Energy Savings Trust recommends regulation of data provided on domestic turbine performance following year-long trial

Regulations need to be put in place to ensure better levels of information are given on the potential performance of domestic wind turbines concludes a year-long trial by the Energy Savings Trust.

In what it claims is the first comprehensive in-situ monitoring of domestic small scale wind turbines in the UK, the EST recommends the need for better basic information on the potential from domestic size wind turbines and a standardised power curve so one wind turbine can be compared against another. It is also calling for installation standards to be put in place.

The year long trial was carried out to determine the actual performance of a total of 57 installations against manufacturer's claims. It showed that no urban or suburban sites with a building mounted turbine generated more than 200kWh per year/ The best performing building mounted turbine was located in rural Scotland and generated nearly 1,000kWh per year.

The trust is also undertaking monitoring of domestic solar thermal, heat pump and LED technologies.