Deleted

Cardew

As was said in a thread many years ago, to avoid noise, vibration and killing birds these turbines are best installed in the loft of a house.

Given the expertise of many inspectors you will still get a higher EPC rating!

matelodave

You could have a look at this firm - https://www.marlec.co.uk/online-shop/wind-power/#1438781341357-69c96ce8-58caf98e-3990deee-5ef3 there are quite a lot of them used around the country on boats (just go down to a marina and listen to them whizzing around) or for something a bit bigger (and more expensive) check this out - https://solarsuppliesuk.co.uk/product/gh-5kw-horizontal-axis-wind-turbine-grid-system/ or even here https://www.sustainableenergysystems.co.uk/britwind-r9000-5kw/

Look at the specifications and sizes and you'll see that you need a fair amount of wind and a big diameter to get any real useful power out although a smallish one might keep batteries charged

We live out in the Cambridgeshire fens and there's are a few smallish turbines dotted around, one that's about a mile away and visible from our kitchen in totally free space as the area is dead flat for miles.  I watch it most mornings whilst waiting for the coffee machine and most of the time it's just sitting idle.  Although we might feel that it's pretty windy, there's obviously not enough to drive the turbine.

There's also a wind farm which is visible about eight miles away and more often than not they aren't turning or only very slowly

It would probably be a good idea to try and get some windspeed data for your specific location to get a feel for how much wind you get to help decide whether its viable. Bear in mind that you will need a lot of free space clear of building and trees to maximise it's efficiency

QrizB

matelodave said:

It would probably be a good idea to try and get some windspeed data for your specific location to get a feel for how much wind you get to help decide whether its viable. Bear in mind that you will need a lot of free space clear of building and trees to maximise it's efficiency

Here's a very rough guide (from the Met Office):

matelodave

That give you arough idea but you really need more accurate data for where you are actually situated, certainly within a mile or so, especially if the terrain isn't flat and devoid of obstructions.

Here you go, do some measuring yourself 

https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_energy2_lesson07_activity1#:~:text=Wind turbines need a constant wind

or invest in a weather station with an anemometer and data recording facilities to get some idea of what you get

[Deleted User]

An informative read:

https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/home-wind-turbines-pros-cons-and-how-much-they-cost

Ectophile

If you're in a gusty area, it might be worth looking at vertical axis wind turbines.  Their theoretical efficiency is lower than a horizontal axis "windmill".  But thir design means they don't care which way the wind comes from, while a horizontal axis one would be swinging back and forth constantly trying to point itself into the wind.

Leon_W

At great fanfare several years ago, our local council in Bath and North East Somerset erected a wind turbine on the top of a council building in Midsomer Norton.

After not very long, and realising Midsomer Norton lies in a valley, the "initiative" was quietly dropped costing the local tax payers a pretty penny !

Small scale wind turbines will cost many more times in maintanance than they will ever save on energy costs !