R-Wind Concept

Before R-Wind can be fully operational it must go through a 'Kickstart' phase.

Once up and running those wanting to participate in R-Wind will open an R-Wind account on-line.

This will be linked to an account with a major Bank or Building Society yet to be negotiated (B/BS).

The B/BS will pay their normal rates of interest to the participant - as they would for a typical savings account.

Extra bonus payments will be paid to the participant by R-Wind directly - based on the local benefit calculations applicable.

The B/BS will make the invested monies available to R-Wind for the development of new turbine projects. The B/BS will want to keep a percentage of these monies to meet their costs etc..

The R-Wind account will have two components. The first will operate as described above. The second will be a higher risk component bypassing the involvement of the B/BS which will give a potentially higher return to the participant but with different security conditions. The participant will be able to choose the term of commitment of their investment in this component and will receive an appropriate return dependent on the finacial performance of R-Wind. It will be possible to further split their investment in this second component into different risk categories with different return calculations.

Local Benefits

There will always be a share of the income from a turbine or turbines paid to the local communities.

The magnitude of this share needs to be flexible to balance the expectations of investors but is likely to be a minimum of 5%. That is 5% of the proceeds from the sale of power and ROCs.

Rewards to the local communities above this base level will be in proportion to the number of local investors and amounts invested.

Investment returns to participants in R-Wind will be influenced by the physical distance from each investor's home to their local turbine i.e. enhancement for the nearest.

Benefits to local people, whether they are participants in R-Wind or not, may be offered in the form of discounted electricity prices if they are signed up for their power with the green supplier who purchases the turbine power.

Distance related benefits will be calculated on a postcode and grid reference basis.

There will be a high dependence on the B/BS for co-operation and support, at least till confidence is gained in R-Wind, but it is hoped that as projects grow in number this dependence will reduce and that investors will benefit more from a growing income managed to allow an appropriate growth in turbine projects.