Home-based wind power 'a waste of time' in the city

Published Date: 07 August 2008
By Jenny Haworth

DOMESTIC wind turbines are pointless in urban areas and benefit the environment only in rural locations, a report shows.
The study by the Carbon Trust shows that four times as much electricity and carbon is saved in rural areas than in urban locations, due to higher wind speeds.In urban areas, roof-mounted turbines may not pay back the carbon emitted during their production, installation and use.The study has found home wind power could provide just 0.4 per cent of the total UK electricity consumption and save 0.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.The report's authors said: "Relative to total UK electricity consumption and emissions from power generation, these figures are fairly low