Wind powers 25-year energy dream

Gavin Thomas
BBC Wales News website

A £5,000 grant helped cover the turbine's £15,000 installation cost

In the biting cold of a February breeze, the blades of Ian Robinson's wind turbine begin to spin faster and faster.

For a few moments, the whirring sound reaches a crescendo.

Since the 15m high turbine was erected last December, Mr Robinson has kept a close eye on the weather.

For the 58-year-old teacher and smallholder, watching the blades has become something of an obsession. It is the realisation of a 25-year-old dream.

On a windy day, the turbine can generate up to 6kw, enough to power his smalholding, Ty'n y Llidiart at Llandegla in Denbighshire, with the surplus electricity being sold back to the National Grid.

"If the twigs are twitching, we have the power," said Mr Robinson.

A passionate advocate for sustainable living, the part-time farmer says the turbine produces power in a environmentally-friendly way. As Mr Robinson faces a lower income in retirement, the system will also dramatically cut bills.

"It's very exciting. When you come out into the garden you can hear the whisper going on and you know you're getting some electricity out of it," he said.

"From April we will have an export meter which will show the power we're putting back into the grid. We'll be paid for that".

Mr Robinson first investigated the possibility of installing a turbine 25 years ago. At the time, it would have cost more than his new home.

By 1985, the price had fallen, but the idea was shelved when the power company said the turbine would overload the local grid.

The meters allow the power output to be closely monitored

It has cost £15,000 to install the equipment, offset by a £5,000 grant from the Department of Trade and Industry's "clearskies" initiative. Mr Robinson believes that with an anticipated 8% annual return on the investment the turbine should pay for itself in about 14 years.

The turbine, in a field immediately behind the house, is off-the-shelf.

Manufactured by Scottish firm Proven Energy and installed with help from Pembrokeshire-based consultancy Sustainergy, it has an expected life span of at least 20 years.

For most of the time, the blades barely make a whisper, but as the wind picks up and they reach full power, the sound becomes a steady whirr.

Mr Robinson says that for him, the noise is negligible and much quieter than traffic passing on the nearby Corwen road.

As for the visual impact, Mr Robinson says it is minimal: "Although it can be seen on the horizon, it doesn't really get in the way of any views. We've had nothing but compliments".

We like things that fit in with nature Ian Robinson

He is opposed to nuclear power because of the legacy he believes it will leave for future generations. He believes small-scale power generation using renewable sources is the way forward.

"Until 1947, the village of Llandegla got its power from a local water turbine. But when the mains came along, they just switched it off," he said.

He believes every village or small community could draw hydro-power from local rivers, using small-scale wind turbines or by extracting heat stored below the ground.

"We believe in green things generally. We believe in organic food, we like things that fit in with nature," said Mr Robinson.

In the meantime, the turbine has become something of a local attraction, with two or three people a week stopping at Ty'n y Llidiart to ask for more information.