Ecotricity to transform small wind sector with ‘cutting-edge’ windmill

Green energy supplier Ecotricity will unveil a 'ground-breaking' new horizontal-axis windmill that can operate at half the cost of the current best-selling windmills at a conference in Paris this week.


The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) conference will play host to the new Britwind H15, a 25m windmill with a power rating of 15kW, on 17 November.

The windmill, designed by Ecotricity’s new subsidiary Britwind, forms part of the energy company’s radical new approach to creating a green partnership between itself and its customers.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: “The government’s assault on the renewables industry has led to two thirds of small wind companies going bust in the past two years, so when we launched Britwind we knew we needed to do something radically different.

“Our commercial model is at the cutting edge – we make the energy with our customers, where they live and work, and we share the benefits with them. It’s about democratising the energy market – our aim is to bring lower bills and energy independence to homes and businesses in Britain, and to export the same opportunity to other parts of the world.”

Strong winds

Britwind already produces Britain’s best-selling small windmill, the Britwind R9000, which generates 13,700kWh of electricity per year, based on an annual wind speed of 6m/s. But Ecotricity believes its new 15kW power-rated H15 will eclipse the popularity of its previous model, which currently operates with a 5kW power rating.

The H15 will be operational to run on a variety of properties including farms, schools, smaller businesses and households. Ecotricity believe the low-maintenance aspect of the model, which can operate during high and low wind speeds, will encourage individuals to convert to green energy both at home and at work.

The H15 follows on from last month’s announcement from Ecotricity, that it plans to build three new ‘hybrid’ renewable energy parks, combining wind and solar power. The company are also offering homeowners the chance to invest in clean energy without putting solar panels on their roof, through Ecobond Three.

The wind energy industry has constantly grown over the past year and was responsible for a £1.25bn investment drive into Britain’s economy last year, with the industry now employing 30,500 people, according to RenewableUK.

Matt Mace

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