Home wind turbines dealt a blow

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/06/windpower.alternativeenergy

Home wind turbines dealt a blow

The energy from some micro power equipment would not operate a lightbulb, says official study

Juliette Jowit, environment editor
The Observer,
Sunday January 6 2008

Home wind turbines are significantly underperforming and in the worst cases generating less than the electricity needed to power a single lightbulb, according to the biggest study of its kind carried out in Britain.

An interim report revealed that homeowners could be being misled by the official figures for wind speeds because they are consistently overestimating how much wind there is - sometimes finding that real speeds are only one third of those forecast. In the worst case scenario, the figures indicate that it would take more than 15 years to generate enough 'clean' energy to compensate for the manufacture of the turbine in the first place.

The study, supported by government and the British Wind Energy Association on behalf of the industry, is a setback for hopes of a big uptake in micro-wind turbines to help slash the carbon emissions from big power generation.

But the environmental consultancy running the project, Encraft, said there was noticeable disparity between poor results in urban and suburban areas - such as the west London area where Conservative leader David Cameron hopes to put up a turbine - and far better ones in high-rise and coastal locations.

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[ixion]

1. you need hybrid systems (wind and solar, etc) and you have to change

your energy usage habits. Given that, though, a local alternative energy system will generate plenty of energy.

I currently have a 70 watt solar setup, which generates far less power than a wind turbine. I can run a fan non-stop for more than a week, and still have battery power to spare.