Wind Energy

The Cost
A turbine can be installed for under £2,000 – this can be paid back within 5-7 years depending on the wind speed.  Grants are sometimes available for up to 30% of the cost of installation, see Energy Savings Trust link for information www.est.org.uk.

The Government,
along with others around the globe have introduced initiatives and proposals to ensure more of our energy comes from environmentally friendly resources.

 According to the British Wind Energy Association, BWEA, there now exists primary legislation to ensure that 10% of our renewable energy (3% of our electricity) will come from wind power by 2010 and 15% by 2015.

Advantages -
Wind power enables electricity to be produced in an environmentally friendly way – the turbines don't produce chemical or radioactive emissions.
The ground on which the turbines are positioned can still be used for agricultural purposes – such as sheep grazing.
If the turbines need to be taken down, there is no damage to the environment and no residues are left behind.

Disadvantages -
There are concerns from some people who are worried about wind farms being positioned in their area. The main worries are that they ruin the landscape – because they generally have to be positioned on hills to get the maximum benefits of the wind.
Wind farms also take up much more space to produce the same amount of energy as other methods such coal-fire powered stations.
The turbines can cause some slight electromagnetic interference, which can cause interference with television signals and some communications equipment, although this is thought now to be negligible.

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Useful Links:
http://www.bwea.com