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[Wind] ESB is offering 19 cents per unit to the first 4,000 to sign up

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    #32
    quentingargan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,627 ✭✭✭quentingargan


    Gaothfar wrote: »
    Would anyone with a turbine care to share their experience>Regards,
    G.
    Declaration of interest - I now sell turbines. But 6 years ago, when I bought my first turbine, I'd no notion of selling them, and I still went ahead and spent IR£20,000 on a 2.5kw machine knowing that its payback time on our site was ludicrous - especially as the ESB wouldn't buy our power so we had to use batteries.

    I think we need to be honest about payback times. People buy houses (or at least they used to...) knowing that the mortgage repayments were one and a half times their rent. Why? Because they know the rent will go up, whereas the mortgage will eventually be cleared. If you believe electricity prices will rise, then the same economics apply and even a 20 to 30 year payback time at todays ESB prices might actually make sense. If you think there's no end to the amount of oil out there and that climate change is a myth put out by the folks who sell wind turbines, then you'd be mad to buy one.

    Remember to factor in things like maintenance, replacement of blades after 10 years etc. I've no problem telling people that a turbine might have a 20 year payback time. That's 5% and at the moment, people have money with Rabo earning 3% or so after DIRT.

    There are a few people out there with really good sites. For them the 19c rate makes turbines a no-brainer. Others might do it because they want to do the right thing, and if there is a very long term return, they can live with that. Q


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