The Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines

Development of wind turbines and in particular larger wind farms generates heated debate. Here I will examine the advantages and disadvantages of wind turbines.

Much of the negativity seems fuelled by certain sections of the media which play to a very NIMBY agenda that they are useless government subsidised monsters despoiling the countryside. Much of the criticism relates to noise, flicker caused by the blades and the sheer size of the turbines. As wind is not an ever present resource, we still require back up from power stations. However, in their defence, the UK is the windiest country in Europe and turbines generate from this free resource with no harmful waste products or CO2 emissions. Every unit generated displaces one from a power station. A modern 2.5MW turbine will be reasonably expected to generate 6.5million units of electricity each year and contribute to the annual needs of approximately 1,400 households.

The smaller 5-10kW turbines that Sitec supply are clearly on a different level but many of the issues still exist albeit on a less significant scale. The most important factor in deciding whether to go for a small scale wind turbine is location. A poorly sited turbine will simply not deliver the performance and some sites simply are not windy enough to make the investment work. Sitec are MCS accredited designers and installers of small scale wind turbine systems and the prediction analysis for a particular site will provide as accurate assessment as possible on the likely generation and return on your investment. The wind is clearly not a constant resource and hence the supply of energy from the turbine will not be constant, however, based on long term annual averages a realistic prediction can be made. Sitec have a range of turbines and will always advise on which is best suited to a certain situation. The MCS accredited turbines allow the owner to benefit from the installation in three ways. Firstly, they will offset the demand from the DNO supplier saving on your electricity bills. Secondly, if using an MCS registered product and an accredited installer such as Sitec, then you will benefit from the government backed Feed in Tariff – currently set at 28p per kW. Thirdly, any surplus electricity not used on site will be exported to the grid at a guaranteed minimum rate. 

The UK is at the forefront of the small scale wind industry. Aside from the financial aspects, small scale turbine systems show a real way forward in on site electricity generation at point of demand. They can also be attractive, educational and a real statement of intent as to how we deal with our energy requirements and become more aware of our energy sources.

Chris Evans

Director of Renewables at Sitec Infrastructure Services Ltd