Solar has long been the renewable of choice for homeowners looking to generate green energy. With our prime location for wind power, however, UK bill-payers are beginning to pay attention to home wind turbines.
Despite the UK’s advanced wind power capacity and generation, the residential market has remained niche – up to now. Across rural locations, and particularly in the British Isles and Northern Ireland, we are now seeing increasing installations of home wind turbines.
However, to start maximising this investment, energy storage is essential.
The challenges of micro-generation
For many, their first experience of ‘micro-generation’ has been underwhelming. Performances have typically undershot expectations.
The unpredictability of wind, coupled with the compact nature of home turbines, makes generating enough power to consistently run a home tricky.
Meanwhile, though price-accessible equipment is available, payback times are prolonged. For example, a roof-mounted wind turbine is around £2,000 for a system between 1–2 kW. However, as this kind of entry-level system won’t generate much power, recouping that cost takes time.
How, then, can homeowners get the most from their small wind turbines?
Turning to energy storage
Energy storage is a simple yet effective solution to the challenges of micro-generation. With a storage battery fitted alongside a home wind turbine, homeowners can store up excess energy when the wind is blowing. They then can turn to this bank of stored energy when wind power is low – rather than drawing from the grid.
We are now seeing a steady uptick in the number of storage batteries fitted alongside home wind projects. Just two years ago, almost 100% of our battery storage solutions were fitted for solar projects. Today, we are into the double figures for batteries fitted for domestic wind turbines. Indeed, in the British Isles, we now have one installer specialising in energy storage for home turbines.
The emerging home wind turbine market remains young. As it matures, however, it is clear that its path is tied to energy storage. By combining technologies, homeowners can achieve optimum efficiency within the shortest possible timeframe.
Further reading
- Home wind turbine vs solar panels: which do I need?
- Battery storage – the heart of the low-carbon home
- How energy storage can ease the UK’s fuel poverty problems
This article also featured in Wind Energy Network: https://7ac10783.flowpaper.com/WEN71WEB/#page=56
