The Skye small-wind turbine manufacturer has called on the UK Government to
help operators to produce ‘green’ electricity supply from their own while
permitting access to the equivalent amount of energy generated by these
turbines from the local grid.
Gerry Lalonde, Chief Executive, Orenda Energy Solutions wants to encourage
the small-wind industry to leverage a higher share of the wind energy
market without being handicapped by rules which often deter prospective
small turbine users wishing to be self-sufficient in their energy usage.
He said that small investors, private landowners and farmers need parity
with large power suppliers called for a change in legislation’ to harmonise
the rules for everyone and promotes fairness for the small-wind turbine owner’.
Orenda manufactures the 49kW Skye fully integrated wind turbine system for
the rural segment of the small distributed wind industry.
Lalonde is keen to see a time when 100,000 kW hours of green electricity
placed onto the grid, by a rurally located small turbine, gives the owner
parity to draw the same amount -100,000 kilowatt hours from the grid and
not have to pay for it, other than perhaps transportation charges or a
management fee.
His blueprint would see a relaxation of supply rules to enable individual
private owners, farmers and small businesses siting a turbine within a
‘small wind farm’ in areas of the country that predominantly have high wind
speed exposure, irrespective of location.
He explained: “One of the primary concerns facing the small wind energy
industry is a geographical one, based purely on supply and demand whereby
the supply is not being efficiently matched to that demand.
“For example, current legislation prohibits any ‘green’ energy consumer
based, say, on the South Coast of England, to purchase a wind turbine and
locate it hundreds of miles away in the North of Scotland. I see no logical
reason why they shouldn’t be allowed to export energy to the grid and use
the same generated amount of electricity from the grid where they are
domiciled?
“The situation greatly differs for a large utility company that might own
a mega-watt wind farm. It may have the resources to become a re-seller.
However, for an individual who owns one or two small turbines, this is
currently very hard to achieve.
“I know of a company in Liverpool that spends almost £700,000 a year buying
electricity. It was planning to specify solar panelling and erect a small
wind turbine to giving them a level of self-sufficiency.
“A site inspection revealed, that the location was not viable for a
turbine. The street they were located on was mostly residential, so there
was little separation distance between them and the residents. Moreover,
under test conditions the wind speed on that site was very poor, averaging
5.4 metres per second. For this company, wind energy at this location was
simply not viable.
“However, they would be more than happy to rent land in northern Scotland
in high wind areas such as Caithness or Grampian and erect three or four
turbines where significant wind speeds will bring them a surfeit of
electrical power.
“Separation by 400-miles should not be a barrier to adopt wind energy. We
need to be more efficient in our use of this power and as it stands.”
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