Wind Turbines - The Argument For

Wind Turbines - Looking on the bright side, the argument put forward by the Supporters of Wind Energy. You probably need to bear in mind that these questions and answers have been created by the pro wind turbine lobby!

Are Wind Turbines noisy?
Advances in design technology have resulted in Wind Turbines that are quiet enough to cause no disturbance to people living just a few hundred meters away.

Wind Turbines kill birds!
Sensitive siting does not lead to adverse effects on bird populations. The RSPB is quoted as saying "the scale of bird strike does not seem to be of serious concern". Rigorous Environmental Impact Assessments should result with wind power being deployed without significant detrimental effect on wildlife.

Wind Turbines spoil the landscape!
If cleaner forms of energy are not utilised then climate change will severely and irrevocably alter much of our landscape and the wildlife it supports. To some Wind Turbines are a thing of elegance and beauty and are a symbol of a better less polluted future. Compared to other energy developments, Wind Turbines have relatively little visual impact. A typical Wind Farm of 20 Wind Turbines might extend over an area of 1 square kilometre, but on 1% of the land area would be occupied by the Wind Turbines and tracks, the remaining 99% is available for other uses.

Do Wind Turbines frighten livestock?
Farmer's land can continue to be used for growing crops and grazing livestock with the presence of Wind Turbines on it and there is no evidence that sheep, cows, horses, etc are disturbed by their presence.

How long does it take for a Wind Turbine to pay for itself?
The average Wind Farm in the UK will pay back the energy used in its construction within three to five months and over its lifetime a Wind Turbine will produce over 30 times more energy than was used in its manufacture. A Wind Turbine will last between 20 to 25 years before being decommissioned.

Is Wind Energy safe?
Wind Farms produce no waste or pollution and present no danger of meltdown or terrorist attack.

Will Wind Turbines help prevent global warming?
Wind power is a clean, renewable form of energy, which during operation produces no carbon dioxide. Some emission of greenhouse gases will take place during the design, manufacture, transport and erection of the Wind Turbines but enough electricity is generated from a Wind Farm within a few months to totally compensate for such emissions. When Wind Farms are dismantled they leave no legacy of pollution for future generations.

Is Wind Energy popular?
Opinion surveys regularly show that at least eight out of ten people are in favour of wind energy. Less than one out of ten are against, the rest are undecided.

What are the mechanics and workings of a Wind Turbine?
The towers are usually tubular steel, painted matt light grey to reduce reflected light and be inconspicuous under most lighting. The blades are made of glass fibre reinforced polyester or wood epoxy. The rotor diameter is from 30 meters up to 65 meters and the tower varies from 25 to 80 meters in height. Offshore Wind Turbines are at the larger end of the scale. The wind turns the blades which spins a shaft connected to a generator. The generator produces the electrical energy. The Wind Turbines start operating when the wind reaches 4 meters per second and reaches maximum output at 15 meters per second. At gale force winds, Wind Turbines shut down. The blades rotate at 15 to 50 revolutions per minute.

What happens when the wind stops?
Wind Turbines only operate when the wind blows. When the wind stops then electricity will have to be provided by other forms of generation. Electricity would have to come from a mix of complementary renewable sources, balancing wind power with wave, tidal, solar or biomass sources.

How much electricity does a Wind Turbine produce?
It is possible to calculate the number of homes that can be powered by a Wind Turbine or Wind Farmby multiplying its rated Mega Watt capacity by 696 (24 hrs in a day x 365 days in a year x 0.35 capacity factor x 1000 KiloWatt per hour divided by 4400 KiloWatt per year per household). An offshore Wind Farm of 660 Wind Turbines 3.6 MW in size could replace the UK's biggest nuclear power station.

Is wind power expensive?
The Government's report on energy policy predicts that by 2020 the cost of generating electricity from Wind Farms will be 2-3p per KiloWatt per hour. In comparison nuclear power will be 3-4p but that figure does not include costs for dealing with radio active waste and decommissioning of sites nor does it cover the cost of environmental damage.

Can I put a Wind Turbine in my garden?
Renewable power won't just be from large Wind Farms but from many small domestic Wind Turbines as well. It is already possible to sell electricity back to the National Grid through net metering. On a larger scale Wind Farms can generate extra income for farmers and rural communities. WindWorks has been set up to create partnerships between farmers/landowners and National Wind Power to develop and lead local energy projects to assist in rural diversification in the light of the continued crisis' in farming

The Windmaster