1999
A group of four engineers came together with a vision to build efficient and reliable wind turbine solutions. The company was called Iskra, meaning ‘spark’ and they went on to develop the highly successful Iskra AT5 5kW wind turbine.
Powering sustainability through distributed energy
Britwind has been at the forefront of small wind turbine design for over 20 years. Founded in 1999 as Iskra and later, Evance, the company designed and built the Britwind R9000 (now H5) wind turbine. Today, this market leading wind turbine is powering homes, farms and businesses around the globe and has an outstanding reputation for efficiency, performance and reliability.
In 2014 the company was bought by Ecotricity, who recognised the market need for a well-designed and reliable small wind turbine. The team have since gone on to develop an 11kW and 15kW turbine to meet the higher energy demands of farms and businesses, designed to be efficient in both higher and lower wind speed areas.
The turbines are designed and built at our factory in the UK and shipped to customers around the globe, while our team of engineers continue to work on innovative solutions for the ever-changing needs of the world as we move towards decarbonisation and an increased demand for energy.
Dale Vince: leading the way to a green economy
Britwind is led by Dale Vince, founder of the world’s first green energy company, Ecotricity, who built his first wind turbine in 1996. Focusing on energy, transport and food – the three industries that contribute most to the climate crisis – Dale has a track record for innovation, offering businesses and consumers a sustainable alternative to the status quo. He is the chairman of Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first vegan football club, named the world’s greenest by FIFA; the founder of green enterprises including The Devil’s Kitchen, Skydiamond and Ecojet; and is the head of the Green Britain Group, of which Britwind is a member.
Our journey so far
2004
Built in Loughborough, the first of many AT5 wind turbines was sold commercially and is still going strong over 20 years later.
2006
The company rebranded as Evance Wind and went from strength to strength, eventually having to upgrade to larger premises in Loughborough with more space for production.
2009
The turbine design was upgraded and renamed the Evance R9000. This highly successful wind turbine is very well regarded in the industry, with thousands installed throughout the UK and overseas, a large number of those in Japan.
2010
Feed in Tariffs were introduced by the government for new renewable installations to encourage uptake of microgeneration systems. The Evance R9000 provided the perfect solution for many homes, farms and businesses and sales increased dramatically.
2014
Recognising the market need for a well-designed, reliable small wind turbine, Ecotricity acquired Evance and it became Britwind Ltd. Production moved to a larger factory in Stroud with a dedicated composites facility so blade production could be brought in house and the larger H15 class IV (now H11) and class II (now H15) was launched.
2021
Increasing energy prices coupled with greater energy demands from consumers investing in electric vehicles and heat pumps has resulted in renewed interest in small wind turbines.
2024
Continuing to innovate and respond to market needs, Britwind launched several new products. A new hybrid inverter solution together with battery storage options, so customers have more control over the energy they generate and have less reliance on the grid and the robust H1 micro wind turbine which provides a cost effective solution for many applications where larger turbines are not suitable.
