PAYBACK PRINCIPLES

There are many reasons why people buy turbines. Some want to be 'green', others have no electricity supply at all and therefore require an off-grid generating system powered by a turbine. However, the majority want to get a return on their investment (ROI).

Production figures for turbines vary greatly and will have a major impact on the payback time. Linked to this is the governments feed-in tariff value, the export value per unit paid by the utility company and the price you pay for your electric and how much it will save you. In general, payback depends on: amount of electricity generated, amount of electricity you use and the price of the turbine. 

Generally, a bigger turbine has a smaller payback time in years, even though the project as a whole is much more expensive. This is because there are standard commissioning costs which are inherent even in a 2kw turbine and take the same amount of time and effort e.g. it would take the same amount of digging for a small cable as a large capacity cable. The output of a 20kw could be 5 times higher but the costs only 2.5 times higher.

Other expense factors also come into play such as transformer size, electricity infrastructure upgrade costs, distances of cable, ground works requirements and planning. A hydraulic mast may also be more expensive but could significantly reduce the yearly inspection / maintenance fee. 

There is a old adage that says "you normally get what you pay for, pay little and you will get little". However, it is also unwise to pay too much for anything. Careful consideration is required before even getting to the money stage.