Nationalist MEP candidate Alan Deidun yesterday criticised the fact that there is no policy for household wind turbines, saying this was frustrating to people seriously considering this green option.
He urged the planning authority to draw up a policy that would provide clear guidelines. The authority was currently deciding on such applications on a case by case basis, he said.
Dr Deidun also called for more government initiatives to give incentives for the use of alternative energy. In fact, in this spirit, Godfrey Formosa, the managing director of renewable-energy company Di Natura, he was visiting in Birkirkara, urged the government to remove the 18 per cent VAT on such technology.
Dr Deidun nodded in agreement and elaborated that the lack of a clear policy was worrying those people who spent thousands of euros on a wind turbine which they might then not be able to install because of neighbours' complaints.
The major concern raised by objecting residents was usually about the noise made by turbines, but not all were noisy, he said.
In fact, Dr Deidun was speaking at a renewable-energy shop in Birkirkara which imports a special, helix-shaped turbine guaranteed to make less noise than that made by average traffic.
Mr Formosa said that, unlike the traditional turbine, the US-designed helix turbine requires a small surface area to operate. They are set up on a four-by-four foot platform and stand about a storey high.
The good news is that the turbines generate about 2.5 kilowatts - which is enough energy to run an average home.
With a price tag of €10,000, it is generally more expensive than its normal counterpart which ranges between €6,000 and €10,000. However, the helix is far less noisy and produces more energy. In fact the energy produced by regular turbines is usually not enough to power an average household.
The helix's long helical scoops catch wind from all directions, forcing it through the turbine and into a generator that powers the house. If the wind is not blowing the energy grid is used.
The advantage of the helix shape is that it also spins through turbulence, while regular turbines cannot make use of this sort of wind. And besides, it spins at night and generates electricity while people sleep - something a photovoltaic panel cannot do.