Alpha Renewables are suppliers and installers of wind turbines ranging from 1.5kW to 50 kW.
We install for homes, farms, schools and commercial properties - designing both on grid as well as off grid applications where the energy is stored in battery banks.
Wind turbines use energy from the wind to turn the blades thereby generating electricity. The stronger the wind blows, the quicker the blades spin, the more electricity is produced. The UK benefits from 40% of Europe’s total wind energy so has huge potential to exploit.
The power from the wind turbine is fed via an inverter to the house supply and the surplus then onto the grid or battery bank for storage. The inverter performs the job of converting the electricity produced from the turbine into AC voltage electricity that can be used by all household appliances and lighting.
Surplus power is fed back to the grid via an import/export meter which will record how much is being sold back to the grid. When there is no wind the electricity is brought in from the grid in the normal way. The whole process is totally automated and seamless with no interruption to supply.
Have you got enough wind? See Wind Estimator via the links below.
Click on link to find your LR number:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/gridconvert.html
Once you have entered your postcode into the above link, you will be shown a grid of your conversion results. In the row marked ‘LR‿you will be given a code (starting with 2 Letters). From this you will need to remove the third and last numbers from the code to get your Ordinance Survey number. For example:
LR: ST509896
(This is the original code you will be given after typing in your postcode.)
L.R: ST5089
(After taking away the third and last numbers from the code; in this case ‿‿and ‿‿you will be left with your Ordinance Survey number.)
Now enter your Ordinance Survey number into the Wind Speed Databaselink below, making sure you select your appropriate region (Great Britain/Northern Ireland.)
Once you have entered your number into the Wind Speed Database you will be shown 3 grids.
The bottom grid shows your wind speed estimate at the centre of the postcode (highlighted) at 10m above ground level (AGL). The grid boxes around the centre are 1Km squares north/north east/east etc.
A reading over 5 m/s (metres per second) would indicate that a wind turbine would be viable.
If you have less than this we would recommend further investigation, possibly installing a wind speed recording anemometer, about which we can advise you.
Next Steps
Have you got space to site a wind turbine?
Although requiring a fairly small ground area sufficient space must be available to allow the tower to be raised and lowered. The surrounds should be clear of buildings and trees or any other wind obstructions.
We can do a desktop research study for you, giving an approximation of the wind speed of your location and prediction of the output from various sized turbines.
If this result is satisfactory we will carry out a site survey to provide a more accurate idea of wind speed and propose sitings for both the wind turbine and the electrical equipment. We will design a complete system for you and provide a full quotation.
Before installation the agreement of your electricity grid provider (DNO) is necessary, as is planning permission from your local council.
We will help with all these requirements to ensure a smooth, trouble-free installation
