Godlingston Manor Farm Wind Turbine
Engineering oversight, turbine installation and performance analysis for a 50 kW wind turbine installed at Godlingston Manor Farm in 2015.
How SJ1 Renewables Supported This Project
Project Overview
The turbine installed at Godlingston Manor Farm had been purchased from a third-party supplier before SJ1 Renewables became involved in the project. We were brought in as independent engineers to provide technical oversight during the construction and installation stages.
Our initial role focused on the design and supervision of the turbine foundation. While we offered to deliver the full foundation installation using our own experienced team, the client preferred to use local contractors. Instead, we provided the engineering design, specialist components and on-site supervision to ensure the foundation was built correctly.
Foundation Design
The turbine foundation uses a J-bolt system which requires careful detailing to ensure the bolt cage remains correctly aligned during the concrete pour.
Planning permission allowed an 18 m tower, however the client wanted the option to install a taller 24 m tower in the future if conditions justified it.
To accommodate this we designed a dual-ring bolt arrangement. An inner bolt circle supports the installed 18 m tower while a second outer bolt circle allows a taller tower to be installed later without replacing the foundation.
Foundation Construction
We supervised excavation, shuttering and reinforcement installation on site. Concrete samples were taken during the pour and sent for 7-day, 14-day and 28-day cube strength testing to confirm the mix achieved the required structural performance.
Once the foundation had reached the required strength and the base had been backfilled, the project moved into the turbine installation phase.
Tower & Turbine Installation
SJ1 Renewables organised the crane operations and installation sequence. The tower sections were lifted and secured before the nacelle was craned into position.
Following rotor installation we completed the electrical works including power and control cabling, metering equipment and isolation between the turbine and the control cabinet.
The turbine was commissioned under G59 grid connection requirements and brought into operation.
Installation Time-Lapse
Time-lapse footage showing the tower, nacelle and rotor assembly over the course of the two-day turbine install.
Completed Turbine in Operation
Drone footage captured shortly after installation showing the completed turbine in operation at Godlingston Manor Farm.
Performance Investigation
After commissioning the turbine did not perform as expected and would periodically enter a braking condition that reduced production. Rather than leaving the system operating poorly we began a detailed engineering investigation into turbine behaviour.
Working with Bosch Rexroth we installed a specialist data logger capable of capturing more than thirty channels of turbine performance data on a second-by-second basis. While Bosch Rexroth supplied the logging hardware, all analysis and interpretation of the operational data was carried out by SJ1 Renewables.
Engineering Analysis
Using the collected data we calculated annual mean wind speed, analysed 10-second averaged wind speeds and reconstructed turbine power curves based on real operational data.
Analysis showed that although the turbine was rated at 50 kW, operational limits within the control system restricted output to around 40 kW and eventually closer to 30 kW to stabilise turbine behaviour.
Despite extensive analysis, turbulence could not be conclusively identified as the cause of the control instability. However the investigation provided valuable operational insight and stabilised turbine operation.
Ongoing Support
The turbine was installed in 2015 and we have continued to support the system ever since. Over that time we have worked closely with the farm on additional renewable energy opportunities including solar generation, battery storage and engineering consultancy for a spring water bottling facility.
This long-term relationship reflects the way we prefer to work — supporting projects well beyond installation and helping clients develop wider renewable energy strategies.
Discuss Your Wind Energy Project
From turbine foundations and installation oversight through to operational analysis and ongoing engineering support, SJ1 Renewables helps deliver practical renewable energy projects with confidence.