Does anybody in England have a wind turbine and is it officiant?

Question

I AM THIKING OF BUYING ONE TO SAVE ON HEATING OIL, CAN ANY ONE ADVICE ON SELLING BACK TO THE GRID

Answer 1

Hi there,

I work at Kirklees Council, and specialise in renewable energy. At the Council we have lots of Wind Turbines and yes they are efficient. The UK has 40% of Europe's total wind energy potential and  so long as the wind speeds are good for your area and your tubine is a good reliable technology and not effected by topographic or built environment baffling you should be OK.

To check wind speeds for your area you could start by using the DTI's NOABL wind speed database this can be found at http://www.segen.co.uk/eng/wind/windspee... and works on your post code. Alternatively you could put up an onsite

anemometer to check the actual readings.

Quick pointers below about selling renewable energy back to the national grid. Its contents are not exhaustive and should be considered as an introduction to the process and other sources of support.

Exporting surplus electricity from renewable energy technologies offers householders the potential advantages of;

 getting the total value of the electricity generated, without having to put in a battery or ‘store’, as the electricity generated but unused goes back into the national grid; this is helpful to people who are out at work throughout the week for example.

 reducing the payback period for the generating technology; i.e. getting back the money spent installing a wind turbine or solar PV.  

 making some money in the longer term from selling ‘green’ electricity and contributing to reducing CO2  emissions

Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

All renewable energy generators need to register with the industry regulator, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OfGEM), for a Levy Exemption Certificate and for ROCs, some electricity provider companies now help homeowners complete the paper work for these.

ROCs are national government’s way of checking how much renewable electricity the UK generates in order to meet national targets. In 2007 government  announced that by 2020 a fifth of all UK electricity should be renewably sourced.  Anyone with a renewable energy system connected to the national grid must apply for ROCs.  

At this time one ROC is issued for each megawatt hour (MWh) of eligible renewable output generated. Amendments to the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme - set out in the Energy White Paper 2007   benefiting micro-renewable generators are proposed.  The amendments should align the RO with the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and double the ROC’s issued for net connected micro-renewables as of April 2009.

ROCs can be issued to small generators (50kW or less), which includes homeowners,  on either an annual or a monthly basis, subject to the relevant data being submitted within the specified timeframes and all other criteria for ROC issue being met.

ROCs are a market commodity, this means they can be bought and sold independent of the electricity itself. Home renewable electricity generators can sell their ROCs, and many electricity provider companies are now interested in purchasing them alongside the electricity that has been generated.

How to Claim ROCs: Home generators need to complete the OfGEM accreditation form for their installation; this is available on the  OfGEM website . Accreditation generates a ROCs accreditation  reference number.

OfGEM require annual meter readings from an OfGEM accredited meter for renewable technologies. OfGEM will then issue electronic certificate(s) ROC’s for the renewable energy produced.  ROCs expire after 2 years.

ROC owners can choose whether to them to an energy supplier; this assists the supplier in meeting the Renewables Obligation. ROCs not sold on to suppliers are described as retired, this means suppliers will need to meet their Renewable Obligation from a different source, effectively increasing production of renewable electricity in the UK.

  

Contracts with suppliers buying ROCs can be entered into at any time of the financial year, if a contracts begin at the start of the year they can be based on a production forecast.  Market prices for ROC’s can vary throughout the year and the Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency  website may help you establish a current  price for ROCs.  

ROCs and Income Tax: Legislation in the Finance Bill 2007 ensures that private householders installing microgeneration technology into their home to generate power for their personal use are not subject to income tax for any payments they receive from the sale of surplus power or ROCs to an energy company.  

Levy Exemption Certificates LECs

All generators of renewable electricity must register with OfGEM to gain a Levy Exemption Certificate (LEC), LECs unlike ROCs cannot be separated from the electricity (i.e. you can’t sell them on separately). LECs are required by H M Customs and Excise as evidence that the electricity is exempt from Climate Change Levy, which is a tax imposed on fossil fuel – gas, oil, coal, etc - power supplied to businesses.

What else you will need in order to Export

 The Potential to Connect to the Electricity Grid: if your electricity is from a supplier then you have this.  If you generate your own electricity “off network” then depending upon distance and locality, creating a network connection may be costly.  Factor in network connection costs into assessing your project and consider whether it would be better to have an onsite storage facility over the expected life span of your renewable generation.

 The Specification of Your Renewable Generator: i.e. make and model of your renewable energy generator

 Auxiliary Equipment Specifications needed for the renewable system to operate, for example pumps, fans or control systems and the electricity rating of these, if installed and details about any inverters or switches.

 A Meter: To sell electricity and the associated ROCs homeowners need a meter on their generator which will calculate how much electricity in total they are generating (in kwh).  They can be ‘dual meters’ which measure the electricity imported as well as exported, details of all meters and the model and serial number will be required.  

For further information see also the OfGEM guide ‘Frequently Asked Questions for Small Generators (50KW or Less)’  or telephone OfGEM 020 7901 7353.

Domestic Renewables and Electricity Provider Companies

Presently there are no formal regulations governing the price that Network providers pay to homeowners selling their electricity back to the grid. Nor are network providers obliged to give homeowners a specific level of support regarding ROCs applications etc.

Due to marketplace demand and competition however, some national electricity providers now provide support to domestic exporters helping them to apply for LECs and ROCs.  

Whilst I cannot recommend a particular energy supplier  I would advise domestic householders considering selling back their surplus to the grid to compare all provider offers available to ensure that the provider you decide to use offers you the best deal for your circumstances; some providers will now pay an equal amount for exported electricity to that the customer imports so its worth shopping around.

If you need more help I'm contactable at work via email [e-mail]

Answer 2

On telly last night - Property Ladder that Beany bird said that domestic wind turbines were a load of rubbish and contrary to saving the planet, they would end up in landfill

Answer 3

I am involved with the redevelopment of a 14 story tower block. In the planning stages. I insisted that there would be solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof. After a feasibly study we decided to go ahead. When operating it will generate enough energy to power all the public space lighting, and power the lifts! Any excess will be sold back to the grid! With care full planning and forethought it ca be achieved. Good Luck!

Answer 4

a fomous DIY (maybe orange in colour) Store sell one for about £1400 it was independantly calculated it would take about 80 years before you started making a saving, no doubt by which time, it would have rusted, blown over, or replaced by another enviro saving idea.