First of all though, how do they work? Essentially, when the
wind blows on the turbine, its blades are forced round. This makes the turbine
spin and, when it is properly connected up, it also generates electricity. As
you may already have guessed, the more wind that there is and the stronger it
is, the more energy that will be generated.
This energy can then
be used to power your home, meaning that you can provide your own electricity
to power lights and heating. If you do not need to use all of the electricity
you produce, you can sell it back to the National Grid. If you find that you do
not produce enough energy through your home wind turbine to meet your needs,
you can purchase additional energy from the grid to make up the shortfall.
Home wind turbines in the UK are eligible for the feed-in
tariff scheme, which means that they can offer you a source of income. You are
paid for all the electricity you produce through the turbine as it is a clean
source of energy, and you will usually be paid extra for any energy you don’t
use and subsequently sell back to the grid. Most people who have a home wind
turbine take this option of connecting their turbine to the grid. However,
there is also an alternative option to store excess energy in batteries.
Now we come on to the issue of benefits of a home wind
turbine. As already discussed above, there is the potential to receive an
income thanks to your turbine. Of course, there are costs involved in installing
one, and you will need to make sure you use a reputable, licensed supplier, but
over the long term, this is a type of energy that can be very cost effective.
Another benefit of a home wind turbine is that the energy it
produces is clean. This is because no fossil fuels are involved in the energy
production – and wind is a source of renewable energy. It is also clean because
it doesn’t release any harmful gases into the atmosphere as many other types of
energy production do. This means that if you care about the environment and
want to cut your carbon footprint, a home wind turbine is a good option to
consider especially in a country where wind is so plentiful.
In terms of income and savings on your current energy bills,
it is thought that a home wind turbine could be worth up to around £3200 a
year, which is definitely not insignificant. They can also save a significant
amount of carbon dioxide from being released, making them a source of energy
definitely worth considering if you are interested in doing your bit for the
environment while also benefiting through reduced energy bills.