Motor technology spins off into £1,500 wind turbine

AEG Electric Motors has used its expertise in designing squirrel-cage and permanent magnet motors to produce a generator for a new 1kW British wind turbine aimed at domestic users.

The WS1000 turbine, developed by Glasgow-based Windsave, will cost about £1,500 to install. This makes it considerably cheaper than previous domestic turbines. The system is expected to cut electricity bills for an average hoouse by about a third, and to pay for itself in about four years. The payback could be even quicker if grants and subsidies become available.

The turbine comes with an inverter which plugs into a 13A socket and synchronises itself with the mains supply. Costs have been reduced by eliminating any form of energy storage and by cutting off the output if the mains supply fails - thus avoiding the risk of feeding power into the public network.

The wind turbines will be sold and installed exclusively by British Gas - subject to the wind turbine passing its field trials.

The turbine`s generator is based on an AEG 90mm frame motor and incorporates a braking system to prevent the turbine from spinning too fast in high winds. It uses rare-earth magnets, and special rotor laminations and windings, to maximise its efficiency and output.