Westmill is the first wind farm in the South East of England and the first 100% community owned scheme in the UK from commissioning. The scheme produces pollution-free electricity for over 2,500 average homes and saves the emisson of carbon dioxide.
The wind farm has five towers erected in a straight line across the old airfield, near Watchfield, South Oxfordshire.
Turbines:
Siemens Bonus 1.3MW
Hub Height: 49m
Rotor dia: 62m
Blade length: 30m
The electricity generated is conveyed by an underground cable to a sub-station, where it is metered and fed into the local grid. Crop farming may continue as before with planting taking place right up to the base of the towers.
The blades start turning when the wind speed at hub-height reaches 3 to 5 m/s. At very high wind speeds the blades will stop rotating to prevent damage.
Power generated from the turbines is sold through a Power Purchase Agreement to two separate electricity suppliers for a fixed term.
The turbines are maintained and insured throughout their working life, which is expected to be for the 25 years of the planning consent.
Funding of the 7.6m project was from a public share issue and a loan from the Co-op bank allowing local ownership of the site and maximising the social, environmental and economic benefits to the area.