There is no strict minimum requirement for wind speeds, but we are looking for open windy sites, free from turbulence caused by buildings and trees, preferably with a average mean wind speed of greater than 6 m/second.

Our ideal sized windcroft consists of 6 – 15kW turbines – each turbine will be mounted on either a 15m or 25m tower and requires approximately 45m between each turbine on a perpendicular to the prevailing wind. This equates to roughly a minimum area of 4 to 5 acres, depending on the shape of the land and its orientation to the prevailing wind (South West).

In terms of livestock, after installation, livestock can graze freely on land with the turbines. We have many examples of sites where this already happens. In terms of arable farming, once the turbines are installed, normal faming activity can carry on around the turbine as with any other pole or pylon in the field. However, access will be required and we will always endeavour to place our turbines in the most accessible areas possible.

Small wind turbines are generally not considered to be problematic in terms of noise output. The noise created by these turbines will be a gentle swish as the blades cut through the wind with little to no element of tonal noise.

After initial installation the turbines will require a 3 month check up and thereafter annually. However Vigor will require the ability to access the turbines for technical checks at any time with permission.

Once the lease is signed this will be attached to the land for the term of the lease. If you want to sell the land, it will have to be sold with the lease intact and any new purchaser will have to accept the terms of the lease accordingly.

At the end of 20 years, Vigor will be required to remove the turbines and leave the site in its original state – however, should the landowner wish to purchase the turbines at that point, an agreement can be considered accordingly.

In simple terms the process is as follows:

• On receipt of your enquiry, Vigor performs a desktop review of the site.
• A Vigor Engineer visits your site to perform a site survey.
• Vigor and you  sign an exclusivity agreement for the land. 
• Vigor and you sign an option agreement for the land.
• A signed option agreement triggers a non refundable £2500 immediate cash payment to you.
• A Vigor Project Manager delivers the site through the planning and construction phase with regular updates to you.
• A signed WindcroftTM rental agreement then marks the beginning of a 20 year partnership in wind generation between you and Vigor.

This process in total should take between 6-9 months to complete.

When you submit your site details to Vigor, one of the team will perform a desktop review of site checking for details such as wind speed, site access and electrical connectivity etc. Once this is completed Vigor will get in touch with you to inform you of the result.

If the desktop review is positive, Vigor will look to arrange a date for one of our engineers to come and perform a site visit. If the desktop result is negative Vigor will contact you explaining  the issue  and why we cannot proceed.

There is no cost or obligation incurred by you for this process.

Every site survey is submitted to the Vigor board. If the board grants approval, you will be contacted by the site engineer who carried out the visit informing you of what happens next. Firstly an exclusivity document will be sent out to you. It usually takes around 4-6 weeks from the date of site visit to the exclusivity document being received.

If Vigor finds the site unsuitable at this stage, you will be contacted by Vigor with a full explanation. 

There is no cost or obligation incurred by you for this process.

The purpose of the exclusivity agreement is to provide comfort to you and to Vigor that both parties are willing to provide commitment to the project.

Vigor is self funding the entire WindcroftTM development with no capital input from you. In essence, Vigor cannot afford to start work on a site only to have the landowner enter an agreement with a rival developer. The exclusivity provides the foundation for a partnership.

The purpose of the exclusivity document is to commit you to dealing solely with Vigor for a period of 6 months on matters relating to wind generation. Additionally, this is only for an agreed portion within your wider property.

Discussion on site specific details (turbine positions, fees etc) comes later as these are all finalized during the option agreement.

Vigor does NOT require all of that space. From experience, several fields may be highlighted  because it may be necessary to reposition the turbines in response to requests from landowners or planners. Vigor is keen to create a partnership with you and as such we will do our utmost to site the turbines in a way that suits everyone. By highlighting a larger area of land than we will require, we have the scope to reposition the turbines as required.

The exclusivity agreement simply means that you will only talk to Vigor on matters relating to wind generation for a period of 6 months. The exclusivity does not deal with any specific details on the site such as rent, turbine position etc. This will all be dealt with when agreeing the option for the site.

The option agreement itself lasts for a period of 18 months and it is in this time that Vigor will carry out all of the work required to make the WindcroftTM operational. This work includes such things as geotechnical reviews, planning applications etc. While we expect the whole process to take between 6-9 months, planning applications for wind turbines can be notoriously difficult and as such some applications may take longer than others.

While the option agreement lasts for 18 months, if planning is granted sooner than this then the option agreement is simply superseded by a WindcroftTM rental agreement (agreed between you and Vigor).

Not necessarily. Vigor uses a much stricter assessment regime than would normally be applied to a wind site. For example, Vigor looks for an average wind speed of around 6m/s which is higher than the UK average (approx 4-6m/s).

The reason for this is that because Vigor fully funds its own WindcroftTM developments with no capital input from the landowner, we require additional assurance that the site will be financially feasible.

Many of the sites we are not able to take forward could be made to work if the landowner decides to purchase their own turbine however there may be a longer pay back period.

No – but we will give preference to developments that are in the South of England where light conditions are most suitable for solar PV installation.

There is no upper or lower limit to the roof size we will look at, but we would prefer to look at roofs with a minimum useable area of at least 6000 sq. metres.

As long as the roof is flat or has a pitch of less that 10 degrees the orientation of the roof is not critical. What is important however is that the roof is not shadowed by surrounding buildings or constructions.

We will not consider, asbestos roofing in any form or old roofing that will likely require replacement within a 20 year period. Otherwise, we will consider roof construction and quality on a case by case basis. It should be noted that prior to commencing any development a full third party structural survey will be carried out, by an independent engineer at the cost of Vigor Solar to ensure the site is suitable.

Based on the above structural survey and the design of the final installation, no site will be developed that will have an immediate or long term effect on the integrity of the roof. Additionally, all panelling installed on the roof will ensure there is roof access with appropriate walkways installed accordingly.

Based on planning and grid connectivity as well as equipment and material supplies, an average installation from start to finish is expected to last no longer than 9 – 12 months.

We are very keen to look at the feasibility of ground mounted systems, subject of course to a suitable planning status of the land. At the current time, it is not envisaged that we will look at any greenfield development site, unless planning procedures are already underway.

All panels will be required to be cleaned 1 or 2 times a year, plus on-going access will be required for maintenance as and when required.