A wind turbine has been installed by a group of allotments holders in Leicester to provide power to the plots. Rowley Fields decided that a wind turbine may be appropriate due to its raised and open location. The funding for this project came primarily from the council. The 20ft (6.1m) turbine cost approximately £7,000.

The power can now be used for lights and to power tools. There had been concerns raised by nearby residents, which lead to relocation of the turbine from its original intended site, but it appears that the current site is now ideal.

Mr Howgill, Rowley Fields allotments’ society secretary said:

“The wind turbine has some maintenance issues and the battery needs replacing in about nine years, but when we flick the switch, it is not going to cost us anything. It will give us lighting so we can do more work in late summer and autumn but also for laptops, which we increasingly use for record keeping and educational sessions.”

As every allotment holder knows, it would be nice to have a connection to some sort of electricity source, to power tools such as a lawnmower or strimmer or for some sort of lighting during the long winter months. However many of these tools can be bought that rely solely on battery power so you can charge them at home and then bring them to the site whenever needed. There are many battery suppliers that specialise in rechargeable batteries that are perfect for this type of use. They can be recharged hundreds of times so you save money and save the planet.