Remote communities in Western Ireland are now receiving high-speed broadband thanks to equipment installed by Westnet Broadband that’s powered by solar and the LE-v150 Extreme wind turbine from Leading Edge.
Westnet Broadband provides internet access to villages and communities in remote parts of Co Mayo. Each off-grid point-to-point transmission site supports between 40-50 customers with high-speed broadband.
LE-v150 Extreme Wind Turbine
We struggled with the wind turbines because of the high wind speeds at these sites. Traditional horizontal axis wind turbines were literally shaken to pieces, only lasting months. In contrast, the LE-v150 Extreme vertical axis wind turbine has proved to be a fit-and-forget solution.Peter Moore, Director of Westnet Broadband
Westnet Broadband, based in Co Mayo, Ireland, needs to site the Wireless equipment in an elevated location so the signal can be sent to households spread over a remote area by line-of-sight transmission. As these sites are 2-5km from the nearest mains supply, an off-grid power source provided by solar and a wind turbine is the only cost effective solution.
Testament to the durability of this vertical axis wind turbine, an LE-v150 Extreme on one site has been running for 4 years now, without stopping, even though it has experienced winds of up to 90mph (40m/s).
“At Glenkeen, the winds were so strong one year that the roof blew off a nearby pumping station, yet the LE-v150 Extreme at this site is still reliably producing power,” continued Peter Moore.
“At Westnet, we know wireless and fibre broadband – that’s where our expertise lies. We’re not off-grid power experts so it’s great we can rely upon Leading Edge’s knowledgeable staff to recommend a wind turbine suitable for these harsh off-grid sites on the West Coast of Ireland.”
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