Going solo: generating renewable energy

In an attempt to minimise the environmental impact of our properties and businesses and offset rising energy costs, people across the UK are switching to renewable energy generation.

In 2008, David Kindred, a freeholder from Preston, made the decision to go solo and generate his own energy by installing a wind turbine. He has been enjoying ‘free’ electricity since then and has even made a small profit by selling the excess electricity generated back to his supplier, Opus Energy.
The Energy Trust recently identified over 450,000 locations across the UK that are suitable for wind turbine installation. So what practicalities are there to consider in generating your own energy? Here, David shares his experiences:

Making the decision

“Our property is surrounded by open farmland near the coast, making it ideally suited to wind power. We wanted to capitalise on the constant high winds of our rural location to reduce our carbon footprint to zero if at all possible and save on rising fuel prices.

“We installed a ground source heat pump at the property back in 2007, which now saves us around £700 a year on heating and hot water. So we calculated that a wind turbine able to cover our entire electricity demands as well would save us a further £900 a year.”  

Choosing a generator

“Identifying the right wind turbine was simple. The people we found most knowledgeable were the wind turbine manufacturers and their agents. Fortunately we were able to find a local operator, and soon after speaking to them we purchased a Proven 6kW turbine. The turbine price included installation costs and came in at £21,130.”

Funding the installation

“We successfully applied to the Low Carbon Buildings Trust for a £2500 government grant to help fund the process, which was pretty straightforward. You do need to get planning permission from the local council before applying for a grant, so bear that in mind. On the whole the estimates provided by the wind turbine agents were accurate - the one thing they didn’t cover was the cost of the concrete block to which the turbine mast is bolted. At £1360 the additional cost was significant.”

Securing back-up power

“Our turbine has a 6kW capacity, but the majority of the time it produces between 1 and 3 kW. It provides enough power to run general appliances - fridge, TV and some lighting, but the output is exceeded when you use a high energy appliance such as an oven. In these situations we need to be able to draw energy from another source.

“We chose to remain connected to the National Grid, rather than using batteries, because it provides a limitless supply. This is really important for turbine users as wind levels aren’t constant – it’s possible to have a month of still weather even in a windy area.”  

Selling excess power to Opus Energy

“Selling power back to an electricity supplier is, in my opinion, the only way to go. On windy days we get paid for any energy that we generate but don’t use, as it is automatically exported back to the National Grid. We chose to work with an independent supplier, Opus Energy, as they both purchase our surplus power at a competitive price and supply us with electricity from the Grid when we need it.  

“Our turbine is Ofgem accredited, meaning that Opus Energy can purchase the Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) we generate. Two ROCs are awarded for every megawatt hour generated and each ROC is sold for a fixed price of £45. So we get £90 ‘cash back’ for each megawatt hour regardless of whether the energy is used by us or sent back to the Grid. Opus Energy manages the claiming and payment of ROCs on our behalf, which really helps make the process care free.  

“Once the wind turbine was in place, Opus Energy installed additional meters to measure the energy it generated versus the overflow energy we use from the Grid. From that point on everything was automated. Readings are sent by us in a monthly e-mail which shows how much energy is imported and exported. Our account is then credited or debited accordingly - it’s that easy. Working with a smaller supplier was definitely an advantage as we are able to deal with one person who is dedicated to managing our account - any enquiries we have are dealt with quickly and efficiently.  

“In our first six months we were able to sell over £400 of excess electricity back to Opus Energy. We also received over £250 for the ROCs generated by the turbine. As we only used about £600 of energy from the Grid in that time, so in effect we have free electricity and a small cash bonus of £50 left over.  

“The winter months were relatively still this year, but we still generated over 9.75 MWh in the first 12 months. In a normal year we would generate between 10 and 11MWh so we actually expect to sell much more energy back to the Grid going forward, increasing our cash bonus at the end of the year.”

Becoming carbon neutral

“Opus Energy recently conducted an analysis of the overall import and export of energy for our property and was able to confirm that we are now, from an electricity viewpoint, carbon neutral. It’s fantastic to reach this goal.”  

Top Tips for Turbines

• An average wind speed of no less than 5m/s is recommended to make wind turbine installation worthwhile. Check your area on the Energy Savings Trust website
• Turbines of up to 1kW capacity will cost around £2,000 - £6,000. Systems capable of up to 6kW cost between £12,000 - £20,000
• Budget for additional installation costs, which may include foundations for the turbine mast and applying for planning permission from the local council
• Turbines can have a life of up to 25 years but require service checks every few years to ensure they work efficiently
• It is important to choose a back up energy supply, as wind levels aren’t a constant
• Choose a turbine that is accredited by Ofgem, this will enable you to sell ROCs and excess energy back to an energy supplier such as Opus Energy

Appendix 1: Installation Costs

	Cost	Grant awarded
Cost of turbine including installation	£21,130
Machine hire for foundation work	£210
Concrete to affix turbine	£1,150
Grant awarded		£2,500
Total cost	£19,990

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix 2: Mr Kindred's cash back and debt figures

	Average per month	Over 12 months*
Credit from selling ROCs	£35.69	£431.69
Credit from sale of exported renewable energy	£63.79	£771.60
Equivalent cost saving made by using wind energy rather than National Grid	£75	£900 (aprox)**
Cost of extra imported energy from grid when wind speed slow	-£72.95	-£1,036.95
Total 'cash back' received	£26.53	£166.34
Total value of benefits from wind turbine	£101.53	£1,066.34

 *12 months are based on 22/09/2008 to 30/09/2009 which equates to 12 months and 8 days.

**Based on Mr Kindred's own estimated electricity costs.