantly depending on the size of system, a sites average wind speed, the nature of the site (i.e. urban, rural), its proximity to large obstacles and its height. The power output is related by the wind speed cubed so even a small increase in wind speed can have a dramatic increase on a turbines performance.

Turbines work best well away from surrounding obstructions, so you get a nice smooth airflow. Ideally you should site your turbine in the windiest possible location. As a general rule the turbine should be placed away from any obstacle such as a building or tree at a distance of at least 10 times the obstacles height or on a tower 2 times the height of the obstacle.

The main barrier when installing a large wind turbine is acquiring the necessary planning approval. The two issues that cause the greatest concern relate to the impact on neighbours due to noise and the visual intrusion of the turbine. However, with proper pubic consultation and careful consideration on where to site the turbine planning problems can be overcome.

Encraft can provide you with a tailored estimate and specification for your needs. This will include a sizing calculation, so we can estimate a rotor diameter, power rating and cost for a turbine to suit your particular requirements.