Is My Home Suitable for a Wind Turbine?

Domestic wind power sounds attractive: install a turbine and generate electricity whenever the wind blows, including at night and during the darker winter months when solar panels produce less electricity. In the right location, this can work very well.

However, most ordinary UK houses are not ideal locations for a wind turbine. Unlike solar panels, which can work effectively on many suburban roofs, a wind turbine needs a consistently windy and relatively unobstructed location. For most homes in built-up areas, solar panels and battery storage are likely to be a simpler and more productive investment.

A domestic wind turbine becomes particularly interesting for properties with unusual advantages — for example, an isolated rural house, a property on exposed high ground, a coastal home, a farm or a house surrounded by a large amount of open land.

What does a wind turbine need?

Before considering a domestic wind turbine, check the following:

• Good average wind speed. Wind speed is the most important factor. Energy Saving Trust guidance has recommended against small domestic turbines at sites with average wind speeds below around 5 metres per second, as they are unlikely to generate electricity cost-effectively.
• Clean, unobstructed wind. Nearby houses, trees, walls and other structures slow the wind and create turbulence. A turbine spinning visibly does not necessarily mean it is generating much useful electricity.
• An exposed location. Coastal locations, open countryside, hilltops and exposed rural properties are much more promising than sheltered residential estates.
• Enough height. Wind generally becomes stronger and less turbulent higher above the ground. This is one reason a properly positioned pole-mounted turbine can perform much better than a small turbine attached to a roof.
• Enough space. A freestanding turbine needs considerably more room than solar panels. It also needs appropriate clearance from property boundaries and surrounding obstacles.
• A suitable structure if it is building-mounted. A turbine attached to a house places additional forces and vibration on the building. Building Regulations will normally apply to a building-mounted turbine, including structural and electrical considerations.
• Planning considerations. Some domestic turbines in England can qualify as permitted development, but only if detailed conditions are satisfied. Otherwise, planning permission is required. Rules are different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• Consideration for neighbours. Visual impact, turbine movement and noise can make a turbine considerably more contentious than rooftop solar panels, particularly where neighbouring houses are close.
• Electrical installation and grid connection. The electricity needs to be safely integrated with the home’s electrical system. A suitable inverter and other electrical equipment may be required, with arrangements for exporting surplus electricity where applicable.
• Maintenance access. Unlike solar panels, a turbine contains moving mechanical components. Bearings, blades and other parts will eventually require inspection or maintenance.
• A realistic assessment of generation. Do not choose a turbine simply from its advertised maximum output. A turbine rated at 5 kW does not continuously generate 5 kW. Actual generation depends heavily on the wind conditions at the particular site.

Roof-mounted or freestanding?

Small building-mounted turbines are attractive because they require less land, but the roof of a typical house is often a poor place to obtain smooth airflow. Other buildings, trees and the roof itself can create turbulence.

A freestanding pole-mounted turbine in a large, exposed area is generally the more promising option where sufficient land is available. Energy Saving Trust describes pole-mounted domestic turbines as working best in large, open places exposed to the wind.

This means the properties best suited to domestic wind power tend to be very different from the average suburban or urban house.

Planning can be a significant hurdle

In England, a wind turbine can sometimes be installed under permitted development rights, but there are numerous restrictions.

For example, current permitted-development rules for a freestanding domestic turbine include limits on its height and blade swept area, requirements concerning its distance from the property boundary, and restrictions for listed buildings and designated land.

There is also a particularly important consideration for a home combining renewable technologies: the permitted-development rules do not cover the first domestic wind turbine where an air-source heat pump is already installed at the property. Similarly, adding an air-source heat pump to a property already using its permitted-development right for a wind turbine can require a planning application.

This does not mean a home cannot have both a wind turbine and an air-source heat pump. It means that planning permission may be required rather than relying on permitted development.

Always check the current requirements with the relevant local planning authority before purchasing equipment.

Is domestic wind power worth it?

For an average house on a typical residential estate, probably not.

A small turbine squeezed between neighbouring houses and trees may receive turbulent, relatively slow wind and produce much less electricity than its headline rating suggests. The cost, planning considerations, installation and maintenance can then make it difficult to justify financially.

Solar PV is generally much easier to accommodate on an ordinary house and has far fewer moving parts.

Wind becomes much more compelling when the property itself provides an unusual advantage.

A house may be worth investigating for wind power if it:

• Is isolated or semi-isolated.
• Has a large garden, field or surrounding land.
• Is in open countryside.
• Is in a particularly exposed coastal location.
• Is situated on suitable high or exposed ground.
• Has very few nearby buildings or tall trees.
• Experiences strong, consistent winds throughout the year.
• Has enough space for a properly positioned pole-mounted turbine.
• Has unusually high electricity requirements that can make use of the generation.
• Is off-grid or in a location where combining several renewable sources has particular value.

Wind and solar can complement each other

One of the most interesting uses of domestic wind power is not necessarily to replace solar panels, but to complement them.

Solar generation is strongest during daylight and generally much higher in summer. A suitably located wind turbine can generate at night and may perform particularly well during windy winter weather.

Combined with battery storage, a genuinely suitable property could therefore use:

Solar panels + wind turbine + battery storage

to provide renewable electricity across a wider range of weather conditions and times of day.

For an isolated or unusually exposed property, this combination can be considerably more interesting than either technology alone.

Check the wind before buying anything

Wind power is extremely sensitive to location. Energy Saving Trust notes that nearby trees and buildings can slow the wind and cause turbulence, while greater turbine height generally provides access to stronger winds. Because the energy available from wind increases very rapidly with wind speed, a seemingly small difference in average wind conditions can make a major difference to the economics of a turbine.

An online wind-speed estimate can be useful as an initial screening tool, but anyone seriously considering a substantial domestic turbine should obtain a proper site assessment before committing to an installation.

For most homes, domestic wind should therefore be considered an optional technology rather than an essential part of a low-energy home. Solar panels, insulation, efficient heating and battery storage will usually be easier places to start. For the relatively small number of properties with excellent wind conditions, however, a turbine can provide something solar cannot: renewable generation after dark and potentially strong generation during the winter months.