FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What size of generator do I require?
A. The size of the generator required depends on several factors: the load demands; the site conditions; the investment amount available; the feed in tariff from the local utility. The question can really only be settled by a discussion with the customer in combination with a feasibility study of the site.

Q. Will the generator supply all my electricity needs?
A. The wind turbine will not supply all your needs all the time. If the wind is not blowing then the customers’ demands are met by utility electricity or by other means e.g. solar power, generator. When the wind is blowing and the load demand in the installation is small, possibly at night, then the electricity is exported meaning the customer will receive payment for these units. This payment can cover quite a portion of the customers’ bill. The financial implications and calculations can only be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy after a feasibility study has been carried out.

Q. Will I have electricity when the utility supply is off?
A. The answer is simply no. The wind turbine system is designed as a parallel generator, not a standby generator. Electricity Health and Safety laws demand that a generator connected to the utility network disconnects immediately when there is any disturbance in the voltage supply.

Q. How much will it cost?
A. The cost varies from site to site. We cannot give the complete cost of the turbine system (turnkey installation) without first carrying out a site survey. Approximate prices can be given on request.

Q. Can I reduce costs by doing some of the work myself?
A. The answer depends very much on your level of expertise. The construction, erection and installation of our wind turbine is not a DIY project. The whole project draws together expertise in several disciplines including the construction industry and the electrical industry.

Q. How much can I save if I erect a wind turbine?
A. This question is difficult to answer accurately because it depends on many varying factors: when the wind blows; when the load demand is greatest in the installation; how much the utility charge per unit generated; how much the utility pay for exported electricity; and if there is an additional feed in tariff (FIT) available from government bodies.

Q. What is the difference between our turbine and other turbines on the market?
A. The turbine which we supply and install is technically known as an Upwind Active Yaw turbine. Any turbine must be able to cope with a variety of wind speeds. However, a turbine which is controlled via a tail fin alone cannot govern rotational speed by adjusting the surface area of the blade facing the wind because it faces the wind until the cut out speed is reached. Due to this design trait the blades must cope with quite high wind speeds while ensuring that rotational speed is kept to acceptable limits. The result is that blades on tail steered turbines (upwind and downwind) are usually narrow and short.

Our turbine uses a broad and long blade similar in design to blades seen on larger scale turbines in wind farm applications. The larger blade allows our turbine to extract more energy from the wind while keeping rotational speed low. This fact alone will cut maintenance costs and significantly lengthen the turbine operational life. Our turbines also integrate many other enhanced safety features.

Q. What is the difference between standalone system and grid connected system?
A. A standalone system (off-grid) is, as the name suggests, an installation which supports the customer's demands without a utility connection by utilising battery packs. A grid connected system (on-grid) is tied in with the national grid allowing for units to be exported back to the utility board.

Q. Do wind turbines result in birds being killed?
A. In the United States approximately 40,000 birds are killed each year by wind turbines. Regrettable as this is, it has to be balanced with the fact that an estimated 60 million birds are killed in vehicle collisions.

Our wind turbine is quite visible having wider blades rotating at slower speeds thus greatly reducing the chance of a bird strike. We have had no reported cases of bird strikes on any of our sites.