Wind Speed Lookup Tool

This tool shows you the speeds of the wind in your area at an altitude level of 10m, 30m and 45m above ground level (agl).

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Before installing a small wind system it is essential to have a good knowledge of wind speed at the site. The Department of Trade and Industry wind speed database contains estimates of the annual mean wind speed throughout the UK. This may give an indication of average wind speed in different parts of the country. However it is very unlikely to give an accurate idea of wind speed at a proposed site for a small wind system, particularly in urban or built up areas -if wind speed at the site is not in the range at which the small wind system capacity is rated, then the system may deliver less electricity than expected.

The data is the result of an air flow model that estimates the effect of topography on wind speed. There is no allowance for the effect of local thermally driven winds such as sea breezes or mountain/valley breezes. The model was applied with 1km square resolution and takes no account of topography on a small scale or local surface roughness (such as tall crops, stone walls, or trees), both of which may have a considerable effect on the wind speed. The data can only be used as a guide and should be followed by on-site measurements for a proper assessment.

Each value stored in the database is the estimated average for a 1km square at either 10m, 25m or 45m above ground level (agl). The database uses the Ordnance Survey grid system for Great Britain and the Northern Irish Orndance Survey grid system for Northern Ireland.

A recommended alternative to the UK Wind Speed Database is on-site wind measurement. Installers and manufacturers may be able to give advice on how to get an approximate idea of wind speed at a proposed site, which depends on a variety of factors such as local topography and the built environment, or wind speed can be measured onsite. Some anemometry equipment for measuring wind speed is affordable for householders, starting from approximately £100, and can give a good idea of wind speed if it is positioned at the correct height and location of the proposed site, and left in place to measure the wind for several months (preferably a year to capture the difference in seasons). This data can then be analysed to give an approximate average wind speed.