Wind Turbines, Wind Farms

You can rely on our experience to give you the very best support and service every step of the way from your initial enquiry through to planning assistance, installation, commissioning and management of your new wind turbine.

We can help you assess whether your proposed turbine location will be suitable. We can quickly provide you with a FREE desktop assessment. Should your site be judged to be able to offer you a good return on investment, we will then offer to carry out a full site assessment and provide you with a pre-planning pack. This involves a visit to your site to investigate all the key aspects associated with locating and installing a turbine after which we will provide you with a set of site-specific documents allowing you to apply for planning when it suits you.

A Dulas site assessment and planning pack draws upon our vast experience of locating turbines for wind energy projects for the past two decades. There is a modest charge for this service. The planning pack will provide you with all of the important information that you need to make an informed decision, it includes:

• Site visit by one of our engineers
• Detailed analysis of the wind resource and advice on whether long term wind monitoring is necessary
• Turbine options and optimised location(s)
• Environmental considerations
• Grid connection
• Military and telecommunication issues
• Energy yield analysis and financial return predictions

The planning pack also includes site location details, site plan, block plan, turbine elevation and zone of theoretical visibility. It will also include wireframes to use in a photomontage, a noise map and predicted noise at nearby dwellings. The report and associated documents will all be compiled by an engineer to a high standard and should give you confidence in continuing with a proposal.

Our experience allows us to make careful and informed judgements about the performance and likely reliability of wind turbines and wind turbine manufacturers. At the present time we offer the following carefully selected turbines:

• Endurance E-3120 50kW
• Northern Power 100kW
• Range of 100kw-500kW turbines selected to provide maximum return

In our opinion these turbines currently offer the best financial returns and minimise investment risks. They are also popular as quiet running turbines, with minimum sound disturbance. The Endurance and the Northwind both come with two tower height options. Click on the links shown opposite to find out more.

Once your turbine is in place, commissioned and generating it is important to make sure that this continues.

We offer a tiered support and maintenance service geared specifically for your needs and available budget. We can provide this support service for Endurance and Northern Power turbines even when the installation was not performed by Dulas.

To get the process started please complete the Medium Wind Self-Assessment Form shown below or call Dulas Medium Wind direct on 01654 705000.

Dulas installed the very first Endurance turbine in the UK in 2010 and have completed several installations during 2011. The Endurance E3120 is a high performing medium scale wind turbine. Its proportionately larger rotor diameter and swept area are specifically well suited to UK wind conditions and wind speeds. The power generation from this turbine is very well matched to UK agricultural and farm locations. We would recommend that your site has a wind speed of between 5.5m/s and 7.5m/s for the best returns. This turbine requires a 400V grid connection.

A site demonstrating an average wind speed of 6 m/s could generate 150,000kWh of electricity per year. A typical dairy farm with 300 head of cattle will use in the region of 50,000kWh per year. In this type of situation an Endurance turbine will satisfy most on-farm energy needs, generate income through the Feed-in Tariff at a guaranteed rate for 20 years and further income from the Export Tariff for unused electricity. You could expect a payback period in the range of 5-7 years.

It has a very large swept area for a turbine of its size which means that it has high generation capabilities at (relatively) lower wind speeds. Our installed UK turbines are demonstrating some of the best yields of the worldwide Endurance fleet. They are an attractive machine that will grace most locations. The turbine is quiet, measuring 50dB at 20metres and practically inaudible at around 140m, normal conversation is measured at around 60dB.

The turbine is supplied with a 5 year manufacturer warranty. Tiered Dulas support and maintenance arrangements are available for a reasonable annual cost.

Please complete the form shown below or call Dulas Medium Wind on 01654 705000 to find out more.

The Northern Power NW100 is a highly effective wind turbine with excellent generating capability. As a class IIA rated machine it will withstand the rigours of higher wind speed areas. This machine has a large swept area and very low cut-in speed of 3.5 m/s meaning that it will generate across a broad wind profile. This turbine requires a 400V grid connection.

A site demonstrating an average wind speed of 8 m/s could generate 365,000kWh of electricity per year. A typical dairy farm with 300 head of cattle will use in the region of 50,000kWh per year. In this type of situation an NW100 turbine will satisfy most on-farm energy needs, generate income through the Feed-in Tariff at a guaranteed rate for 20 years and further income from the Export Tariff for unused electricity. You could expect a payback period in the range of 4-6 years.

The sound profile of the Northern Power 100 is impressive in relation to its size and is due to the direct drive technology. It measures 55dBA at 30m (normal conversation is 60dBA) and reduces to 48dBA (the level of a quiet library) at just 80m.

The turbine is supplied with a 5 year manufacturer warranty and a tiered Dulas support and maintenance schedule is available for a reasonable annual cost.

Please contact us to find out more or complete the self-assessment form shown below and we will be in touch. Or call the Dulas Wind team on 01654 705000.

There are a number of Dulas recommended turbines available in the 100kW to 500kW range that meet the requirements to qualify for Feed-in Tariff income. We will specifically recommend a turbine or turbines that suit your site, your budget and your local planning regulations.

Because of the significant investment needed for turbines of this size we would strongly recommend that you consider carrying out some Wind Resource Monitoring for a period of up to one year to validate the performance of your site. In most cases for turbines of this size, lending institutions and turbine manufacturers will insist upon a period of wind monitoring data.

Dulas can offer these services to individuals and wind farm developers. We have the in-house expertise to interpret the collected data and to advise you on the best turbine solution(s) for your site. Click on the options above to find out more.

Turbines of this size usually require a more detailed planning processes and have a longer turbine supply lead time. These turbines will normally need an 11kV network connection.

For these larger machines we strongly recommend a site assessment and discussion with Dulas as to which turbine would best meet your needs and suit your site.

Please contact us to find out more or complete the self-assessment form shown below and we will be in touch. Or call the Dulas Wind team on 01654 705000.

We work hard to make sure that your turbine will give you the very best financial returns, achieve a projected payback of five to seven years and the best income for the remainder of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) period.

Having designed wind farms since 1992 we have substantial experience in siting turbines in the right location. A correctly located wind turbine generates better and performs more reliably. It will also deliver several percentage points better yield than a poorly positioned one.

There are a number of other ways in which the length and breadth of Dulas experience can deliver a higher yielding turbine, as a turbine bought from us can translate into better returns in the long-term. Our turbines can potentially provide a 5%-10% increased yield, which with the current FIT revenues could equal a lifetime benefit in the region of an additional £50,000.

Click on the link opposite to find out more about potential FIT earnings.

The availability to actually generate power is also vital, with a robust support and maintenance programme from Dulas you can be assured that turbine run-time (and therefore yield) will be better than a poorly managed one. Real-time remote monitoring and remediation can identify generating issues early, enabling a swift return to full generation.

Potential for capex and opex to be derived from payback and annual generated income.

Either complete our on-line Self-Assessment Form or call us on 01654 705079 with some straightforward information about your proposed site. We will then give you a quick answer as to whether, in our experience, your site has development potential.

If we recommend that you have a promising site we will send an experienced engineer to your site for a small fee. Our engineer will then gather all of the information necessary to make an informed recommendation about the appropriate nature, suitability and wind resource/generation capability of your site.

You will receive a report detailing the assessment, including an analysis on whether to proceed further and how any issues can be resolved.

Once we receive an acceptance of our formal quotation and deposit payment we will ensure that a turbine is assigned to your project.

If you do not already have planning permission we will be pleased to submit this for you directly or work with your preferred agents to provide them with the technical information needed to secure a successful application.

At an early stage we will submit an application on your behalf to the necessary party to obtain your grid connection.

On the basis of the information gathered from our site assessment we begin the work required to ensure that the arrangements are in place to construct your foundation and to successfully deliver and erect your turbine.

As an environmentally aware company, we will always strive to minimise the impact on your site during construction.

The three stage installation process

• Foundation - approximately 4-6 weeks prior to your installation date we will be on site to carry out the excavations, prepare the steel work and pour the foundation concrete.
• Turbine installation - this is typically a 2-3 day procedure requiring the access to site for the cranes. The tower will be fitted to the foundation and then the nacelle and blades will be lifted into position. The electrical and communication aspects will be completed and the turbine commissioned by Dulas.
• DNO Connection - this is the last on-site aspect of the installation. Once the Dulas commissioning is completed an engineer from the grid connection company will attend site to formally approve and accept the connection arrangements.

Once the grid connection has been signed off the FIT paperwork can be completed to ensure that you start to receive your payments as soon as possible after commissioning.

A five year warranty is offered by the manufacturers. In order to validate and maintain your warranty you will need to take out a support agreement with Dulas for a period of at least five years. A regularly and well maintained turbine will ensure you protect your investment and generate the highest yield.

Our successful experience base upon monitoring and managing hydro schemes means that Dulas provide similar tools and knowledge to our wind turbine installations. We will routinely review the performance of your machine and take the necessary steps to resolve any issues that we might detect.

Dulas is able to offer a tiered support and maintenance service geared specifically for your needs and available budget. We can provide this support service for Endurance and Northwind turbines even if the installation was not performed by Dulas.

Since 1982 Dulas have been providing robust and reliable wind monitoring solutions that meet all IEC standards. Dulas provide cup anemometry and remote sensing products both onshore and offshore, with fully traceable documentation.

Our team combines high quality, technical expertise with an in-depth knowledge of meteorology, wind monitoring instrumentation, the wind development process and the regulatory framework concerning wind development.

Our experienced team provide guyed, tubular met masts up to 90m, and a team of riggers to install instrumentation on offshore lattice towers. Click on the link shown opposite to find out more.

Rental units are available for noise monitoring, shear validation and turbine micro-siting. Dulas also offer deployment and management of client-owned remote sensing systems. To find out more click on the link shown on the left.

A Dulas met mast can be combined with a Triton SODAR system for full site monitoring. Our wind resource analysis team take all data to provide a bankable energy production forecast.

Wind data from traditional met masts or remote sensing systems is analysed by our skilled team and presented as validated bankable yield predictions.

Complete and send the contact form shown below for more information. Or call the Wind Monitoring team on 01654 705000.

Dulas supply, install and maintain tubular met masts up to 90m across the UK and Europe. Our team of riggers can install instruments on lattice towers both onshore and offshore. We hold a stock of high quality masts, instruments and custom datalogger packages ready for fast deployment by our instrument specialists.

As part of our fully integrated wind development services we are able to supply planning support as well as solutions to satisfy requirements such as aircraft lighting, bird diverters, CCTV and bat survey equipment.

We make sure that your met mast continues to provide high quality data by regularly checking wind data remotely. This enables us to react quickly to any potential data loss issues, maximising the quantity and quality of data collection.

Please complete and send the form below to find out more. Or call the Wind Monitoring team on 01654 705000.

Triton is an advanced remote sensing system that uses SODAR (sound detection and ranging) technology to measure wind at higher heights than the previous tower-based standard. By measuring wind speeds at the turbine rotor's hub height and beyond, Triton reduces uncertainty in annual energy production (AEP) forecasts.

The Triton sonic wind profiler adds further value to Dulas' robust met mast solution by gathering data up to 200m, providing a shear profile validation across the entire blade sweep of today's largest wind turbines.

Top level features of the Triton SODAR system include:

• Prospecting and pre-assessment
• Turbine micro-siting
• Full blade-sweep measurements
• Shear, veer and other anomaly clarification
• Short-term forecasting
• Noise assessment studies

Dulas carries a stock of Triton units available for rental into the UK and parts of Europe. Rental terms start at one month for noise monitoring; in most cases planning permission is not required. Call the Wind Monitoring team on +44 (0)1654 705000 to find out more.

Download the latest Triton SODAR rental price list.

Our wind development and monitoring teams offer a comprehensive package of services for those looking to develop sites for large scale wind.

Our dedicated team has the skills and experience to manage projects whilst ensuring consistency, attention to detail and ultimately success.

Dulas engineers and specialists have completed thousands of projects around the world. Our breadth of expertise spans the renewable energy industry. Dulas turns engineering innovation into environmental and commercial triumphs.

Dulas offers a complete package of wind development services for commercial and community wind farms. Our experienced consultants and engineers are trusted to advise government bodies and provide training to the industry.

Dulas will give you a robust development and consents service for your wind energy scheme that will deliver the highest probability of success.

Our services include:

• Site finding
• Feasibility Studies
• Planning risk analysis
• IEMA accredited EIA production
• Public consultation
• Submissions to Local Planning Authorities and the Infrastructure Planning Commission
• Appeals and Public Inquiries including expert witness services
• Triton SODAR rentals
• Offshore instrumentation installations
• Met mast installations up to 90m
• Data analysis and yield prediction

Minimise your development risk. Our expert team pioneered the use of GIS mapping for early stage site identification and constraints evaluation. This approach reduces development risk and increases the chance of success.

Our comprehensive early stage services using constraints mapping and capacity studies will confirm sites with real development potential, highlighting 'showstoppers' and critical development challenges. These services are relied upon by commercial and community developers to develop their portfolio of potential wind farm sites.

The constraints mapping process draws upon our extensive GIS database in order to advise on the viability of a potential site.

Factors assessed include:

• Transport access
• Military, aviation and telecommunications safeguarding
• Planning policy and stakeholder identification
• Landscape and ecological designations
• Noise and amenity assessments
• Grid connection

A total service package for developers progressing schemes to planning consent.

Having conducted the very first EIA for the second ever wind farm in the UK, Dulas is well placed to deliver a comprehensive and specialist report for your development. We manage your EIA from screening and scoping right through to final submission.

Our planning consultants will supply an in-depth planning application through the local planning authority or the IPC. We also provide post submission follow-up, discharge of conditions services, and assistance with Section 106 Agreements. Expert witness services for Public Inquiries and Appeals can also be provided.

We are proud of our significant planning successes over the years and are confident that our experience gives you the best possible opportunity for success.

Our experienced team provides technical site layouts that maximise yield and performance. We have expertise in forest environments, increasingly important as the search for new viable onshore sites continues. Our repowering services are also increasingly called upon: having repowered the UK's first commercial wind farm at Delabole we are perfectly placed to offer the very best solution.

We are experts in the use of software for wind analysis, energy yield predictions and site layout optimisation.

Accurate data is essential to your project's economics. With expertise in accurate wind energy yield prediction and experience of working with some of the most challenging sites, our team has the knowledge to ensure your data is accurate and robust.

Our services include:

• Data collection and validation
• Correlation with Met Office data
• Energy yield prediction
• Layout optimisation

This can be provided in addition to Dulas' wind monitoring services.

The Feed-in Tariff or FIT scheme was introduced in UK in April 2010. The scheme is a government backed renewable energy subsidy designed to promote small scale renewable energy production.

For medium scale turbines, those that produce 50-500kW, there is a set rate paid for the production of electricity (regardless of whether it is fed into the grid or used on site). The exact rate paid depends on which band your generation falls into. This set rate is then 'topped up' by an additional payment for every kWh that is exported to the grid.

FITs are only paid if you have a turbine which is: registered with an electricity supply company; accredited and registered with Ofgem. Dulas will guide you through the accreditation process.

On an average site and with appropriate turbine siting, FITs offer a good return on investment. Once you have been accredited, FITs benefit from being guaranteed by statutory law for 20 years. There is no precedent for retrospective removal of this type of guarantee. The rates are currently also Index-Linked to inflation. The payment of the FIT is made by the electricity company who buy the power produced by the turbine.

The exact FIT rate varies according to when you sign up; those who join the scheme later are likely to get a lower rate. As you may be aware the current Feed-in Tariff (FIT) period for medium wind is scheduled to close at the end of March 2012. A review of the FIT for wind and other non-PV technologies was released in February 2012. This review shows that the government is minded to keep the current rate until October 2012 after which the rate will fall year on year. Further details and confirmation of the changes will be available once the consultation has concluded.

All communication from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (who set the FIT rates) has emphasised on-going commitment to the expansion of the medium scale wind sector.

The FIT rates included in the most recent consultation can be seen in the table below*:

The starting tariffs from which the proposals apply is shown in the table below.

*Current tariff levels are indicative only. Offical tariff rates for 2012/13 will be calculated and published by Ofgem by 1 March 2012.