Off-Grid Living in Cornwall

Steve and his partner dreamed of creating a green home close to the North Cornwall coast.  They fell in love with a derelict property on Bodmin Moor, but it was going to cost at least £400k to connect to the national grid!  Off grid living became a no-brainer, but they wanted to do it in comfort, heating their home and charging their electric car.

The house is in a remote moorland location, which would otherwise require a diesel generator or a LOT of wood for off grid living.  Instead, they chose to install ground mounted solar panels and compliment them with a small scale wind turbine.

They chose the Britwind H5, 5kW wind turbine due to it being the most efficient and reliable machine available in its class and the fact that it keeps performing even at low wind speeds.  Due to the location, they also assessed the aesthetics of the turbine in detail prior to purchasing, as it needed to be the correct scale for its landscape setting.

The fact that the turbine is made in the UK was an added bonus, as they try to buy British whenever it makes sense to.

The turbine has been doing a great job since it’s installation in 2023, essential for heating the home during winter months.  They only burnt wood in their stoves 10 evenings last year.  The couple would like to see the government ease planning laws and encourage more people to renovate off grid properties.