The need for us all to reduce our reliance for energy on fossil fuels has been well  documented and well highlighted.  Apart from the associated environmental concerns, these dwindling resources will inevitably result in ever increasing costs for energy thus generated, so that even for those not particularly concerned with 'green' issues, the economic argument for finding suitable, viable alternatives has become ever more convincing, particularly when sudden increases in oil/gas prices can increase utility generated electricity prices by 30% or more, in a stroke, as in October,2008.

There are, of course, other means of producing electricity, such as hydro, wave power and nuclear, all of which require huge investment, and not all are universally acceptable.

Should you have a fast flowing stream running through your property we may be able to offer a small hydrogenerator as an option, please use our contact page.

Then there is solar energy, which is very good in sunny climes, but not necessarily the best solution for these latitudes!
Solar panels require approximately 1sq.m of surface to generate 100W/h of electricity in daylight.  To produce 5kW/h will require approximately  50sq.m of solar panels, no electricity is produced between the hours of sunset and sunrise. Consider this in the long dark winter months.

And so we come to wind, which is good in areas of consistently high average wind strength.

Ireland has the second highest average wind strength in Europe behind Scotland, and as a bonus, it blows fairly consistently omnidirectionally from the South West.

We in WINDTRICITY have focussed our expertise on recommending and installing small wind turbines.   Wind generation of electricity is the informed recommendation of WINDTRICITY, and the intelligent choice for Homes, Small Business and Farms.      

WHY?

• Once the capital cost of the installation has been recouped, the electricity produced is FREE. Free as the wind!
   

• Any surplus electricity produced can be sold to the local utility, ie, ESB in the Republic of Ireland, and may therefore offer the potential of some extra revenue for you.
  
  

• Because of the addition of an electrical generating Wind Turbine to your house the BER/HIP rating will improve and therefore the value of your property will increase.
   

• Electricity generated by ESB, Bord Gais or even Airtricity can be lost (up to 40%) during transmission from the generating plant to your premises.  For this reason the Irish Government have introduced measures that require new house builds that commence after June 2010 to have the capacity to generate at least 10% of the electrical requirements of the house generated on site.  The only viable alternatives to achieve this requirement are solar or small wind turbine generators.*
  
  

• Modern small windturbines can have a life expectancy of 20 - 25 years.
  
  

• Grants and favourable finance are available.
  
  

• Wind  turbines produce no pollutants, no harmful gas emmissions, no waste products and no radioactivity.  There are no ill effects to you or to future generations.
  
  

• Installing a wind turbine at your home,  small business or farm means that you are  helping to reduce your impact on the environment and dramatically cutting down your carbon footprint.

 

The use of windpower can be approached in two different ways:

1.    GRID-CONNECTED Systems

For most customers, these are the most economically viable systems.

The major advantage is that grid-connected systems allow your turbine to be tailored to your individual usage and site requirements, without the necessity for expensive battery storage. 

A turbine of optimum output (defined by your particular site) can be specified by WINDTRICITY to provide sufficient power for most of your requirements, but when your demand exceeds the electricity being produced by your turbine - due either to lack of wind or higher than usual power consumption - the additional power requirement can be drawn from the grid.

Conversely, when you are using little or no electricity, e.g, at night when most of your electrical equipment is switched off and you sleep, the wind blows outside (typical in Ireland during the long winter months), your turbine will still be working, producing excess   electricity which is automatically fed back into the grid.  You will be paid for every kW thus exported.

With the payback for excess electricity exported to the grid currently offered by the ESB and DSO (combined payment of 19c per kW for the first 3000kW) and increased payback in Ireland and UK likely to come into line with other EU states, the economics of a WINDTRICITY turbine system are, and will become ever more apparent.

In the Republic of Ireland, ESB restrictions for grid-connected systems limit the size of a turbine to 5.75kW, single phase, or 11 kW, three-phase.

WINDTRICITY will provide detailed figures and payback as they apply to your individual site and electricity requirements following our survey and contained in our recommendation report.

 

2.  OFF-GRID  SYSTEMS

An off-grid system is completely self-contained.

The advantages are that you generate and control all your electricity supply requirements and become completely self sufficent for electricity - ideal for remote locations which will require a long (often miles of poles and wires) costly grid connection.

The disadvantages are that the system necessarily has to be large enough to cater for your highest possible demand, and in addition has to provide for no or slack wind conditions, meaning expensive battery storage or even diesel powered back-up.

Overall, maximum power requirements and cost of battery storage render the capital costs of this type of system economically unviable except in specific circumstances, usually in remote locations, as indicated above.