We hear a lot about those who profess green credentials yet when it comes to siting a wind turbine they cry “Not In My Back Yard!”  NIMBYs.  But what if you want to be a YIMBY and say “Yes, In My Back Yard!”

Small wind energy is renewable, non-polluting, and, in the right circumstances, can save you money on your electricity bills. But is it as simple as selecting a small wind turbine from online providers, ordering it, and getting your local handyman to erect it, and then your locasl sparks (electrician) to connect it to your domestic fuse box?  I wish it were so, but there are planning regulations, your electricty provider will not just let you use their equipment, and of course there are your neighbours. Curiously, a study in the US has shown that one of the issues that you might think a key no-no to a domestic wind turbine, low wind, is not a deal-breaker.

Can You be a YIMBY?

Living in a windy area is not necessarily the most important factor.  According to the US Department of Energy’s Guide to Small Wind Electric Systems the most important factor is to live on at least an acre of land. I guess that may come as no surprise- if you live in an urban area with lots of other homes, you are going to run into problems with local authorities, neighbours complaining about an eyesore and wind noise, and the windpower being reduced by adjacent properties.

Even if you’re lucky enough to live in an acre or more of land, you will need open space with no trees acting as windbreaks. But you don’t need to live in a wind-rich area. There are domestic wind turbines that can generate power from low wind speeds. A combination of solar panels and a turbine is recommended as the best combination, plus a battery to store the power.

However you’ll need to have quite an initial outlay to get everything set up and connected. It could take many years before you get your return on your green investment.  Might be easier just to lobby your local authority to approve that commercial wind farm in the vicinity!

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