Satellite dishes on the sides of houses were once viewed as an eyesore. Now, they are so common we hardly notice

them. Will micro wind turbines be viewed in the same way? What is the public per-ception of them now? This is what two trials in Holland are attempting to answer. One, in the northern provinces of Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen, is nearing its end. The other, focused on wind turbine performance in southern Zeeland, is just about to begin.

Gaining public supportThe northern trial was conducted by the three regional councils as part of their efforts to meet the government target of having 1,500MW of onshore wind capac-ity by 2010. A government grant of Euros 200,000 covered half of the total cost of the project. So far, 15 turbines have been installed, the most recent one in July 2006, although the target is for 22 in total to be installed. Each turbine is tested for a period of one year, at the end of which the owner is able to buy the turbine for the remaining 50% of the price that is not government subsidised.

Six manufacturers in total are taking part in the project, one of which is Fortis Wind Energy (www.fortiswindenergy.com). Fortis has so far installed five wind turbines, four operating at 5KW and one at 10kW. The hope is that once locals are aware of the benefits of micro wind turbines, in cost as well as energy savings, they will become more supportive of having them in their communities.

Performance trialsThe study into local attitudes in the north of Holland is now being complemented by a study into actual performance in the south. In September 2006, a two year trial begins in the southern province of Zeeland. The trial, which is being conducted by just one company, the Dutch South East Utility Company (Delta), will measure the performance of 12 micro wind turbines that have a maximum power of 5kW. Again, the turbines will be installed in local com-munities, extending awareness of the new technology.

Micro wind trials are kicking off in other areas as well, with similar projects being planned in the UK. One of these is being carried out by Scottish based Proven Energy. Gordon Proven explained that the compa-ny’s micro wind market was currently in “hyper growth”. The wind turbine manu-facturer has just launched a project called

Windcrofting, which will target farmers across the UK. The first project, which was announced in August, aims to recruit 3,000 farmers willing to have a 15kW turbine installed on their land. Farmers will not pay anything themselves, but will instead receive rent from the manufacturer, as well as benefiting from reduced energy prices. In addition Proven points out that, due to the small size of the turbines, which are around a tenth of the size of an ordinary wind turbine, no land space needs to be given up as the turbines can be installed in hedges. The company is planning to launch seven projects in total, the combined energy output of which it says will be greater than a nuclear power station.

Research from the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) has found that it would be possible to install enough micro and mini wind turbines in the UK by 2020 to generate up to 1,200MW of electricity. By 2050, the Energy Saving Trust believes that microgeneration could provide up to 40% of the UK’s electricity needs, helping to reduce household carbon dioxide emis-sions by up to 15% a year. Johan Kuikman of Fortis Energy admits that micro wind is not likely to make a huge contribution to government wind targets overall, but believes that it could fill a significant 5% of the total quota in Holland alone. He also points out the potential cost savings to be made by installing micro wind turbines. Companies in Holland can get tax reduc-tions under EIA regulations which amount to a 20% cut in the total cost of the invest-ment. Realistically, a Fortis wind turbine

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Micro wind

While public attitudes towards the visual impact of wind turbines are chang-ing, objections from local communities can still cause a headache for develop-ers. But what about smaller turbines? Two trials in Holland are examining whether locals find micro wind generators easier on the eye and whether they can make a significant contribution to offsetting conventional energy consumption. Alice Ross reports.

MICRO WINDIncreasing Public Awareness and Assessing Turbine Performance

One of several micro wind trials being carried out using Fortis turbines in Holland.

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pays back the original cost by between six and ten years, the former more likely for turbines in coastal areas.

Big industry players are starting to take note of micro wind as well. The European Wind Energy Association, which doesn’t normally include micro wind as part of its business, will have five micro wind developers exhibiting at its annual conference in Milan next year, one of which is Proven Energy. Isabelle Valentiny, communications director at EWEA, explained that this decision marked a “first step” for EWEA into the area of micro wind generation.

ObstaclesHowever, she warned that there are cur-rently two main obstacles that micro wind developments will need to take into account if they are really to take off. The first, naturally, is the cost. The economics of small scale developments are likely to be less favourable to developers. Still, as a long term investment micro wind developments can be attractive. Kuikman estimates that in Holland, a farmer with an annual energy consumption of 40,000kW using a 10kW

wind turbine could make a profit of Euros 12,000 after ten years.

The second obstacle is building regula-tions, although these vary from country to country. In Holland the maximum height of a micro wind turbine is set at 15m. But this is an awkward amount, since most trees are at least 15m and block the wind, making the turbines difficult to install in a wooded area. In the US, in contrast, the average height for a small wind turbine is 30m, which allows it to run more efficiently. In France, building permission is not even needed for turbines of up to 12m in height.

But regulations may also vary by regions, or by local councils, as Fortis found to its cost during the Groningen trial. Building permission could be granted from anything from three months up to two years for the wind turbines, depending on the different bureaucratic hoops that had to be jumped through. However, the good news was that while initial planning permissions take longer, subsequent ones are a lot quicker, meaning local councils are on a steep

learning curve. Of course, this means that the first developer on the scene will bear the brunt of the bureaucracy, paving the way for others to follow. But even this is something that more cooperation by local councils or centralised planning laws from governments could overcome.

Micro wind developments would need to get around these problems. However, they are by no means insurmountable. With people sitting up and taking notice of micro wind and more support from bodies like EWEA, innovation from developers is surely the next step.

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Micro wind

Windcrofting: Aiming to recruit 3000 farmers across the UK each to install a 15kW turbine.

www.re-focus.net

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