One of the great things about Earthmill is that every installation begins with a complimentary site assessment and viability study.  If you own land in the North of England or on the Scottish boarder then you’re eligible for one.

So what happens when you submit your postcode for a site assessment?  One of our in-house specialists will call you within one working day and this initial conversation will examine suitability aspects such as:

• Wind conditions at your site
• Whether you have a suitable space which is an appropriate distance from buildings, hedgerows and neighbours
• Topography
• Any previous radar based objections from your area

Your assessor will use geographical satellite software to get a bird’s eye view of your land and wind speed database software to get an understanding of the typical weather your site experiences.

At this point, if your site is viable, you have the option to extend your site assessment for further analysis.  This again doesn’t cost anything and involves an assessor paying a visit to your land to perform some physical tests, measurements and readings.

Site assessments and viability studies do not obligate you to proceed with an installation enquiry.  To find out if your site has potential for wind power visit our Site Assessment tool and submit your postcode.

Wind turbine land rental gets a lot of bad press, presumably stemming from horror stories about landowners getting locked into undesirable contracts with unscrupulous turbine companies.  So with this in mind, here are the answers to some commonly voiced questions and concerns:

Do you rent the land or do I rent the turbine?

The landowner does not rent the turbine; Earthmill rents the land that houses the turbine.  The land rental area is usually around six to ten square meters and the land around the turbine is still fully functional for crops or grazing as before.  The turbine belongs to Earthmill.

What kind of turbine will you put up?

Our rental model is the Endurance E-3120 wind turbine.  The Endurance is a 55kW machine but we’ve found that it often out-performs other turbines rated at 80kW, making it an excellent choice for supplementing your power supply.

What are the benefits of hosting a turbine that I don’t own?

You will receive an annual rental income from Earthmill for the patch of land we rent, which is usually paid annually.  The rent amount is subject to inflation and will rise accordingly.  Additionally we can give you access to the clean energy the turbine generates, which is generally charged at approximately half the price of commercial energy.

What is the rental period and what happens after that?

The rental period is usually twenty years, allowing you to protect yourself from the rising cost of energy for at least the next couple of decades.  After the rental term has expired you have three options:

1. Extend the turbine land rental
2. Buy the turbine for its value at the time
3. Have the turbine removed

What are the hidden costs?

Earthmill are completely financially responsible for planning, buying, installing and maintaining the turbine.  We are also responsible for appropriately maintaining the land we’ve rented from you.  If you decide to have the turbine removed at the end of the rental period we also pay for the removal and setting the land back to its original condition.

What if the turbine doesn’t work to maximum capacity?

That’s not your problem – you will still receive your land rental as agreed and access to the energy the turbine has generated.

Will the turbine hassle me, my livestock, wildlife or my neighbours?

The turbine must be situated a minimum distance from hedgerows and neighbours, in order to respect wildlife and privacy.  Livestock are not adversely affected by turbines and it is desirable to situate turbines well away from buildings, farmhouses and structures to reduce wind turbulence.  A turbine generates the same amount of noise up close as a flowing stream around fifty to one hundred meters away and you will often find that the wind is louder.

Will the turbine ruin the landscape?

When people think of wind turbines they usually visualise the giants constructed for onshore and offshore wind farms.  Agricultural turbines are a lot smaller and we frequently host open days so you can see a turbine in situ first hand before continuing with your enquiry.

If you would like to find out more about wind turbine land rental then you can view our website or contact us directly.  We are also able to provide a complementary desktop site assessment to assess whether your land may be suitable for wind power.

Endurance continue to improve the E-3 120 engineering

Endurance have been considering how to make the Endurance E-3120 55kW machine even quieter, in the interest of continued customer satisfaction and the acceptance of wind generation in the community.

How it works currently

The turbine operation varies between mild generation and mild power consumption in times of mild wind. The low wind operation results in a noise in some turbines.

Solution

Endurance have adjusted the software thresholds used by the turbine to disconnect from the grid. The turbine will then disconnect from the grid much sooner in marginal wind conditions. As a result of this change, the duration of the specific sound sometimes heard from the turbines will be greatly reduced.

The new amendments will assist with planning applications, hopefully assisting in reassuring neighbours’ concerns regarding noise. Earthmill perceive this to be an extremely positive change and illustrates Endurance’s commitment to making sure the E-3120 turbine is the very best it can be.

Britain’s biggest project against climate change is well on its way to completion. The £1.7 billion project is the result of the UK’s step towards a greener future.

The development known as the London Array is located off the coast of Essex in the Thames Estuary, where the offshore area of 100km2 is set to hold 175 turbines when complete, which will in turn produce 1,000 MW of electricity and the capability of powering over 750,000 homes. Furthermore the project will reduce CO2 emissions by 1.4 million tonnes per year and has contributed to the government target of reducing emissions by 34% by 2020. The project, which is divided into two phases, is predicted to be finished by spring 2013, with the first phase to be complete by the end of 2012. By the completion of phase one the wind farm will produce 630MW of energy, powering 470,000 homes and offsetting carbon emissions by 925,000 tonnes yearly. The London Array is due to be connected to the National Grid once completed in 2013.

The project is funded by the world leaders in renewable energy, Dong energy, who own 50% of the farm, whilst E-on own 30% and Masdar the remaining 20%. The companies are not only putting up the funds but are also putting their experience and expertise into the development to produce the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

In the past 15 years government policies have changed and have recognised the importance of controlling the effects that communities have on the environment. The UK government has taken this on board and has set personal objectives for itself. For instance, in 2002 the Renewables Obligation was introduced and set in place to encourage energy suppliers to provide a percentage of sales to come from renewable sources through the ROC schemes which has resulted in an increase in the amount of renewable energy used.  Furthermore the UK signed the EU’s RED which states that the UK’s target for 2020 is that at least 15% of its energy should be generated from renewable sources. With the increasing amount of both on-shore and off-shore wind farms being constructed, and Britain exploiting its advantages in both wind and hydro power, this target is anticipated to be hit. Other guidelines include the Energy Act of 2010 and the Climate Change Act of 2008, an approved legislation that introduces the legally binding framework to tackle the issue of climate change. The act is set to manage and respond to the climate change in the UK as follows:

• Setting ambitious targets
• Keeping to set targets
• Strengthening the institutional framework
• Developing the UK’s ability to adapt to the impact of environmental change
• Establishing clear and regular accountability of UK Parliament and the devolved legislatures

Due to technological advances in wind turbines, they are essentially becoming more effective. In phase one of the London Array, the turbines produce 3.6 MW but by the final phase they will generate 5.6 MW, showing how quickly this industry is developing. By the time the turbines need to be replaced their productivity will be significantly improved. Although some argue that we will never be able to produce enough renewable energy to meet our needs, the government is confident that with the advances of technology and the increase in awareness surrounding climate change we will be able to reach current and future targets. The concept of renewable energy is growing more fashionable in current times, proving that Britain’s green future is set to be a success.