Wind Speed
The success of a turbine relies on wind. An ideal turbine site will have a wind speed in excess of 5.5 metres per second (m/s)
BERR (the department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) provide a wind speed database called NOABL which gives an indication of wind speed for a postcode at 10, 25 and 45 metres above ground level. On each page of our website you are able to input your postcode to gain access to the wind speed results for your property and the surrounding area.
The reading obtained from the database should however be treated with caution. It is a computer simulated average assessed over an area of a square kilometre. Local topography and local thermally driven winds are not taken into account. There are bound to be variations and inaccuracies and any reading must therefore be treated as indicative of the wind speed in the area.
Whilst your wind speed may be stated as less than 5.5m/s it may be that your particular location within the square kilometre is higher than the average wind speed. Use of your local knowledge will be important in siting a turbine but an anemometer may give you the comfort required to establish the prudence of using wind as an energy source. Suitable equipment may be purchased from weather station retailers for less than £200.
The Power Predictor by Better Generation Ltd has been a good buy for many of our customers. The Power Predictor is designed with the intention of testing your wind resource to find the most suitable turbine available on the market for your site. Wind speed data is downloaded from a memory card to your computer and the Power Predictor website does all the analysis for you. The Power Predictor is currently available through Better Generation Ltd for around £150.00 plus VAT
Having acquired your anemometer you need to position it to ensure accurate readings are obtained. The challenge is to erect the anemometer on or near the proposed site on something that is at least 10m or better still at the height of the proposed tower (15/18m) where there is no threat of turbulence. Scaffolding or telegraph poles have been used effectively. Gable ends or roofs of buildings are not a good idea. The anemometer should be in place for ideally at least one year however you will generally know whether or not your site is suitable within a few months.
