Wind Site Selection

Choosing the right site for your wind turbine is the most important decision you will make throughout your installation. Location plays a vital part in the performance and efficiency of a Wind Turbine so get it wrong and it could be disastrous - but get it right and you and your turbine will have a long happy and profitable future together.

To help you evaluate your site and confirm whether or not it is suitable for a Wind Turbine, we have designed the following guidelines:

  • Turbines work at the best when on a hill facing west. Coastal sites are especially good.
  • Town centres and highly populated residential areas are usually not suitable sites for wind turbines.
  • Avoid roof mounted turbines as there is no guarantee that these devices will not damage your property through vibration.
  • The further the distance between your turbine and your power requirement, the more power you will lose in the cable. The distance of the cabling will also impact the overall cost of the installation too.
  • Turbulence disrupts the air flow which can wear down the blades and reduce the lifecycle of the turbine. We recommend that you only consider installing a turbine when the distance between the turbine and the nearest obstacle is more than twice the height of the turbine, or when the height of the turbine is more than twice the height of the nearest obstacle.
  • Turbines require an average wind speed of over 4.5m/s to produce an efficient level of electricity. To find out the average wind speed of your chosen site click here
  • You will require planning permission before you can install your wind turbine.
  • If your location is next to a listed building, in a conservation area, or in an area of natural beauty (AONB), you might experience difficulties when trying to obtain planning permission so contact your local authority at the very early stages of your project to avoid disappointment.
  • If your site is in a remote location, you may find trying to connect your turbine to the national grid very expensive and it may be worth considering and off-grid connection instead using battery storage.