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Green energy supplier Ecotricity is launching a new company, Britwind, to design and manufacture British-made wind turbines in a bid to slash energy production costs in the small wind market.
The company said its ‘V6’ and the ‘H15’ turbine designs will reduce the cost of producing energy by up to 50 per cent when compared to similar sized models. The ‘V6’ is a vertical axis 6kW windmill known as the ‘Urbine’ and the ‘H15’ a horizontal axis 15 kW windmill. Britwind will launch the two new designs into the market next year.
Ecotricity said a new factory in Gloucestershire will provide an end-to-end service from designing and manufacturing the turbines to gaining planning permission and carrying out installation and maintenance. It will also sell excess electricity that’s not used.
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: “We’ve brought together a group of people with unrivalled expertise and ability in the small wind sector.”
“Ecotricity will bring planning and energy trading expertise, turbine towers will be made by our wind mast company Nexgen, the head designers from GenDrive have joined us to build our invertors – even manufacturing of the new blade design is being repatriated back from Thailand to Britain.”
Both designs are currently going through final accreditation under the microgeneration certificate scheme and will be suitable for use by small and medium sized businesses, farms, schools and sporting clubs.
“In my 20 years in the wind industry I’ve met many landowners and businesspeople that wanted on-site wind power but were unable to install it because of various planning constraints.” Vince said.
“Britwind will make more sites viable for wind power. Making the energy our customers need, right where they need it – it’s devolution for the energy industry.”
The H15 was already 90 per cent through the development process, and at a similar stage of development to Ecotricity’s own ‘Urbine’ windmill, when Ecotricity bought the premises, plant and intellectual property of the turbine’s designers Evance Wind when it entered administration in May.
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