Green Energy?

I've been out watering the garden yet again. Its becoming an almost perpetual task just now and very reminiscent of summers in Essex when the lawns went orange every year and we submitted to the hose pipe ban with real anger and used up every bit of water from baths and washing up that we could find.
Since I moved to Cornwall the problem has never occurred until this year. The hot sunny April brought out the flowers and I now have lots of small green fruit appearing but also the tell tale sight of brown edges on leaves and some trees looking as if they are about to give up their new green leaves and keel over.
In the old days we would have got the hosepipe out and let the water just slowly sink into the ground. Job done. We have three large water butts around the place which do fill nicely when its rained but it just hasn't rained!
Now we are all on meters which is no bad thing but also I'm not talking neat small suburban gardens. Mines about half an acre with hundreds of newish trees and shrubs. I have to get out there and keep watering. I can console myself that its not water wasted. We need new trees in Cornwall....I  am being as green as I can get without wasting water.
The little fountain which runs the pump when the sun shines has given us food for thought.
The fact that the solar panel works so well inspires to think about using this energy more. We had roof panels on our last house which worked well and kept out water hot even in the winter.
The one thing we have in plenty here though is wind. We have always got at best a breeze, at worst a gale. Yesterday at a tea party for an octogenarian I mentioned the possibility of a windmill up here, to supply us and the neighbouring farms with electricity. Shot down in flames before the words left my mouth almost.
"Area of outstanding natural beauty? You'd never get planning permission." As the words were spoken by a local councillor I had to believe him.
In the meanwhile  the frog fountain continues to play gently and the dog and now the cat are grateful for it....