New online tool for greener households

The Carbon Trust has launched a new online tool that can help homeowners work out how much power they can generate by installing a small-scale wind turbine.

Not all domestic wind turbine installations are successful and the facility helps to identify locations where the maximum can be achieved in carbon and cost savings.

Recent research shows that in some rural locations the turbines can provide cheaper electricity than the grid.

However, in many urban areas a roof-mounted wind turbine may not be effective enough to cover the carbon footprint produced by its manufacture.

Users of the Wind Yield Estimation Tool need to enter a postcode plus details of their surrounding landscape and the type of turbine they are proposing to buy.

The tool can then calculate the estimated energy generation and carbon saving, using an annual mean wind speed that has been extracted from 30 years of data from the Met Office’s 220 weather stations.

Where the wind estimator indicates good energy generation and carbon saving potential, the Carbon Trust recommends carrying out on-site wind speed monitoring for up to a year before making an investment.

Mark Williamson, Director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, explains: “There has been some confusion around the true performance of small wind turbines but this online tool should help to clear that up.”

Discuss this in the Finance Markets forums

Story link: New online tool for greener households