How much space do I need for a wind turbine?
Ideally, the turbine should be sited as far away as possible from buildings or trees, which may block the wind and cause turbulence. As a guide, the wind generator should be about twice the height of obstructions in front of it (for at least the prevailing wind direction).
This test should be applied for all obstructions that are within a distance from the wind turbine of 20 times the height of each obstruction. See the diagram below.
 | As an example, if there is a 7m high building then the turbine should be sited a minimum of 7 X 20m away, i.e. at least 140m, or on a 15m tower (being more than 2X the height of the building). This is especially important where the obstruction is between the turbine and the prevailing wind, which is normally the South to the West. A building to the North East will have much less impact on overall performance. |
You also need to consider the type of the obstruction. For instance an enclosed building will have much more of an impact than a row of loosely packed trees. Both however will need to be taken into account, and if the turbine is not well sited then annual energy generation may be impacted. The diagrams on the right illustrate some impacts of obstacles and ground features on the wind resource available to a wind turbine. Consideration also needs to be given to the wind direction, which is normally largest from the South - West direction and the time of year. More information of this can be found on the How Much Wind Do I Have FAQ page. The ideal location for a wind turbine is at the top of a gentle south west facing slope and the worst location is just to the north east of a large building or on a north or east facing slope. The Danish Wind Energy Association provides an excellent and detailed on-line guide to these issues which is well worth reading before deciding where to site your own turbine. |  |
Many people will say that one of the answers to the height question is to mount the turbine on a roof to gain extra height, but this is not a simple solution, as our Building Mounted FAQ explains.
In general, if you have a number of obstacles, e.g. buildings or trees, within 200m of the proposed turbine location, then you should seriously consider a taller tower, e.g. 15m rather than 12m. The benefit that you will get from a taller tower will be greater, the more obstacles that are around your proposed location.
Space is also needed to set out the anchorage points for a guyed tower and to lower the tower for maintenance. The ground area required depends on the type and height of the tower.
Noise Issues
| The wind generator will also create a small amount of noise, so planning authorities will not let you site one too close to your neighbours. The actual distance however will depend upon a number of factors, including the local terrain, trees and the background noise in the area. As a guideline however, the larger turbines that Segen sell should be sited at least 100m from your nearest neighbour and at least 50m from your own house. The Kestrel and Skystream, being smaller and therefore quieter, may be sited as near as 50m - 60m to a neighbours, but consideration will always need to be given to the potential visual impact on neighbours. | Turbine | Distance 50m 60m 100m 150m |
Planning authorities vary in their requirements and it is therefore important that you talk to your local planning authorities about their own interpretation of the rules. In general you should aim to site the turbine where it will not impact your neighbours either visually or with noise. This may however involve a compromise with the best location for energy generation and you may need to enter into negotiations with your neighbours and planning authorities.