Domestic wind turbines are on the rise. They can help cut down on bills, and they make guilt-free green energy. Plus, they’re often stunning to look at. However, they’re also expensive, and need a lot of unobstructed space to generate energy (which means they won’t work in the average back garden).

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Offshore and onshore wind is the biggest source of renewable energy in the UK. It not only beats the other renewable sources by 13.8% of total electricity generation in the UK, it also beats the combined generation of coal, oil, and others by 6.5%.

Most of the UK’s gas imports come from Norway, but Russia is also a supplier. Some gas also comes through pipelines under the channel, from countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. The electricity supply of the UK is produced using a variety of different fuels including coal, gas, wind power and nuclear power.

Standalone turbines cost between £9,900 and £19,000 for a 2.5kW system, while a 6kW version is likely to be between £21,000 and £30,000. However, these can look great. Some of the larger wind turbines feature artistic and architectural designs that offer an aesthetic as well as functional benefit.

Permitted development for wind turbines in England. It is possible to install a wind turbine as a permitted development, although it needs to fulfil all of the following criteria: One turbine is considered permitted development and the property must not have an air source heat pump installed already.

A turbine must be no more than about nine feet above a chimney at its blade top if located on a house – and can only be put on a detached property if situated at least 16 feet from the next-door neighbour.

Building-integrated wind turbines are also suitable for urban locations for installation in homes and other buildings. You can usually install a roof-mounted turbine anywhere there’s a reasonable amount of wind, such as a gable end or the side wall of a building.

Wind lease terms vary quite a bit, but general rules of thumb are: $4,000 to $8,000 per turbine, $3,000 to $4,000 per megawatt of capacity, or 2-4% of gross revenues. Larger turbines should translate to larger payments.

Depending on the individual terms of the Power Purchase Agreement, the average wind farmer can make $3,000 to $8,000 per year for the electricity that is produced by each turbine. This amount can be increased to upwards of $10,000 for larger utility-scale turbines with a capacity of two megawatts or more.