What Turbine?

The next step is to think about what size of turbine might be required. Our annual electricity consumption is about 120,000 kWh, so a machine that will generate that amount of power seems appropriate. There is a UK Government website that links to a database of average windspeeds for the whole country. It only gives a very rough guide, and works to an average for each square kilometre based on grid reference. Personal experience and anecdotal evidence also suggests that it tends to over-estimate wind speeds. This is the link: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/explained/wind/windsp_databas/windsp_databas.aspx.

However, using that as a guide, and working with a target output, we are looking at turbines with a nominal power rating of 50 to 100 kW.

First Steps

The first task was to decide if the project was indeed feasible. The farm is situated in North Shropshire, not an area renowned for its hills. But it is a flat open area, a modern agricultural landscape with moderately large fields and not too many trees. The site I have in mind is particularly open to the south-west, the direction of the prevailing wind. It is also pretty good all round to the north-west, the source of many cold winter winds. Then, having been born and brought up here, and worked the farm for 30 years, I know it is windy!

History

It started with a dream a couple of years ago. It was one of those realistic but mad "post-apocolypse" dreams. Society was in trouble, but living on a farm, we had wood to burn to keep warm, and we could grow food to eat. But then, .....a moment of panic....., how would we keep the computers running? And I woke, startled at the realism of the dream, but with the question unresolved.

Later that morning, talking to a neighbouring farmer, he said "Have you heard that John is building a wind turbine on his farm?"

That was it of course. My dream came back to me, and I had my answer. The rest is, as they say, history!