Urban turbines 'not effective enough'

Rural sites can generate up to four times the amount of energy than wind farms in urban areas, according to the latest statistics.

Rural sites can generate up to four times the amount of energy than wind farms in urban areas, according to the latest statistics.

Research from the Carbon Trust shows that wind farms outside of the city will generate a significantly higher amount of energy due to higher wind speeds, suggesting that urban turbines - located on rooftops for instance - may not in fact generate as much energy as has regularly been hoped for.

The trust has recommended that height limits on wind turbines in urban areas are lifted, allowing property owners a greater chance to capture the potential of wind power.

Dr Mark Williamson, director of Carbon Trust innovations, said: "Small-scale wind energy is attracting growing interest, and at the Carbon Trust we are receiving increasing enquiries from organisations considering installing small turbines.

"It's vital that people understand the wind resources available to them, and we hope they find the guidance in our report useful."

Currently the Carbon Trust estimates that such small wind turbines are capable of generating just 1.5 terawatt hours (TWh) per year of electricity, or 0.4 per cent of total UK electricity consumption.