FAQ

A small wind turbine emits very little noise that could disturb its owners or neighbours. While small wind turbines do generate some noise of their own, it is drowned out by the increasingly louder wind noise as the wind speed grows.

Additionally, turbines installed on house roofs can produce vibrations that may be transmitted to the building structure and thereby cause disruptive noises inside.

Under a low-lying sun, the rotating rotors of wind turbines can also create light reflections that may disturb neighbours, particularly if the shadow falls on a window or a terrace, for example.

Yes, the standard tariff for wind turbines also applies to mini-wind turbines, which is approximately 0.09 €/kWh for the year 2023.

A permit from the grid operator is not necessary as long as the power of the wind turbine is less than 800 W.

As the construction of a wind turbine constitutes a structural modification, you should in any case enquire with your municipality as to whether a building permit is necessary, especially if it is a free-standing turbine. For freestanding installations, you should also find out beforehand whether your desired installation site lies on building land or, in some circumstances, in a green zone. In these cases, a permit from the Ministry of the Environment is mandatory.

In addition, it is important to ensure that the wind turbine does not exceed the maximum permissible construction height prescribed by the municipality, insofar as no exceptions are provided for technical devices.

Current rooftop systems generate electricity amounting to a small two-digit euro sum per year. Given the substantial acquisition costs, such wind turbines tend to be less cost-effective.

The potential of wind turbines of any size depends primarily on the location and the predominant wind conditions there, because the energy generation increases exponentially with the speed of the wind: Double the wind speed brings eight times the yield - half only one-eighth. The height and diameter of the wind turbine also play a role, because for every metre that a wind turbine is built higher, the electricity yield increases by 1 percent, and by doubling the blade length, the yield increases fourfold (four times the "harvest area").

Mini wind turbines work on the same principle, but on a much smaller scale. After all, if the yield quadruples when the blade length is doubled, it also drops fourfold when the blade length is halved.

A small wind turbine only makes sense if the location is perfectly suitable. To find out for sure, you can have a wind measurement carried out beforehand to determine whether your location is suitable. However, in most cases this is not advisable because the costs for the wind measurement are not proportionate to the costs for the turbine and the expected energy yield.

A micro or small wind turbine fundamentally works the same way as a large wind turbine, by converting the energy of the wind into electricity. It does this mainly by means of a rotor, which is propelled when there is sufficient wind and transforms this kinetic energy into direct current with the help of a generator. Next, the generated direct current is converted into alternating current using an inverter so that it can be used at home or fed into the grid.

With an output of up to 1.5 kW, one speaks of micro wind turbines, which are thus considered more of a hobby installation. Small wind turbines have an output of 1.5 to 15 kW and can be used as power generators in private homes, small businesses or the agricultural sector, either for self-consumption or to feed energy into the grid.