Wind Turbines Towers

A wind turbine tower is integral to the overall performance of the wind turbine system.  Without a proper tower, designed for the purpose, the wind turbine system could become a hazard. If you spend a lot of time and effort in choosing the right wind turbine for your requirements then you should also spend as much time in carefully choosing your tower. There are many types of tower and heights to choose from, for residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Essentially, the tower must be able to withstand the dynamic forces thrust upon it when the wind blows - the wind will do its best to knock the turbine off the tower as well as try to topple the tower.  If it is a hinged tower, our favourite is the raise and lower type, so installation and maintenance can be carried out on the ground. Towers for small-medium sized applications need to consider:

i) tower height - the higher the better, but you may need planning permission.

ii) all towers flex and sway in the wind and in high winds the drag on the tower can add significantly to the load experienced by the tower.  

For small turbines there are tow types of tower to consider:

a) guyed wire towers - offering good strength, ease of installation, appearance and cost.

b) freestanding towers. these comprise of Lattice towers and tubular.  Lattice towers look like a trellis and are very common with the tower being delivered in sections ready to be assembled on site. They can be manufactured as a raise and lower tower, with the base part being made from solid metal and the remaining sections being lattice. The hinged tower approach offers the best solution for all small wind turbine installations.

Hinged free standing tubular towers, such as shown in the pictures below, combine ease of installation with very low running costs once installed.  The tower is installed onto a pre-cast concrete base with base templates and bolts being provided to allow the base work to be carried out. A bobbin is pre-made for the chosen wind turbine and manufactured.  The tower is delivered by Hiab and lowered onto the pre-made base.  

If you need more information on installing wind turbines read our "steps to success".