Wind turbines

kerryman12

Hi All

I was reading in to-days examiner about a company in Ireland currently developing a 2.5kw wind turbine to the suit the irish market for one off houses. When you add this to the new rules allowing private individual to sell back to the grid surely this is a oppurtinuity for individual/farmer to be self sufficient in terms of electrical usage - with the potential to sell back the surplus.
I know there would be potential on our home place, the main question is how reliable the technology will be.

Discuss ......

myjugsarehuge

Can't comment on the individual company but its very windy where I live, there are several windfarms within a 20 mile radius and at least 1 new one planned. The noise they generate would be my only concern, the large turbines create tremendous noise when they are going at full blast, but I suppose if its a cheaper alternative in the long run to oil then we'll just have to get used to it?

Oldtree

One of my concerns with the new tariff is that it is guranteed for the first 4,000 applicants for the next 5 years only, with a Maximum production level, with (depending on site winds) a possible payback of up to 12 years at that tariff.

What will happen after that 5 year period to those 4,000? You have outlayed loads of money for the turbine and it is the ministers adgenda to stimulate the renewable wind industry at all costs (preferably yours) there is no gurantee of a similar price after the first three years. If they do what i think they will, which is to no longer provide any special tariffs after that point, allowing market forces to come into play, which could then mena you may take over 25 years to get payback and i don't think that the turbine will last that long.

So i would be very careful with this one, notwithstanding maintainance costs and replacement bits, tax and prsi on income, etc.

My own opinion is that nett metering is the only secure way forward with this, in particular with the large investment required to get a decent turbine.

see these 2 associated and lengthy threads on the green issues forum:

ESB offers 9c to micro-generators
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055463422

Michael Viney article in Saturdays Irish Times 4/10/2008 Why we chose a wind farm
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055393679

kerryman12

What will happen after that 5 year period to those 4,000?

exactly my concersn, well that and the noise. I would assume that a smaller turbine of the type mentioed in the article should generate less noise. The main problem here is that this new turbine is being developed from scratch as I understand it. That is code for the first 100 units we sell are R+D work at the customers expence!!!

Oldtree

All I have to say is - look at what has happened to the farmers who have invested in their lovely new sheds, QED!