Small wind turbines ready for market

WEDNESDAY, 06 MAY 2009 13:20 RC CLIMATE

Sustainable energy gets a boost from a relaxation of rules which could see small windmills on top of buildings

Wind turbines for small companies - and even for environmentally conscious private citizens - will likely soon be on the market due to a relaxing of the rules for the machines’ approval, reports trade journal Ingeniøren.

Rule changes for the turbines initiated by the Danish Energy Agency mean that machines with a propeller span of less than 5 square metres will now be able to be approved for sale in Denmark.

Mini-versions of the towering white turbines would especially interest owners of the nearly 140,000 detached buildings across the country, according to Preben Maegaard, head of non-profit organisation the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy (NFVE).

‘I’m not saying that every one of these buildings will buy a mini wind turbine now. But if just ten percent do, then that represents some pretty strong market potential,’ said Maegaard.

Presently, no Danish companies manufacture the smaller machines, although several companies in the UK, the US and China produce them. In 2008, Danish company DVE Teknik tried to market its own mini turbine, but the strict regulations killed the project before it ever got off the ground.

Maegaard believes, however, it is only a matter of time before Denmark joins that group. He adds that seeing more sustainable energy products on the market will hopefully get people to be more environmentally aware.

But Maegaard still feels that regulations regarding mini wind turbine installation are still too rigid.

‘What we need is clarification on the installation conditions for small wind turbines and a more flexible evaluation process,’ he said.

According to NFVE, there are 91 companies worldwide currently producing mini wind turbines.