Wind energy

Q. Why don’t we just conserve energy?
A. The UK still needs to become more energy efficient, but however much we improve this we will still need to generate electricity.  It is important that this electricity is generated from a sustainable source and wind energy is the most proven of all renewable energy technologies.  The targets set by the government already assume that the energy consumption figures will go down through energy efficiency, but they still identify a need for renewable energy.

Q. Why wind energy?
A. Wind energy is the most proven form of renewable energy in the UK, and therefore provides the opportunity for the most immediate way of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the electricity generation sector.  

The need to reduce CO2 emissions is widely accepted due to the increasing changes in our climate and the impact it is already having on wildlife species, eco-systems, the weather and sea levels.

Aside from this, within the next twenty years the indigenous fossil fuels which we currently use to provide our energy will become scarce and we will be reliant on imports from overseas.

The UK has the best wind resource in Europe; capturing this to provide indigenous green energy whilst continuing research into other renewable sources is a logical step forward.

Wind energy will never meet all our energy needs but is the first step in increasing the amount of renewable energy we produce in the UK.  Banks is looking at a variety of renewable energy sources, which will eventually become part of our energy mix alongside wind energy.

Q. Are wind turbines noisy?
A. Modern wind turbines are quiet in operation.  They are designed for use in areas with low existing background noise levels.  Well sited turbines should be quiet enough to cause no disturbance to people living a few hundred metres away.  At these distances any noise from a turbine would be drowned out by the natural noise of the wind.  

Wind farms are designed taking in to account noise levels to ensure that local residents are not disturbed by their operation.  Background noise monitoring is undertaken at the closest properties to the proposed turbines to provide existing noise levels.  An assessment of the impact of the combined noise levels from the wind turbines when operational is then undertaken.  This is undertaken in accordance with the latest guidance on the calculation and assessment of wind farm noise; the Department of Trade and Industry publication ‘The assessment and rating of noise from wind farms (ETSU R 97)’.

It should also be noted that the method of predicting noise levels assumes an absolute worst case scenario (i.e. the noise from all of the turbines being blown towards all of the monitoring points simultaneously, all of the time), a situation which is unlikely to ever occur.

Any planning permission for a wind farm would contain a planning condition to ensure that noise levels are controlled to an acceptable level.

Q. Do wind turbines have a negative effect on the landscape?
A. The development of wind turbines will change the landscape of the area, but this is not necessarily a negative change.  This ultimately depends on your personal opinion of the turbines and your acceptance of them as providers of green electricity.

One inevitable consequence of constructing wind turbines is that they will be visible over a relatively large area. Their scale and strikingly man made appearance mean they will not naturally ‘fit in’ with a rural landscape. It is however recognised that certain types of landscape are more capable of accommodating wind turbines than others.

A landscape and visual assessment of proposed developments will examine the impact of the proposed wind farm on the character of the landscape.  Photomontages will be prepared from key views to show how the wind turbines would look in the landscape.

Q. Will there be an impact on wildlife?
A. Ornithological and ecological surveys are some of the environmental assessments which are completed for wind farm proposals. These surveys identify how the site is used by birds and if there are any other important wildlife habitats on a site. The final design of a wind farm will take in to account sensitive areas identified.

Q. Will there be an impact on grazing livestock?
A. One of the benefits of wind farms is that they have a relatively small footprint, so farmers can use their land to provide green electricity as well as grazing livestock.  Experience from other wind farms shows that livestock will graze right up to the base of the turbines.

Q. Will the wind turbines effect my television reception?
A. It is possible for wind turbines to cause interference to local TV reception. In accordance with government guidance, during the planning process an assessment of possible impacts is undertaken in close liaison with the various operators of telecommunications equipment.  Any impact can be overcome by realignment or upgrading the viewer’s television aerial or by installing a repeater mast. The developer would carry out these works if television reception is affected by the proposed development.

Q. Do wind farm effect house prices?
A. There is currently no evidence in the UK that shows that wind farms have a lasting effect on house prices.  Applications for new development can cause a degree of uncertainty in property values, but as confirmed by recent surveys any negative effect on values lessens over time as the form of development is confirmed.

Q. Is wind energy reliable?
A. A modern wind turbine produces electricity 80-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs dependent on wind speed.  Over the course of the year, it will generate about 30% of the theoretical maximum output.  This is known as its load factor.  The load factor of conventional coal and gas fired power stations is around 40%.  A modern wind turbine will generate enough to meet the electricity demands of more than a thousand homes over the course of a year.

Wind turbines can only operate when the wind blows, however the UK is the windiest country in Europe and less windy countries are already meeting far higher percentages of their electricity needs using wind energy.

Q. Doesn’t the construction of the turbines cause emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)?
A. The average wind farm will ‘payback’ the energy used in its manufacture within 7-8 months of operation.  This compares favourably with coal or nuclear power stations, which take about six months.  A modern turbine is designed to operate for 20-25 years and at the end of its working life, the area can be restored at low financial and environmental costs.  When it is operating, a wind farm does not produce any CO2, unlike a conventional power station.

Q. Will a wind farm attract tourism to the area?
A. The British Wind Energy Association and the Scottish Renewables Forum commissioned MORI Scotland to undertake a survey about tourist’s attitudes towards wind farms.  The poll was undertaken in 2002 regarding wind farms in the Argyll & Bute area, this area was chosen as it had the greatest concentration of wind farms in Scotland.  When asked whether the presence of wind farms had a positive or negative effect on their impression of Argyll as a place to visit, two in five (43%) of respondents maintained that it had a generally or completely positive effect, while two in five (43%) said it made no difference and less than one in ten (8%) felt it had a negative effect.  When asked whether the presence of wind farms in Argyll made any difference to the likelihood of them visiting the area 91% maintained that it made no difference.  Twice as many people said they would be ‘more likely’ to visit again than the amount who would be ‘less likely’ to visit.

This research demonstrates that the wind and tourism industries can work side by side because tourists can appreciate an area’s natural beauty and also react positively to the presence of wind farms.  The fact that the presence of wind farms makes the majority of tourists think more positively about Argyll suggests that tourists will judge an area positively if it is using its natural resources to generate energy from renewable sources.

Q. How long do wind turbines last?
A. Wind turbines will last between 20-25 years; they would then be decommissioned and could be replaced with the next generation of wind turbine.

Q. Are wind turbines safe?
A. Wind turbines have an excellent safety record; there are currently over 60,000 turbines operating worldwide and there is no record of a member of the public being injured due to ice, blade throw or tower collapse.

Q. What is shadow flicker?
A. Shadow flicker occurs in very particular conditions when the sun is low in the sky and shines on a building from behind a turbine’s rotor.  This can cause a shadow from the turbines blades to be cast on the building appearing to flick on and off as they rotate.  When this flicker is viewed through a narrow opening it is known as shadow flicker.  The potential for shadow flicker can be assessed for individual buildings around proposed sites.  At a distance of 10 rotor diameters shadow flicker is unlikely due to the shadows intensity falling as the separation distance increases.