Shropshire farmer turns to wind turbine power

A farmer who is leading the renewable energy charge has launched a new consultancy business to help others planning to follow the same path.

Bob Read-Griffiths farms at Myddle, between Shrewsbury and Ellesmere, where he has installed an 80kW wind turbine which feeds power to both the farm and back into the National Grid, helping to minimise the carbon footprint of the farm's 180-cow milking herd.

Now Bob, who has a business as well as a farming background, is taking the crucial information he has learned along the way to create a consultancy, assisting others who want to tap into renewable energy.

Being at the leading edge of this burgeoning industry has seen Bob allocated with FWD00001EN, as the very first registration number of the Government's new Feed-In Tariff scheme, introduced in April 2010 with the aim of making investment in renewables a worthwhile enterprise for more people.

Bob said: "The rising costs and increasing scarcity of fossil fuels, together with the Feed-In Tariff, are making renewables ever more important and there is definitely scope for businesses, and some individuals, to take advantage of these opportunities.

"We now have an independent power supply for our farm and any electricity generated which we don't use ourselves is sold back to the grid.

"Of course, getting to this stage involves jumping a number of hurdles, not least assessing the viability and costs of a scheme, negotiating the planning system, liaising with the local power distribution company and choosing an appropriate turbine. It's these elements that many people will want support with and for which I'll be offering my services to help see them through."

The ability to invest in a wind turbine is now open to anyone with a suitable site which has the potential for planning permission to be granted.

Bob added: "This is an exciting time for those who want to take electricity generation into their own hands and play their part in building this country's future power infrastructure. I'm hoping to be able to assist others in following the very positive path we have taken with the farm."

Under the Feed-In Tariff scheme there are two payments available as producers get paid for all power they generate, even if used on site, together with a smaller payment for electricity fed back into the grid.

• Anyone interested in exploring the opportunities can contact Bob Read-Griffiths on 07968 345608, or email bobrg@houlstonmanor.net, or his blog can be viewed at http://bobswindturbines.blogspot.com/