Moderate Wind Speed Areas

It is a common misconception that most UK small wind turbine sites are “high wind”. The overwhelming majority are actually “moderate wind” (see adjacent wind map where only the extreme coastal areas and high hilltops are actually classified as high wind speed sites).

UK Wind Map by Wind Speed Area

The Gaia-Wind 133-11kW wind turbine is specifically designed for use in moderate wind speed areas and generates better value than any of its competitors in these conditions.

Here is a guide to areas of moderate wind speed and the estimated output from a small wind turbine, compared to the average family, which consumes around 3,300kWh per year:

• Areas with wind speeds of 4.5m/s, such as villages, small towns, woods and agricultural areas with many high hedges would expect to see wind speeds of around 4.5 m/s, producing 19,000kWh per year
• Agricultural areas with some windbreaks and buildings would expect to see wind speeds of around 5.5 m/s, generating 30,000kWh per year
• Open landscape with few buildings and no windbreak would expect to see wind speeds of around 6.5 m/s, producing 40,000kWh per year

In the UK wind speed can vary and is dependant on a number of variables. The clearest way to estimate the wind speed at your site is to find the annual mean wind speed (AMWA). This is an indication of how much wind is available and in the UK that figure could be as low as 4 m/s to around 9 m/s. The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) provide a Government funded database which gives an estimate of AMWA in m/s for each 1km square of the UK for heights over 10m where you can check the wind speed in your area.