Watford Lodge Wind Farm

Turbines have a typical lifespan of around 20-25 years, during which time some maintenance may be required. Should a developer wish to extend the lifetime of the development, then a new planning application would be required. If the wind farm is to be decommissioned after its lifetime, every effort is taken to ensure the land is reinstated to its former landscape.

No, it would be highly unusual for wind farms to have a negative impact on livestock which is why wind farms work so well on agricultural land.

The first wind farm built in the UK, in Delabole, has a stud farm and riding school, and the farmer, Peter Edwards, often rides around the wind farm on his horse.

Source: BWEA

Should construction of the wind farm commence before the digital switchover, there may be some interference to local analogue television services (within 1-2km of the wind farm) in the short-term. Volkswind UK are committed to resolving any problems swiftly and at our own expense. However following the digital switchover any effects will be negligible.

As the E.I.A seeks to address all environmental impacts, a telecommunications chapter has been prepared for this site.

A Scottish Government commissioned report in 2008 showed that wind farm developments have a minimal impact on tourism. Of the visitors surveyed in the study 93-99% said wind farms would have no impact on their decision to return to Scotland. 68% said they felt positive that a ‘well sited wind farm does not ruin the landscape' with a further 12% neutral about this statement.

Wind farms are also attracting visitors in their own right: the UK's first commercial wind farm at Delabole, Cornwall received 350,00 visitors in its first ten years of operation, while 10,000 visitors a year take the turbine tour at the EcoTech Centre in Swaffham, Norfolk.

In a visitor survey undertaken on behalf of the Wales Tourist Board, 68% of respondents said that if the number of wind farms increased in Wales it would have no difference to the likelihood they would take holidays in the Welsh countryside. A further 9% said any impact would be negligible and only 2% said they would be ‘less likely to come back'.

Ref: Visit Scotland http://www.visitscotland.org/visitor_attraction_monitor_2007

The Scottish Government http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publication/2008/03/07113507/1

Wales Tourist Board http://ecodyfi.org.uk/touism/Windfarms_research_eng.pdf

Source: BWEA

Well-sited wind farms should not pose a threat to birds. In fact the greatest threat to the bird population in the UK is climate change, according to the 'Nature' journal*. The RSPB stated in its 2004 information leaflet 'Wind Farms and Birds' that in the UK 'we have not so far witnessed any major adverse affects on birds associated with wind farms'.

The RSPB supports UK Government targets for electricity generated by renewable energy sources by 2010, 2015 and 2020 and they also support a "significant growth in offshore and onshore wind power generation in the UK" which are appropriately located to avoid important wildlife sites. In their report the RSPB state that large windfarms are the most economically viable of the renewable technologies at present but over the long-tern "favour a broad mix of renewables including solar, wind and marine power wherever they are used in ways that minimize unnecessary damage to wildlife" (RSPB Policy on Windfarms, 2008)

Bird surveys have been undertaken by our ecological consultants in consultation with Natural England as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Source: BERR website 'Wind Power: 10 Myths Explained'

Recent UK studies show no clear relationship between the proximity of wind farms and property prices. A 2007 survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found there were generally other factors that were more significant than a wind farm. Additionally, estate agents in the case study areas analysed in the report stated that: "proximity to a wind farm simply was not an issue" for house prices.

A study by the Scottish Government found evidence that those living nearest to operating wind farms are their strongest advocates, stating: "The overwhelming majority of people living within 20 km of a wind farm support an increase in the proportion of electricity generated in Scotland through the use of wind power over the coming 15 years (82%), while just 2% feel that there should be a reduction."

Ref: Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Oxford Brookes University, March 2007

http://www.rics.org/Newsroom/Reseachandreports/RICSEducationTrust/Wind%20farms%20FiBRE.html

Public Attitudes to Wind Farms, a Survey of Local Residents in Scotland, carried out by MORI for the Scottish Executive http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publicartions/2003/08/18049/25579

Source: BWEA

Wind turbines generate electricity without generating carbon dioxide or any other greenhouse gasses, the fuel is cost free, and it will never run out.

Modern wind turbines pay back the energy used in manufacture within 2-10 months depending on the wind speed of the site and the type of turbine used. Most turbines have a life expectancy of at least 24 times the energy used in manufacture and installation.

At the end of a wind farm's working life, the area can be restored at low financial and environmental costs. The footprint of a utility-sized wind turbine powering more than 2000 homes, can be as little as 16 feet (five metres) in diameter, with all the land around it being available for agriculture.

Furthermore, for every gigawatt of fossil fuel fired electricity generation capacity displaces by an equivalent amount of renewable energy electricity, carbon emissions are around 0.7MtC to 1.5MtC lower.

Ref: Energy from wind: an explanation of terms http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file17817.pdf

Danish Wind Energy Association: http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/env/enpaybk.htm

Energy White Paper: Meeting the Energy Challenge http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39569.pdf (p143)

Source: BWEA

In response to an enquiry from BWEA in May 2008, the National Grid has stated that there is ‘no immediate technical response why a large portfolio of wind generation cannot be managed in (National Grid) balancing timescales.' Commenting on additional fossil fuel capacity required as back up, once the UK has 33 GW of installed wind capacity, the National Grid stated that only around 7GW to 10GW will be required, up from around 3.5GW used as back up today.

In such a scenario increased use of wind power will lead to more frequent adjustment of fossil fuel plants - but any potential efficiency losses will be greatly outweighed by savings in fuel costs, as wind is free, and emissions , as wind generation is carbon neutral. A UK Energy Research Centre report reviewed more than 200 studies on intermittency and none showed that introducing significant levels of renewable energy to the grid would lead to reduced reliability. It also found that "100% ‘back up' for individual renewable sources is unnecessary; extra capacity will be needed to keep supplies secure, but will be modest and a small part of the total cost of renewables."

In addition, energy experts see the problem of balancing the grid covered by a combination of retained capacity, greater interconnection between energy markets (including the super-grid) and demand side management, including smart metering. 

UKERC: The costs and Impacts of Intermittency

Source: BWEA

The planning and construction of UK wind farms is financed entirely with private capital, no matter what the costs are. Furthermore, wind energy does not require Government money for any of its life cycle phases, such as decomissioning.

Only when the wind farm is fully operational and starts delivering electricity to the grid, it qualifies for Renewable Energy Certificates (ROCs) for each megawatt unit of electricity produced. The ROC payments are fixed by the electricity market, not by the Government, and serve to protect and encourage investment in low-carbon energy technologies.

The money from ROC payments is distributed to all qualifying technologies, including land fill gas, biomass and combined heat and power.

For further information on ROCs please visit the following link http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46838.pdf and http://www.sdcommission.org.uk/publications/downloads/DomesticEnergyPriceAnalysis.pdf.

Source: BWEA

A modern wind turbine produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs depending on the wind speed. Over the course of a year, it will typically generate about 30% of the theoretical maximum output. This is known as its load factor. The load factor of conventional power stations is on average 50%*. A modern wind turbine will generate enough to meet the electricity demands of more than a thousand homes over the course of a year.

*DTI (2004), Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2004, Table 5.10 Plant loads, demand and efficiency, available online at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy_stats/electricity/dukes5_10.xls.

Source: BWEA (The 'modern wind turbine' referred to has a 1.8MW rated capacity)

Wind energy is a benign technology with no associated emissions, harmful pollutants or waste products. In over 25 years and with more than 68,000 machines installed around the world¹, no member of the public has ever been harmed by the normal operation of wind turbines.

In response to recent unscientific accusations that wind turbines emit infrasound and cause associated health problems, Dr Geoff Leventhall, Consultant in Noise Vibration and Acoustics and author of the Defra Report on Low Frequency Noise and its Effects², says: "I can state quite categorically that there is no significant infrasound from current designs of wind turbines. To say that there is an infrasound problem is one of the hares which objectors to wind farms like to run. There will not be any effects from infrasound from the turbines."

¹ EWEA: 68,000 turbines installed worldwide by the end of 2003.

² Defra (2003), A Review of Published Research on Low Frequency Noise and its Effects, Report for Defra by Dr Geoff Leventhall Assisted by Dr Peter Pelmear and Dr Stephen Benton. Available online at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/noise/lowfrequency/pdf/lowfreqnoise.pdf.

Source: BWEA

The cost of generating electricity from wind has fallen dramatically over the past few years and it has become one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy. Wind energy is competitive with new coal and new nuclear capacity, even before any environmental costs of fossil fuel and nuclear generation¹ are taken into account.

The average cost of generating electricity from onshore wind is now around 3-4p per kilowatt hour, competitive with new coal (2.5-4.5p) and cheaper than new nuclear (4-7p)². As gas prices increase and wind power costs fall - both of which are very likely - wind becomes even more competitive, so much so that some time after 2010 wind should challenge gas as the lowest cost power source.

Furthermore, the wind is a free and widely available fuel source, therefore once the wind farm is in place, there are no fuel or waste related costs.

¹ ExternE (2003) External Costs, Research Results on Socio-Environmental Damages due to Electricity and Transport, available online at http://www.externe.info/externpr.pdf.

² See PIU (2002), Renewables Innovation Review, available online at http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/policy/oxeraresults.pdf;

Source: BWEA

The towers are mostly tubular and made of steel, generally painted light grey. The blades are made of glass-fibre reinforced polyester. They are light grey because this is the colour which is most inconspicuous under most lighting conditions. The finish is matt, to reduce reflected light.

Source: BWEA

Wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of 3 to 4 metres per second (around 7-9 miles an hour) and reach maximum power output at around 15 metres/second (around 33 miles per hour). At very high wind speeds, i.e. gale force winds, (25 metres/second, 50+ miles/hour) wind turbines shut down.

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 wind is more economical than development offshore. However, more offshore wind farms are now under construction and prices will fall as the industry gains more experience.

Furthermore, offshore wind farms take longer to develop, as the sea is inherently a more hostile environment. To expect offshore to be the only form of wind generation allowed would therefore be to condemn us to missing our renewable energy targets and commitment to tackle climate change.

To find out more information on the UK's Renewable Energy Strategy click here.

If you have not already done so the first step is to fill out the consultation questionnaire on this website. You may also wish to write letters of support to your local councillors, local planning authority or newspaper.

Please visit the Yes2wind website for more ideas by clicking here.