We are a renewable energy company based on the Orkney Islands
Proud partners of Orkney Sustainable Energy Ltd
Birsay Energy is a family owned business.
We think long term and look for positive relationships with our customers, suppliers and the wider community.
The Birsay Energy turbine is positioned on the Birsay Moor in Mainland Orkney, near to the road to the Burgar Hill site. It is an Enercon E44 900kW machine, commissioned in October 2009. The site is one of the first wind energy projects to be located within the boundary of a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), demonstrating that wind turbines and nature can co-exist in harmony.
Orkney Sustainable Energy designed and planned the project. Construction began at the end of 2008 with roads and foundations completed in late summer 2009. The turbine arrived from Germany in October that year, with the machine switched on and commissioned by the end of 2009. Operations to date have been very successful and this is one of the first wind energy projects in Scotland to be operated under an Active Network Management system where the utility is permitted to manage grid voltages by directly controlling the turbine. This is seen as a mechanism for allowing generation in areas with weaker grids.
Enercon E44 Turbine
The E-44 is manufactured by Enercon which is a German based manufacturer that has been in business since 1984. It has a rotor diameter of 44m, rotor area of 1,521m² and rated power of 900kW. It can operate at wind speeds of 3 m/s and above although it will cut out at speeds above 34 m/s.
Enercon turbines have the unique design feature of having no gearbox. A gearbox in a wind turbine suffers the twin disadvantages of a shorter working life coupled with a costly and time consuming delay for replacement.
We are exploring other wind energy projects in Orkney and on the UK mainland.
Please note: Planning regulations lay down there must be a minimum distance of 500 metres between the turbine and surrounding buildings