Wind

Wind power boasts one of the lowest carbon footprints and lowest costs of all forms of electricity generation. And in the UK we are blessed with a climate that makes this one of the world’s most wind-sure regions.

As the country’s leading developer of small wind farms and individual turbines, CleanEarth have completed more than 40 projects and have another 20 currently under development.

This brings clear benefits to landowners, who gain rental income from siting a turbine on their land, even if they don’t consume any of the power generated from it. It also helps commercial businesses to fix cheaper electricity rates through a ‘behind the meter’ power purchase agreement.

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Completed projects

38

MWP installed

39.4

Generating enough to power:

34,060

homes

Reducing CO2 emissions by:

22,844

tonnes a year

Wind power for
business

If your business consumes 3 GWh or more per year then you could be in the market for a ‘private wire’ power purchase agreement (PPA), based on generation from a dedicated wind turbine.

Located adjacent to your premises, or off-site on nearby brownfield or greenfield land, a turbine has a small footprint but generates at scale.

We model each project in detail, matching consumption levels with projected output, and handling everything from planning applications to grid connections.

CleanEarth also assume all the capital risk. You just commit to buying electricity from us at an agreed rate over an agreed term.

Contact

Contact us today to find out what we could do for you.

Call us 01208 895576

Assessing
feasibility

The first questions we ask about any prospective project relate to wind speed and grid connection. The location needs to be windy enough to generate viable amounts of energy. And we need to be able to feed that energy into the National Grid.

If those two hurdles are cleared, our attention turns to the likelihood of planning permission being granted. Everything from aviation issues to visual impacts, from bat roosts to residential housing, needs to be considered.

If the intent is to supply a business via private wire, their consumption profile and energy costs are analysed, along with forecast generation levels. Based on these (and a few other factors) we create a financial model to arrive at a PPA rate that works for all parties.

Battery storage or EV charging points can be incorporated into the system’s design from the start or retro-fitted later. Access routes and safety measures for both installation and maintenance are also factored in.

All elements are planned and project-managed to minimise any impact on the day-to-day running of your business.

We understand the complex interplay between all these variables, and our in-house team can quickly establish whether or not any given location is a good candidate for wind power.

Wind farms

Our very first wind turbine was a 500 kW model. We’re now in planning for several projects involving turbines with a capacity of 6.2 MW– a twelve-fold increase in just over a decade.

It’s not just the individual turbines that keep growing. We’ve recently completed a three-turbine wind farm, and have several similar – and larger – projects in development, along with further additions to the 40-odd standalone turbines we’ve built.

The key to this sustained growth is the depth of experience and breadth of expertise of the CleanEarth team. We have in-house specialists across all the key disciplines, and they share a commitment to overcoming all obstacles in deploying renewables at scale.

Community Engagement

Since our first wind turbine was installed, CleanEarth have committed to inject over £5 million of funds into local communities.

The beneficiaries range from local sports groups in need of new equipment to parish churches with a damaged roof which must be repaired.

The generation of clean energy is bringing undeniable and highly necessary benefits to our society as a whole, and the community fund is our way of saying thank you to each parish, village or town for their contribution to bringing net zero a little bit closer.

Wind FAQs

Yes. Industrial estates make ideal locations for renewable generation, giving opportunities for businesses to generate their own power ‘behind the meter’ and reduce their dependence on the grid.

Car parks can often be used for a wind turbine, with only a small footprint being neutralised. If adjacent space is limited – or if the premises are leasehold and the landlord is uncooperative – a wind turbine can be installed nearby on brownfield or greenfield land.

An annual lease fee is paid to the landowner. This usually equates to at least £20,000 per annum.

No. CleanEarth take care of the complete project on a ’turnkey’ basis. We deal with all the project aspects from site investigations, through planning, financing, legals, building, operation and maintenance, and removing the turbine at the end of its service life.

We manage all aspects of the planning process including the community consultation.

Through careful siting of the proposed development, we aim to minimise the impact on the local community. We make sure every step of the process is executed properly; holding a public consultation before the planning stage and, where appropriate, organising site visits for parish and community councils, councillors, objectors and supporters.

We respond to all objections and objectors in writing and can meet with them to discuss their objection and any mitigation we can offer.

Land designations vary considerably. However, an AONB has the same legal protection as a national park and we would not consider a site within an AONB.

Ecological designations vary in significance. Development within an SSSI for flora or fauna may present few obstacles, but a Special Protected Area, Ramsar site or SSSI designated for birds will be off-limits. We do have experience with projects within and close to ecological designations, and each one needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Local designations such as Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and Local Nature Reserves can still hold relevance in planning and will be considered accordingly.

Yes. If you have an existing project which has not been built, for whatever reason, CleanEarth will happily look into the possibility of completing the project for you. Just send us all the information you have.

No. We conduct the full site investigation at zero cost and no commitment on your part, and on a confidential basis. A formal development agreement is only entered into when both parties are agreed on developing a project.

We usually advise 10 to 12 weeks for the initial site investigation phase, as this is the timeframe for most Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to provide a grid connection quotation. During this period CleanEarth will also investigate all the other aspects of your potential project (planning, access, radar mitigation etc).

We will connect to the local network through a District Network Operator (DNO), normally at 11kV or 33kV. An existing 3-phase supply is not necessary as we will look to obtain a new export connection.

Not as deep as you might think. A typical foundation will have a depth of around 2m and diameter of 15m. Each foundation is designed for its unique location, taking into account the ground conditions and the specifics of the soil characteristics.

No. CleanEarth have installed turbines in environments that range from peat bogs to backfilled quarries. Our foundation design will take into account any characteristics of the ground that may make for a challenging installation and these will be addressed during the initial design process.

Access is critical when evaluating a site and the key factors are:

  • Weight – an assessment will be made of all structures on the access route and their weight-bearing capacity.
  • Width – a minimum road width of 4m is required. Hedges and walls may need to be looked at to allow access for the wider components.
  • Length – turbines are comprised of several long components, so access can be made difficult by tight corners. Our team will assess any challenging corners on the route and work to find a feasible solution.
  • Gradient – the weight of certain components means that steeper gradients can prove difficult. Gradients greater than 12% will usually require extra towing vehicles.

Before we consider bringing a turbine to site we may need to conduct a highways survey as part of the planning application. The manufacturer and crane team will also inspect the site prior to installation, to ensure there are no issues on delivery day.

CleanEarth only install modern, direct-drive wind turbines. These turbines do not have a gearbox and the rotor directly drives the generator, which removes the mechanical noise made by gears.

Direct drive turbines also have maintenance benefits – with fewer moving parts there are fewer opportunities for faults to occur.

As with most companies, CleanEarth is funded by a combination of private investors and bank finance.

All turbines are owned within a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a separate legal entity to CleanEarth management. The turbine spins and creates an income which is fed directly into an account. As the landowner you will be paid gross, i.e. you will be the first to get paid before any other funds come out of the account. Even if CleanEarth no longer owned the turbine, the landowner’s revenue stream would be unaffected.

Each site will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. There may be an opportunity to negotiate an extension to the lease term, or CleanEarth will remove the turbine and return the site to a reasonable condition for the landowner.

If you have a question about any aspect of solar generation that we haven’t answered here, please get in touch.

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