Kestrel turbines complete range available here at really competitive prices, see Kestrel Range page

Happy New Year to all who have and continue to visit this website. I will try to keep it updated as and when there are interesting inputs to publish. Please also accept my apologies to everyone who leaves comments in the Guestbook. I really appreciate the comments BUT...IF YOU NEED INFORMATION..PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL TO lenjones@eircom.net OR CALL ME ON 0867902626. I'm getting old you know and forget to check on the Guestbook so apologies for not responding Guestbook

The first item that I would like to update is that I have no longer any business associations with Irish PV & Wind Ltd. Without going into copious amounts of detail here, Irish PV & Wind Ltd has ceased trading. As most of you are aware, I have been involved with IPV&W in an "assistance" role only and the reasons for the termination of the business by its owner are in no way product related simply, as is unfortunately the case in many businesses at the moment, financially related

I have been asked by Kestrel turbines to represent their products directly here in Ireland and will do so by advising, supplying, installing and post sales support

Once again it is with pleasure that I can confirm that all Kestrel turbines here in Ireland have performed flawlessly throughout the latest exceptionally severe storms without any units being braked and so have produced extremely high outputs at times when many many other systems have been braked to prevent any failures.

Most of the suppliers told their users to switch off the turbines as the expected wind speeds were forecast so high. Several C&F turbines were stopped in the West of Ireland and also a couple of Skystreams and Provens. It is crazy that suppliers tell their customers to stop their turbines at the very times when they should be producing the most energy

Kestrels never get switched off unless wind speeds are forecast at over 120 MPH.............that's the effectiveness of active pitch blades

See Wind & Solar "Hybrid" page my latest installation pictures, the reasons why?, and early results, it's really quite amazing

I finally accept that the best way to go with domestic and SME micro-generation is to select a "hybrid" system combining wind & solar PV (Photovoltaic).

Yes I know I've been a wind only patron for some 6 years now but several important factors have resulted in us committing to the purchase and installation of a 3.6KW Solar PV system to complement the 3 KW Kestrel turbine.

So what were the factors that influenced this decision?

1) I have noticed, and probably others have to, that the last couple of years have seen an overall reduction in wind availability and average wind speeds. Caste your minds back to early 2010 when we had exceptional cold and freezing conditions for many weeks by the presence of unusual high pressure systems which in Winter, result in low winds, stable air, clear skies and very cold temperatures. 2009 was somewhat similar during Winter but not to the same extent as 2010 and the possibility of repeated high pressure winter cycles may result in an unknown cycle time of such conditions.

2) Such unusual conditions result in infrequent, low speed winds at the time of year when power is reqlly required for the household heating systems etc. In fact, the beginning of this year (2010) resulted in the lowest daily electrical unit production that I have experienced in the last 6 years, not a good scenario

3) This unusual weather produced really clear skies and exceptional winter sun which really started me revisiting Solar PV as I calaculated that with 3KW Solar PV system I would generate about 12-15 units (KWhrs) per day and the wind turbine would also contribute and so make a considerable daily power production to meet my demands

4) There is no doubt that initially Solar PV panels where not only very expenisive but also not so efficient. That sceanrio is now in the past as we have mono and poly crystalline matrices, far better overlay galss systems and much superior electrical characteristics, efficiencies, connection systems etc.

5) So the new 3.6KW system has just been installed, in fact the scaffolding is still up so no pictures yet, but in a couple of days. I have been absolutely staggered at the output not only the few sunny spells we've had where the sytem has max powered, but the output in cloud covered skies which has been returning ouput values of 1.2 - 1.8KW in really quite heavy cloud conditions

6) Having made some quick calculations based on the output I'm seeing, I expect to return an annual power total of about 4-4.5,000 KWhrs (Units), yes that's 4-4.5MWhrs which when combined with the Kestrel turbine should equate to an annual production of some 9-10,000 KWHrs, 9-10MWhrs.

7) Yes I know there's no output from the Solar at night but with such a hybrid system you get two chances, Wind & Solar to generate and that's got to lower the odds on annual production

Of course this hybrid is early days but I will keep you informed as we gain more information.

The system is based on 20 off BP 180W panels having a warranteed 90% output up to 15 years and 80% output up to 25 years. A Shuco (Sunny Boy) SB3000 inverter and the associated mounting rails etc at an overall installed cost inc VAT of about €18K-€20K. Yes I know that's a lot of money but such a hybrid system of 3KW Kestrel turbine installed and a 3KW Solar PV system is actually less overall than the current average installed price of a Proven WT6000 turbine from many suppliers here in Ireland.

I would strongly suggest that if you're considering a renewables system, you should seriously consider a "hybrid" wind & solar system.

I will update the Latest News area of this site with pictures of the new "hybrid" installation very soon.

See Latest News pages:

Inequality across the island or Ireland

Harmonised electricity grid across the island of Ireland, "interconnectors" and the reality for micro generators

Ireland Wind Turbine

Why launch a website for a single wind turbine installation in the West of Ireland? and why such a presumptuous name? The reasons are two fold; you are visiting the website of the first fully authorised, fully approved domestic "grid-connected" wind turbine in the whole of the Irish Republic, and this site has been created to provide an information source for other potential wind turbine users, display such information in easily understandable format, and dispel some of the myths, technical jargon, and exaggerated claims associated with wind turbines.

To the more technically minded, some of the information may appear basic and I make no apologies for this as better to have complete understanding than to be bewildered by "tech-speak".

There are obviously technical issues and terms to be addressed, but I hope that these will be explained in such a manner as they are completely understood by all.

Where such a technical term appears, an explanation of that term follows.

Of course you are welcome to jump around the site at your will but I would suggest that you do linger a while over the pre-amble and regulatory areas as you may well have similar reasons for considering renewable energy supplies and our experiences and decision making process may well assist you.

This is a picture of a Kestrel e400i 3KW (max 3.2KW) active blade pitch turbine in my back garden. If you are ever in the vicinity of Ballinrobe in Co Mayo, simply give me a call on 0867902626 or drop me an email at lenjones@eircom.net and come and have a look and a chat and maybe you can twist Doris's arm to make a coffee or two. We have no problem with you coming to see us as only by meeting and talking will we be able to increase the undoubted contribution to reducing our overall carbon footprint by the installation of more micro-generators in Ireland

So where to start!

In the words of that very famous song, "let’s start at the very beginning" - it is a very good place to start.

My wife Doris and I are not "eco-warriors", we are concerned about the acceleration of global warming and its effects on our environment, we are like many others aware of the ever escalating cost of fossil fuel based energy, electricity, oil, gas, and we both feel that if you have the availability of a totally natural, ever present energy source such as the wind, it makes obvious sense to try to use this natural energy source and convert it into usable energy without returning any detrimental waste products during the energy conversion, and reducing carbon footprint.

Having been extremely fortunate to purchase a substantial site on the shores of Lough Mask here in Co Mayo, we completed all the planning details and commenced the build of our new home. With the wish to escape from being tied to fossil fuels for our heating and hot water requirements, we were one of the early pioneers in the installation of a water to water geothermal heat pump, long before the state provided grants for such systems, and of course when such grants became available, there was no reimbursement to the other pioneers like ourselves, c’est la vie!

We are not going to delve into the depths of geothermal heat pumps (GHP’s) here, suffice to say that the principle of such devices follows the "Boyle’s and Charles Law". If you are getting on like me your ageing grey cells may remember these guys from O Level Physics. Basically if you compress a gas or liquid, its pressure and temperature rises, and that is precisely what a GHP does, it compresses a liquid to raise its temperature and this temperature rise is then used for your heating purposes. That’s it in a nutshell, enough said.

The compressor of course needs electricity, the more powerful the compressor, the more electrical power needed. So we had rid ourselves of the need for oil, gas etc but we would require additional electricity.

Now I presume "you’re on the same wavelength", how to reduce our electricity cost?

So the interest in renewables began, not knowing at that time where the road would take us, how many pitfalls would be placed in our path, how much knowledge and experience we would gain, and how many myths and fantasies surround renewable electrical production.

I hope you’re still reading, my apologies for the pre-amble but like ourselves, there may well be others who are making, or will make similar decisions.