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News
Wind turbine land rental: The facts
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:
- Extend the turbine land rental
- Buy the turbine for its value at the time
- 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.