Can I put a wind turbine in my garden Scotland?

If you live in England or Scotland, then certain wind turbines are permitted without planning permission, but they require adherence to strict conditions. In England, building-mounted wind systems were relaxed as part of 2011 legislation, but in Scotland you will still require planning permission for this.

How much land do you need for a wind turbine?

In the United States, the direct land use for wind turbines comes in at three-quarters of an acre per megawatt of rated capacity. That is, a 2-megawatt wind turbine would require 1.5 acres of land.

How loud are residential wind turbines?

The closest that a wind turbine is typically placed to a home is 300 meters or more. At that distance, a turbine will have a sound pressure level of 43 decibels. To put that in context, the average air conditioner can reach 50 decibels of noise, and most refrigerators run at around 40 decibels.

Do I need planning permission to install a wind turbine in Scotland?

In England, building-mounted wind systems were relaxed as part of 2011 legislation, but in Scotland you will still require planning permission for this. It is possible to install a wind turbine as a permitted development, although it needs to fulfil all of the following criteria:

How big is the wind energy industry in Scotland?

Onshore wind energy generation capacity on 29 November 2011 was 2784.67MW (Scottish Renewables website) and is expected to continue to grow. Planning authorities are more frequently having to consider turbines within lower-lying, more populated areas, where design elements and cumulative impacts need to be managed.

Are permitted development rights applicable for microgeneration wind turbines?

Permitted development rights are not applicable for an installation on a listed building or on a building in a conservation area/world heritage site. The blades cannot be coated in a reflective material. When no longer needed for Microgeneration, the wind turbines are removed as soon as practically possible.

What are the limitations of a building mounted wind turbine?

The swept area of a building mounted wind turbine cannot exceed 3.8m 2. A wind turbine cannot be sited on the roof of a building within the grounds of a listed building. If you live in a conservation area/world heritage site, you are not allowed to position the turbine on a wall that would make it visible from a highway.