With soaring energy prices, the cost of powering your home continues to rise year on year. If you’re fed up with paying astronomical bills, you might have looked into renewable power and might’ve stumbled upon solar power… which, given the UK’s climate, mightn’t be the best option.
In this article, we’ll be talking about:
- How much domestic wind turbines cost
- What affects the cost of building a domestic wind turbine
- How to save money when building a domestic wind turbine
- What’s involved in building a domestic wind turbine
- How to find and hire a professional to build a wind turbine
If you want to start using the UK’s bad weather for good, then looking into renewable energy from domestic wind turbines can be the way to go. Let’s get started.
How Much Does a Domestic Wind Turbine Cost?
Although the UK might be notorious for its lack of sunshine, there’s certainly plenty of wind to be had – meaning domestic wind turbines might be a great option if you want to go down the renewable energy route.
Domestic wind turbine prices change depending on the size you opt for, and whether or not you choose a freestanding or mast-mounted turbine.
| WIND TURBINE SIZE | ESTIMATED COST INCLUDING INSTALLATION | ESTIMATED ANNUAL OUTPUT |
|---|---|---|
| 1kW Roof-Mounted Micro Turbine | £1,500 to £3,000 | 1,750kWh |
| 1.5kW Pole-Mounted Turbine | £7,000 to £10,000 | 2,600kWh |
| 2.5kW Pole-Mounted Turbine | £12,500 to £18,000 | 4,400kWh |
| 6Kw Pole-Mounted Wind Turbine | £23,000 to £34,000 | 9,000kWh |
The Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates domestic wind turbines, including VAT and installation, will cost the following:
- Roof-Mounted Micro Turbine – Generating up to 1kW, a small roof-mounted turbine should cost around £3,000. Though these are cheap, they’re not very efficient, so aren’t the best return on investment out there.
- 1.5kW Pole-Mounted Wind Turbine – A mid-priced model, generating 2,600kWh per year and coming in at between £7,000 to £10,000 to be installed and built.
- 2.5kW Pole-Mounted Wind Turbine – One of the most popular models, this wind turbine will cost between £12,500 and £18,000, generating up to 4,400kWh per year.
- 6Kw Pole-Mounted Wind Turbine – An option if you want to generate a lot of power, up to 9,000kWh per annum, costing between £23,000 and £34,000.
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What Affects the Cost of Building a Domestic Wind Turbine?
It’s important to remember that the cost of a wind turbine, including its installation, needs to be weighed up against the long term savings. These are the main areas that’ll affect the price you pay to get your domestic wind turbine up and running.
Your Choice of Wind Turbine
There are two main varieties of domestic wind turbines; freestanding pole and mast-mounted turbines, and roof-mounted ones. Though most will be hooked up to the National Grid, you can have stand-alone systems which are used to power batteries.
Micro-turbines are normally used to charge batteries, and generate anything up to around 0.5KW. Small Pole-Mounted Turbines can generate around 2.5kW, these are generally the most affordable and accessible for domestic use.
Large pole-mounted turbines are great if you want to generate a lot of power. These turbines create between 5kWs and 6kWs.
Any Cabling, Installation, and Inverter Costs
Though the installation and cabling costs are included in our cost table above, replacement inverters aren’t. Inverters are likely to need replacement during a wind turbine’s lifetime at an average expense of £1,000 per unit.
Annual Maintenance Costs
Depending on the size of the turbine, you’ll be looking to spend between £100 to £200 per year to keep everything working as efficiently as possible.
If You Require Planning Permission
While planning permission isn’t always required for domestic wind turbines, if you proceed with building without checking first you could be fined and asked to take it down. It’s always best to check here first and speak to your local council for information in your area.
The Impact on Your Insurance
Your home insurance may be affected by your wind turbine, so it’s important to check potential costs before you go ahead with the installation. Some providers will cover theft, replacement and theft of turbines, but your premium could change as a result.
The Local Wind Speeds
It’s essential to check with assessors that the average local wind speeds will generate enough electricity.
Turbine inverters use mains power constantly, regardless of whether the turbine is turning. Average annual wind speeds need to be a minimum of 5m/s (metres per second); otherwise, your turbine could use more electricity than it generates.
How Can I Save Money When Building a Domestic Wind Turbine?
Comparing quotes is a great way to potentially reduce the cost of installing a domestic wind turbine. HouseholdQuotes can help you get quotes from multiple installers near you, so that you can find someone that suits your budget.
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Domestic wind turbines have the potential to reduce your energy bills and make your home more environmentally friendly – but that doesn’t mean all installations are straightforward and give you savings as soon as they’re built.
With high installation costs, here’s what we suggest you do before embarking on building to make sure you’re not spending more money than you need to.
One of the best ways to save money with domestic wind turbines is to simply do some background checks. Before spending any money or booking in a professional, find out if your home is suitable for installation; if you’ll be breaching any planning permission rules, and if your wind speed is high enough to create enough energy to balance out the running costs.
If the wind speed in your area is too low, you can end up spending more electricity than you can create, making the endeavour fruitless.
Similarly, you might not have enough space to have a wind turbine on your property, or planning permission in the area mightn’t allow the building of them. Whatever the case, it’s best to find out these particulars before getting started on anything to save you from wasting money in the discovery process.
Your home insurance will likely increase when you have domestic wind turbines on your plot – but in some cases, they might already be included in your building insurance premium.
It’s best to speak to your provider first to find out what fees are associated with the installation, and then make a judgement call as to whether this is a good financial decision for you.
Although bigger turbines will generate more power, they’re not always necessary for your home. In some instances, you may end up paying more in maintenance and running fees than the equivalent energy you can produce from your turbines.
If you’re not sure about what size and output you need for your property, speak to a professional to give their assessment based on your geographical location and wind speed to make sure you’re choosing the right product for you.
How Do I Know if a Wind Turbine Is Right for Me?
A wind turbine investment may not be on par with choosing a colour for your home’s walls. The choice needs to come from a considered place, with research and determining factors influencing your final choice.
| ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES |
|---|---|
| Renewable energy source | The costs involved being in excess of thousands of pounds |
| Future-proofs your home’s energy supply | Applying for permission can be arduous |
| Enticing for homebuyers | Having a suitable geographical location with good annual wind speeds |
A key advantage of wind power is that it’s a renewable source of energy. With natural resources drying up by 2050, and new build properties phasing out gas heating from 2025, the time for renewable energy sources is now, making it a great time to invest in the technologies.
It can be enticing to future housebuyers for this reason, too, as they will already have a future-proofed house which doesn’t need updating.
The disadvantages are the work and the costs involved – with the project being long, and the prices being steep. You need to make sure the spot you’re hoping to put your turbine is permissible, as well as your geographic location is suitable for harnessing wind power, having a good annual wind speed to factor into this.
What’s Involved in Building a Domestic Wind Turbine?
Once all your background work has been completed, such as the positioning of your turbine, checking wind speed, and ensuring permissions have been granted, your professional will take the following steps to install the wind turbine.
Your foundations will be prepared first, with heavy-duty machinery involved for larger projects. Once foundations are laid, two weeks must pass to ensure everything is settled before the turbine is introduced.
The trenches will then be dug for the electrical cables. Once this is done, the turbine and tower itself can be installed in place, using a crane if necessary due to the size.
You will then need to enlist the help of an electrical professional to hook up the turbine to the inverter to turn the wind power into electricity for your home. Your turbine will then be connected to the electricity grid.
Checks will then be undertaken to ensure that everything is in good working order before leaving your premises. Your turbine will then need to be registered to enable you to enter into the feed-in-tariff scheme if applicable.
How Do I Find and Hire a Professional to Build a Wind Turbine?
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A good place to start is to check in with local businesses who use wind power, or neighbours if they have similar setups in place.
This may prove harder than finding someone who has had an extension done so you can get the name of their builder; but if you can find someone who a local contact has used, this can save you from a long and arduous search.
Ensuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
All jobs start with a written quote – this will make sure you both know what’s included in your job and what’s not, so there’s no room for confusion when it comes to settling the bill.
Seek out your trader’s experience to make sure they’re a good fit for you and your needs, as well as their references and any photos or videos of previous work to see if the standard is what you’re looking for.
Finally, double-check they have relevant insurance to cover themselves and you in the event of any problems, and find out if the turbine carries a manufacturer’s guarantee to help you save money if anything goes wrong with your turbine soon after it has been built.
Final Checklist
If you want to harness the power of the weather to fuel your home, domestic wind turbines are a great option. Here’s what you don’t want to miss when planning it for your property:
- Do your homework: make sure you check if your site is suitable for wind turbines – the UK wind speed database can give you an indication of this when you use your OS grid reference
- Check with the local council for any planning permission
- Find out what your wind speed is and if it’s enough to make the turbines a viable solution
- Ask your neighbours if they have any objections
- Decide on freestanding or mounted, depending on your space and needs
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Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Wind Turbines Work?
Wind turbines generate power when the blades are rotated – the amount of energy created depends on the consistency and speed of the wind.
An inverter is used to transfer the energy into your mains supply, so you’re not only able to use it in your home but sell it back to the National Grid. Turbines don’t normally work as a stand-alone system, so your home will require mains power, too.
Do I Need Planning Permission to Build a Wind Turbine?
Though planning permission isn’t always required, you should check with local councils. You should also discuss the installation with neighbours to avoid the risk of potential legal action.
How Long Does a Wind Turbine Take To Pay For Itself?
When installed in the right location and for the right price, wind turbines can offer you the chance to reduce your energy bills, and even make a little through FiT tariffs too. However, the high initial cost means it takes time until they’ve made their money back.
If you’re looking for long-term investment and want to generate power in an environmentally friendly way, they can be ideal. They can also be a better option than solar panels because, as long as it’s windy, they’ll generate power day or night, allowing you to sit back and relax with peace of mind your energy bill is going down.
What Is the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT)? Is It Still Open to New Applications?
To increase the amount of domestic renewable energy produced, the government launched the FiT scheme in 2010. This initiative not only pays for any renewable energy generated and used but also any excess electricity that can be sold back to the grid.
Unfortunately, as renewable energy generators (solar panels and wind turbines, for example) become more affordable, the government has reduced its FiT payments.
In addition, the government isno longer accepting new applications for the FiT as of April 2019. Instead, only individuals who pre-registered or received preliminary accreditation for their turbine on or before 1 March, 2020 are eligible for ongoing payments.
How Much Space Do You Need for a Wind Turbine?
The regulations differ depending on whether your turbine is mounted or freestanding; see the HIESS website for full information and guidelines based on turbine type and geographical location.
Are Domestic Wind Turbines Noisy?
Before going ahead, you should understand that turbines do make a noise. Outside it will sound like a whirring sound, whilst there could be louder groans and moans inside as the wind speed changes.
In high winds, roof-mounted turbines can also vibrate. As such, you might need to add soundproofing in lofts and attics; an additional cost that needs to be factored in.
How Much Electricity Can a Domestic Wind Turbine Produce? Can a Single Wind Turbine Power a House?
Research shows that a 1.5kW wind turbine can generate enough power to supply a home with 300kWh per month. This is based on an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour.
What Size Turbine Do I Need to Power My Home?
Research shows that a 1.5kW wind turbine can generate enough power to supply a home with 300kWh per month. This is based on an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour.
Is It Worth Having a Domestic Wind Turbine?
If you’re looking for a sustainable and renewable energy source for your home that is future-proofed, wind power is a great option, alongside solar power. With gas being phased out in new build properties from 2025, homebuyers will be looking for future-proofed homes to purchase in the future, so fitting your home with this type of technology is a step in the right direction, while also being environmentally friendly.
How Big Are Wind Turbines?
Wind turbines vary substantially in size depending on their output. In general, the higher the expected output, the taller the turbine will be and the longer the blades will be.
For example, a wind turbine with a 1kW output usually has a maximum height of 8 metres and a blade diameter of approximately 2 metres.
If you’re considering a 2kW wind turbine, these are generally about 6 metres tall, with a blade diameter of roughly 3 metres.
If you upgrade to a more powerful 5kW turbine, you should expect it to reach up to 9 metres in height and the blades to stretch to 5 metres in diameter.
Finally, an ultrapowerful 10kW domestic wind turbine can be anywhere from 12 to 18 metres in height, with blades that reach up to 9 metres in diameter.
How Long Do Wind Turbines Last?
Well-maintained wind turbines can last for up to 20 years – but environmental factors come into play when determining how long your turbine will precisely last.
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