The introduction of renewable energy sources onto the local electricity network will have a knock on effect on the level of electricity produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. The environmental impact that small-scale wind technologies have will affect the level of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions. One way to characterise the environmental impact of the technology is to evaluate the amount of CO 2 saved by running the renewable technology instead of burning fossil fuels.
The ducted wind turbine systems have a relatively small impact on the environment saving 1935 kg of CO 2 per year.
Small-scale wind technologies may have other environmental impacts to consider. One concern with large-scale wind turbines is the noise generated. However small-scale turbines have no need for a gearbox since they use permanent magnet generators, so the noise generated is much lower. Also noise in the city may drown out the noise of a small generator.
Noise on the inside of the building may be a concern to those working directly underneath the turbines although this is not expected to be too much of a problem. Properly mounted turbines and sound insulation would alleviate this problem.
Vibrations are another issue which may need to be taken into account if the size of the turbines was to increase, but at the current size this is not expected to be much of a concern.