Your Concerns Addressed

The wind farm will generate enough electricity for around 43,600 homes. This has been calculated on the basis of the annual household energy consumption of 4,700 kWh and a capacity factor of 30% (assuming a 78MW capacity).

A modern wind turbine produces electricity up to 85% of the time, generating different outputs dependent on wind speed. In a study done by Oxford University, it was found that in the UK, the windiest country in Europe, the wind is always blowing somewhere and a diversified portfolio of wind power developments would deliver electricity during all hours. One of the main advantages of wind power is that the available wind resource is much greater during the colder months of the year, when energy demand is at its highest.

It is important to note that conventional power stations are also unable to operate continuously. Many energy sources deemed to be reliable such as (nuclear) power plants suffer from unexpected ‘outages’ when reactors must be shut down, often at short notice, for essential safety maintenance. Unreliability of this kind is much greater to deal with than the intermittency of wind power, as the amounts of electricity involved are generally much higher. By comparison the variation in output from wind farms distributed around the country is barely noticeable. Moreover, power plants are severe pollutants that keep us depending heavily on imported fossil fuels from politically unstable countries. Where oil, gas and coal have strong adverse effects on our environment and will eventually run out, wind is free, clean and abundant in the UK.

Yes, and for a number of different reasons, but as the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King said: “In my view, climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today, more serious even than the threat of terrorism.”

 

The RSPB views climate change as the most serious long-term threat to wildlife: “Recent scientific research indicates that, as early as the middle of this century, climate change could commit one third or more of land-based plants or animals to extinction including some species of British birds.”

The catastrophic potential of climate change is recognised by governments and scientists across the world as well as the RSPB, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund for nature. They all believe we must act now to save our planet.

We all have a part to play. We must all “think globally, act locally”.

There is no single answer. We need to minimise energy consumption and encourage all renewable energy sources. Today, the most developed and effective renewable technology is wind power. Almost everybody, when asked, supports renewable energy and most people support wind power. But when a wind farm is proposed nearby, there is sometimes a shift in attitudes. And that is the problem, not all of us want wind farms in our back yards. Despite the fact that wind power is supported by 70-90% of the public and has clear environmental advantages, there can be fierce local opposition against new developments. This presents problems for planners and decision-makers as they seek to balance the concerns in the locality against the wider benefits to the environment.

Interestingly, research shows that people usually become more supportive of wind farms once they are up and running. Those living closest often prove to be among the most enthusiastic about wind power
(Source: Sustainable Development Commission). A comprehensive study by the Scottish Executive found that those living nearest to wind farms are their strongest supporters.

It is a common misconception that because wind blows intermittently, and turbines can sometimes be seen motionless, then wind power is unreliable. But this is not true. The entire electricity system needs back-up, practically all the time, because fossil fuel and nuclear power stations are variable, much like wind energy.
Power systems have always had to deal with variations caused by power station breakdowns /repairs /maintenance, as well as constantly fluctuating consumption. Large power stations (coal, gas, nuclear) can go off-line instantaneously, whether by accident or for maintenance, causing a massive loss of power.

When a fossil fuel or nuclear power plant trips unexpectedly, the network can lose a 1,000MW or more instantly. That is true intermittency. Back-up plants must step in to meet the shortfall. Electricity consumption also fluctuates constantly – a sudden cold spell means everyone turns on the central heating; a break in a popular TV programme means everyone rushes to switch the kettle on. But we expect instant power for lights, TVs, computers, whatever the weather, whatever the time.

Variations in wind energy, and other energy sources, are ironed out because there are many units in operation, of different types and back-up is always available. The UK system will not notice the shutdown of a 2 MW wind turbine, but it will have to respond to the loss of a 500 MW coal plant or 1,000 MW nuclear plant. Wind energy does not suddenly trip off the system. The wind does not blow continuously in one place, but there is little overall impact if the wind stops blowing somewhere – it is always blowing somewhere else. The more wind farms that are built over a wider geographical location, the more reliable wind energy is.

On average, turbines generate electricity of varying amounts for around 80% of the time and have a capacity factor of around 30%, which compares well with gas and coal that have capacity factors of a little over 50%. This is in addition to the fact that the wind is a ‘free’ fuel resource. The capacity factor figures given here should not be confused with efficiency (a coal fired power station has an efficiency of around 35%).

The claim that wind needs constant back-up is not true. National Grid has to ensure there is sufficient capacity to respond rapidly to a sudden increase in electricity demand or sudden loss of supply. This spinning reserve is not there because of some variability in wind – it is there for all power sources. If a coal generator trips, up to 500 MW is lost instantaneously; a reactor trip at a nuclear station will lose up to 1,500 MW instantaneously. That’s true intermittency and that’s why there has to be spinning reserve. Variations in wind energy, and other energy sources, are ironed out because there are thousands of units in operation, of different types, and back-up is always available. The UK system will not notice the shutdown of a 2 MW wind turbine, but it will have to respond to the loss of a 500 MW coal generating set or 1,000 MW nuclear plant. Wind energy does not suddenly trip off the system. There is little overall impact if the wind stops blowing somewhere – it is generally blowing somewhere else. The more wind farms that are built over a wider geographical location, the more reliable wind energy is.

CO2 emission savings, which if totally displacing fossil fuel generated power, could alone amount to over 2.1 million tonnes over the 25 year life cycle of the wind farm based on approximately 24 years after estimated carbon loss from peat (4 months) and turbine manufacturing (7 months) has been deducted.

http://www.bwea.com/edu/calcs.html

Not according to the inspector at a public inquiry in Cumbria who reported as follows:

“Concerns have been expressed about the possible impact of the turbines on tourism; but, despite the construction of wind farms in various parts of the country, there is no cogent evidence to show a resulting reduction in visitor numbers.  Indeed, Cornwall and Cumbria have the largest concentration of wind farms of any of the counties in England, yet, in both cases, the numbers of visitors attracted have increased since the turbines were erected …… It should also be noted that some respondents to the survey undertaken for the Cumbria Tourist Board considered that the wind farm would be an additional attraction.”

There are currently some 80 wind energy projects operating throughout the UK, and survey evidence to date does not reveal a negative trend in property values amongst properties in proximity to wind farms. According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, there are no studies that suggest an effect either way, but at Nympsfield in Gloucestershire, house prices continued to gain after plans for the turbine were announced in 1992 and have continued to increase since the turbine began operating in 1997.

There is currently no evidence in the UK showing that wind farms have a long-term impact on house prices. An extensive study was completed by a US Government-funded agency in 2003. This study examined around 25,000 property sales records over six years, straddling the pre- and post-construction periods of individual wind farms. The wind farms were built between 1998 and 2001. The study undertook three types of statistical assessment for each of 10 wind farm developments (a total of 30analyses), looking at the immediate vicinity of the wind farm and at comparable communities without a wind farm. The study found that in26 of these analyses, property values within 8km of the turbines actually performed better than in the comparable community.

Two separate surveys around the Taff Ely Wind Farm in Mid-Glamorgan and Ardrossan Wind Farm in North Ayrshire drew similar conclusions. In Wales, Chartered Surveyors and planning consultants Dalton Warner Davies (DWD) looked at house sales around the Taff Ely Wind Farm in Mid-Glamorgan over a three-year period, with some properties only approximately 1km from the wind farm.

The survey, carried out in 2006, found that three areas of housing had expanded since the wind farm began operating, and that asking prices were unaffected by having a direct view of the wind farm. A comparison of ‘for sale’ prices and original sales prices at 38 properties revealed a 91% increase between2002 and 2005, compared to an 85% increase between sales prices over the same period elsewhere in Wales. Six local estate agents were also contacted and all reported that the wind farm did not have any effect on house prices.

The Scottish survey was carried out by Glasgow-based CKD Galbraith, who selected the Ardrossan development because it is relatively close to a built-up area. Operational since 2004, the wind farm is clearly visible from the northern parts of two towns, Ardrossan and Saltcoats, and partially visible from West Kilbride.

Sale prices were tracked from 2000 and compared to the HBOS (non-seasonally adjusted) Average Price Change for Scotland (all houses). The study found that:
“Between 2000 and March 2004, values in the survey area on average increased by 23.1% compared to 7.4% for the Scotland-wide statistics. Similarly, from March 2004 [when the wind farm became operational] to date, property values in the survey area increased by 26% compared to the Scottish average of 17.1%.”There have been a number of studies conducted which establish that this is not the case. There is no clear evidence of effects on property prices. A new report in March 2007 from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Oxford Brookes University has blown away the myth about wind farms negatively impacting on house prices. The research found no clear relationship between the proximity of wind farms and property prices, and suggested that this may be an urban myth with apparent changes in value disappearing when examined closely. Recent research from the Edinburgh Solicitors’ Property Centre (ESPC) (February 2007) focusing on property sales near Crystal Rig wind farm in the Scottish Borders/East Lothian found no evidence of a negative impact on the price of property in nearby areas. The ESPC study found that prices in the town of Dunbar had risen from below to above the regional average over the past four years, during which time the wind farm was built, and that since the wind farm began operating, property price inflation in Dunbar has continued to exceed that achieved across East Lothian. Other Independent, expert studies in Wales and Scotland have compared the increase in house prices near three operating wind farms with house prices further a field. Rather than a drop in house values, all three studies showed a faster rate of price increase in the houses near the wind farms. This is supported by a 2003 American study based on 25,000 homes within a 5-mile radius of various wind farms which again found an increase rather than a decrease in values.

We would advise people to look at several websites for further information on this issue:

• RenewableUK                           

• CREST

• Yes2Wind 

The RSPB states in their leaflet, Wind Farms and Birds: “Climate change is the most significant, long-term threat to biodiversity worldwide. To help tackle this threat, the RSPB strongly supports moves to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy demand and supply more of our energy needs from renewable sources, including wind power, provided they do not harm birds or their habitats.”

They went on to say that: “In the UK, we have not so far witnessed any major adverse effects on birds associated with wind farms.”

The RSPB has said that from its own studies at three wind farms in Wales, “the scale of bird strike does not seem to be of serious concern”, and that wind turbines will have little impact on birds outside main migration routes. Siting is a crucial issue and developers should contact specialists such as the RSPB and conduct a thorough analysis of the risk to birdlife as part of the EIA. Similarly, there is no evidence to suggest damage to other wildlife or agricultural livestock, which often graze right up to the turbines.”

Friends of the Earth commented: “There is no conclusive evidence that wind turbines present more of a danger to birds than other structures, such as pylons or roads, when properly sited.”

According to Friends of the Earth:  “This is now very rarely the case, due to advances in technology. Well-designed, well-sited turbines can be quiet enough to cause no disturbance to people living even just a few hundred metres away.  At these distances, the noise they do make is usually drowned out by the natural noise of the wind itself in trees and vegetation.”

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Wind Turbine Noise Working Group set up in 1993 has issued a guidance report providing information and advice for developers and local authorities when considering noise levels. 

It will not be possible to supply individual houses directly with the electricity produced from the Limekiln wind farm, although we hope that this will change in the future. The electricity from the scheme will be fed into the National Grid, which in turn could be purchased from your electricity provider.

How much your provider charges is not in our control and given the Government system in place to encourage more renewable generation we know that our bills are going to increase in the short term, but that contribution won’t be huge.  We do believe that with more demand for green electricity, it will one day become cheaper than electricity produced by conventional methods (i.e. the burning of fossil fuels).

One area of renewables that does have a direct impact is community owned micro generation schemes including wind, hydro and solar.  These are becoming more and more popular and may well be something the community around Limekiln considers in the future.

There is evidence that immediate actions can overcome environmental threats! In the recent past, many countries have banned ozone-depleting CFCs in spray cans, the UK has banned the toxic pesticide DDT, international treaties are in place to help reduce acid rain and countries around the world are working towards the preservation of endangered species. There are things we can change in our daily lives and at a regional and national level in order to improve the global environment. The UK should strive to set an example for the rest of the world in terms of setting and achieving high environmental standards and aiming to reduce the effects of global warming.

It should be noted that this concern applies to all types of electricity generating technologies, including nuclear energy, hydro energy and coal fuelled power plants.

A number of studies have been done on the energy balance or “pay-back” of onshore wind farms, all of which are based on a number of variable assumptions, such as the size of the turbines and the location and wind speeds tested.

The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) recently summarised the output of some of these studies in their report Wind Power in the UK: A guide to the key issues surrounding onshore wind power development in the UK (2005).

A study done by Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer has estimated the pay-back time of its 3MW turbines to be under seven months. (Elsam Engineering A/S (2004). Life Cycle Assessment of offshore and onshore sited wind farms)

Although there will be carbon emissions relating to the Limekiln wind farm development from the manufacture of turbines through to the operation of the wind farm, it is estimated that the total emissions for the life time of the development will be ‘paid back’ within 11 months of construction, resulting in an overall positive influence on the carbon balance. If utilised as alternatives to fossil fuels, the overall cumulative effects of renewable energy developments, such as the proposed Limekiln Wind Farm, will assist in the reduction of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions at a national level.

We will need a mix of both onshore and offshore wind energy to meet the UK’s challenging targets on climate change. At present, onshore farms are more economical to develop; offshore wind farms take longer to build because the sea is inherently a more hostile environment. If offshore farms were the only form of wind generation it would make meeting our renewable energy targets very difficult.

Modern wind turbines are designed to operate for around 25 years and at the end of their working life, the area at Limekiln can be restored at low financial and environmental costs. The land could be used for a wind farm again but that would require planning permission based on a new planning application. During the wind farm’s lifetime, routine maintenance will be required.