working out your local windspeed

positivelymummy

i was just readin up about wind turbines and grants etc, when i came accross this useful site (sorry if its been posted before) with this site you can enter your postcode and it will convert it to a map reference, then tell you the average windspeed. I thought it was pretty handy as they recommend you only consider a wind turbine if your speed is 6 m/s (luckily my lowest average is 7.6!!!) i hope i put the link in correct as never posted a link before:eek:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/renewables-explained/wind-energy/page27326.html

Lotus-eater

Don't forget to look at the "agl" distance, how far it was measured off the ground. If your wind turbine has to be 25m tall, methinks the neighbours might not be happy about it

vivatifosi

Wow, what an eye opener.

I live on top of a hill, 450 ft above sea level, and my wind levels, which I thought were really high, are still too low unless I have a heap big pole. Thanks positivelymummy for finding the site, and Lotus-eater for putting things into perspective.

Guess I won't be getting wind power any time soon.

positivelymummy

i'm pretty chuffed i found it! i've been saying for years that we should get a wind turnbine (i knew we were in one of the best areas in the uk, we have 5 big ones about 6 miles away and they plan on building more etc, the only time i've seen the big wind turbines not going round is when its been extremely windy! i think they get turned off wind say over force 7/8? yeah the 7.6 was for 10 meters agl and for 25 meters a/g/l is a whopping 9.4! i checked my old address in lancashire and it was just 4, so i think my next mission will be to look for the sturdiest wind turbines!!!

geordie_joe

vivatifosi wrote: »

Wow, what an eye opener.

I live on top of a hill, 450 ft above sea level, and my wind levels, which I thought were really high, are still too low unless I have a heap big pole. Thanks positivelymummy for finding the site, and Lotus-eater for putting things into perspective.

Guess I won't be getting wind power any time soon.

Did the people who supplied the figures for your location actually come out and do a reading? Or did they just take the figures from the nearest weather station, which could be much lower down the hill, or even be sheltered from the wind by it?

geordie_joe

I've just checked that site and it has no data for my location, as the grid it is in falls into the see.

I live 15 miles from the coast, so a lot of the grid square my location is in covers sea too.

So when you enter your location you are actually given data for a square that is at least 15 miles across. As we know, the wind can vary a great deal in a 15 mile square, especially if that square contains hills or even mountains.

I wouldn't but a wind turbine just because this site says my location is suitable, nor would I not buy one if it said it wasn't.

Wetting your finger and sticking it out of the window will give you a better indication of the wind in your location than this site will.

DISCLAIMER: Data collected from past wind strength is not a guarantee of future wind strength.

In other words, it may have been blowing a gale when we measured the wind for your area, but that does not mean it will be blowing a gale after you buy a wind turbine.

positivelymummy

thanks, good point geordie joe, i think if you were planning a wind turbine you either know if you live in a windy area or not, and 15 miles is a massive area, especially if you are locked inbetween 2 massive hills! maybe i should make a point to read everything on a website in future:D