A businessman who has launched a series of green-friendly schemes has submitted plans for the first domestic wind turbine in Brighton and Hove.

Daren Howarth, the man behind Stanmer Park's Earthship and carbon balancing company C-Level, wants to install a small £1,500 turbine at his home in Islingword Road, Brighton.

If it is given the go-ahead by Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee, Mr Howarth will install the 3.2m high machine on a dormer roof at the back of his house.

He hopes it will generate about a third of the electricity he uses and act as an inspiration for others to follow suit. He decided to invest in a turbine following a council sustainability conference last year.

Mr Howarth, 43, said: "A speaker asked for a show of hands for who, in a room of 200 or so people who were either working in the area of the environment or were interested in it, had renewable power systems in their homes such as wood burners or solar heaters. Only one person, Councillor Joyce Edmond-Smith, put their hand up. It was a real shock.

"We've got to do these things, not just talk about them.

"I can't recommend renewable energy to people as part of my business without trying it out for myself.

"I really want to give it a go and see how easy it is and how well it works."

Mr Howarth has chosen a model produced by WindSave, experts in domestic turbines, who have created a machine simpler than any other on the market.

He said: "The turbine creates power and is connected to what is called a 'magic box', which you just plug in to a normal socket. That connects it to the ring main. Any appliance using electricity will be energised as and when they need to be.

"If you are not using the power it goes into the national grid, and you can claim money back for that."

If a person is interested in a domestic turbine, WindSave send an engineer to their house to assess where it would be best placed.

Mr Howarth has also had to pay about £140 for a planning fee and about £200 for architectural drawings required by the council.

He said: "These extra costs are a lot and it would be great if something could be done to simplify the required planning process in the case of turbines so putting them up didn't cost so much.

"It is not cheap but it is only a fifth of the cost of an average conservatory. In the end it should save me money."

To find out more about the WindSave home turbine, visit the company's website at www.windsave.com .

Wednesday, May 3, 2006