Benefits of small-scale wind for Snowdonia mixed farm

Welsh farmer Alwyn Roberts says his wind turbine has been positive for him, local jobs, and the environment. Even the ramblers like it.

Situated in the southern end of Snowdonia National Park near the village of Tywyn, Mr Roberts’ 130ha organic farm is benefiting from a new 5kW, 12m-high turbine. Erected in July this year using local contractors, the turbine has already produced more than 6,500 kWh, saved 10 tonnes of carbon, and generated £1,820 from Feed-in Tariffs.

This extra income has allowed Mr Roberts to concentrate on his 600 sheep and 30 breeding cows. “I wouldn’t have much spare time for other diversifications, but the turbine doesn’t take up any time,” says Mr Roberts. “Plus it doesn’t affect the farm at all and the livestock are allowed in the field with the turbine.”

The overall reaction of the local community has been positive, too. People have been surprised at how small the turbine is, and how well it has blended in with the park’s landscape, says Mr Roberts.

Being in a sensitive area, renewable energy was one of the few diversification options available to him, so two years ago he started researching it with the help of Organic Centre Wales.

The centre measured his farm’s average wind speed, his river flow, and advised him to install solar panels on his south-facing land. But wind power stood out for him as a way to generate more efficient energy.

Having made his decision, Mr Roberts says he got stuck with the planning, before calling in Paul Burrell, of local wind turbine installer Anemos Renewables. “Things then moved very quickly and it was all up and running within six months,” he says.

Anemos assessed the farm’s suitability for a turbine, advised on the best location and helped with planning. “Mr Roberts’ site had all the right characteristics for a turbine,” explains Mr Burrell. “Easy access to the grid and for transporting components, no major planning issues, a helpful planning department, very good wind speeds and a positive landowner.”

Even with all these factors, planning approval was always going to be a big challenge. “Location with wind power is everything because you need a constant wind flow,” says Mr Roberts.

After compromising with the park authorities, he was able to install a smaller than planned turbine on lower ground.

Now his Evance R9000 captures wind 90m above sea level, and 300m from the farm house. At a total project cost of £30,000 (£18,500 for the turbine) he is pleased his investment has remained in the UK.

“All the money for the project stayed in Britain and mostly locally. We used local builders and a local engineer, Anemos was a local company, and the turbine itself is British-manufactured,” says Mr Roberts.

“Because some energy goes into the grid, and project costs have been kept in the UK, the turbine is generating income and energy for all.”

Financially for Mr Roberts it makes sense, too. With the income his turbine is producing, he estimates the loan for the wind turbine will be paid off before the end of its six-year term, after which he can enjoy the profits from the FiTs.

For every kW generated, Mr Roberts receives 28p from the FiTs and then any excess above his own consumption is sold to the grid for a further 3p/kW. He estimates he is currently saving £60 a month on electricity – and with energy prices increasing, the savings are set to go up.

The only other costs to consider are an annual maintenance service of £300, plus insurance. But with his loan soon to be paid off and a turbine lifespan of 20 years, Mr Roberts sees it as a good investment. “I’m saving electricity, generating a small income, and contributing to the local economy,” he says.

Other farmers can also benefit from wind power, adds Mr Burrell. “Dairy farms are very well suited for wind, as on-site power demands are normally high, making returns from renewables very viable. Equally, other farms can offset power consumption from the main house and farm buildings,” he says.