"Small Wind Can Help Beat Big Energy Price Hikes"

As the UK renewable energy industry today reported that the small and medium wind sector is now worth over £100 million to the British economy, Scotland's leading small wind turbine manufacturer echoed concerns that policy could impact the growing industry.

Johnnie Andringa, CEO of Glasgow based Gaia-Wind, manufacturer of farm scale wind turbines in Glasgow said:

"Energy Secretary Greg Barker's ‘people energy revolution' will in part, be built on "Local Wind Energy". With retail electricity prices rocketing, energy generated largely for use on site, in rural homes, farms and businesses, delivers exactly what is being called for. A farm scale turbine is a world away from the wind farm: it can be the difference between a rural business being feasible or not."

But he echoed Renewable UK concerns over Feed in Tariff policy:

"Renewable UK's CEO has said: ‘This technology brings over £100 million into the rural economy .. serious challenges remain in terms of building the right policy framework for the industry.'"

Andringa continued:

"The most urgent of these repairing the damage done by the Government's decision to further reduce the level of feed-in tariff support, alongside the amalgamation of all turbines under 100kW into the same feed-in tariff bracket.

"The new report published today by RenewableUK says that for every turbine installed here one has also been sold abroad to foreign markets. Gaia- Wind is now exporting to the world, with, a Glasgow made (Gaia-Wind) turbine recently commissioned by the King of Tonga on that island."

For further information email martin.paterson@gaia-wind.com or call 07920715345 or visit Gaia-Wind.com