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So that just leaves the financial side to deal with.
With the full installation cost of a 6kWh Wind Turbine approaching £30,000 (Including planning, site works, turbine
and VAT) you need to be very sure before placing your order.
There may well have been a case, a few years ago, that if you could add the cost of a Wind Turbine to your mortgage the
figures might have worked. Probably best not to ask now, though, in the current financial climate. So logically the only
road is to buy one with real money.
(That's money that you could currently, February 2011, get 4.75% on if you put it away for five years.)
How much electricity it will produce and how much will it be worth obviously depends on location. All I can do here is
give you a guide based on my last three years average production of 6,000kW p.a.
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Without going into too much detail, assume a 75% export rate, your total income (That's 26.7p/kW FIT - see below, 3p/kW exported
electric and around 12p/kW assumed value of electric for own use.) will be around £1,900 - less the cost of your
annual service. Say, £1,650 or 5.5%. The only 'hidden' cost is depreciating the value of the turbine over
its 20 to 25 year life.
FIT, Or 'Feed in Tariffs' were introduced in 2010 to replace both instalation grants and ROC's (Renewables Obligation
Certificates). In short this scheme gives new instalations a fairly good deal, although from the figure above you can
see that its hardly great.
Existing systems get a far worse deal, receiving just 9p/kW under FIT, about a third of the full
amount. The reason the Government did this is because as existing micro generators we didn't need the incentive of a
good return as we had already spent our money. In short, go away! (Its like the way banks and other institutions tend
not to look after existing customers, preferring to give new customers better deals.)
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But ROC's were a tradeable certificate and FIT is a 10% cut compared to the value of our last batch of ROC's. We get
just 3p/kW for exported electric whereas before April 2010 we were receiving 5p/kW, that's a 40% cut with the difference
'given' to our electricity supplier. Why? Apparently exports are to be discouraged as the idea is to generate and consume
the electricity locally, which assumes that our exported electricity goes all the way up the wire to the National Grid control
room when in reality it simply goes to the next house down the street!
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Also, don't forget that Government can, at any time, change the rules - and the amounts. Just like they did in 2010.
The only question is: How will they treat existing micro generators and, having bought your turbine, will it include you?
So, clearly, if you found this web site because you are considering having a wind turbine, and you have read this far,
and are still a 'probable/maybe', then your interest must be greater than simply financial. You presumably like the idea
of 'self sufficiency' or living a 'greener' lifestyle. i.e. its not about the money.
So why this web site?
Well if you are seriously considering investing in a wind turbine and want to investigate the subject
thoroughly, that might include taking a look at an existing turbine. We can offer short breaks in our two bedroomed
holiday cottage which is adjacent to our home and wind turbine. As well as getting to see a turbine first hand, you also
get to explore the Lincolnshire Coast with the quiet seaside town of Sutton-on-Sea just 2 miles away and Mablethorpe and
Skegness both within easy reach. Click here for details of our holiday
cottage.
Lastly, using my experience of actually being a micro generator and having fought the planning system, and won. You might
like to consider using my services to take you through to the ordering stage from where you can appoint an installer
of your choice. Holding planning permission and being ready to place a firm order should, in my opinion, enable a better
deal to be achieved.
Follow the link below where you will find how to contact us. We also have a mailing list that I invite you to register with
to receive occasional e-mailed newsletters where we aim to keep you updated on any future developments.
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