Mike Bergey, the author of the article, has been involved in manufacturing small wind turbines all his working life. His conclusions are widely supported by other gurus in the field.

With suitable preparation it is quite possible to erect higher towers in the UK - for example, our turbine is on an 80ft (24m) tower in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), on the edge of a National Park. Another similar 80' tower has been erected within the North York Moors National Park, both without opposition. So don’t give up. Placing a small wind turbine on a short tower reduces both the life of the turbine and output, greatly extending the pay-back period. Many have likened it to deliberately positioning a solar panel in the shade, but actually its worse.

A number of us have been pushing for the UK Government to recognise that permitted development rights should reflect this reality, with common-sense restrictions and requirements imposed (e.g., property size, set-backs, noise, etc).

Experience elsewhere has shown that pushing ‘short’ towers can actually be counter-productive as owners are disappointed and dissatisfied and small turbines then get a bad name.

This article is a helpful aide memoire on this important aspect of a turbine installation and can be used to assist in justifying a taller tower in planning applications for small wind turbines generally.

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Peter