Let's look briefly at some of the most frequent criticisms of wind turbines to see if they bear scrutiny:
Wind turbines aren't efficient...
Turbines are designed to generate electricity when the wind is blowing. They are not designed to produce energy when the wind doesn't blow! That is nothing to do with efficiency, it is the nature of the technology! Generally speaking, the windier the location, the greater the efficiency and the taller the turbine, the faster the wind speed. It is now possible, very accurately to determine average wind speeds for any given location, even though the wind may vary greatly in strength and direction from day to day.
Individual turbines generating low cost, "green" electricity on-site for large industrial and commercial consumers are always connected seamlessly to the national grid to ensure that electricity is always available as and when required. However, it is true that small turbines sold for domestic properties are not cost effective for the vast majority of houses, particularly in an urban environment where wind patterns and speeds are disrupted by the closeness of buildings.
Wind turbines are noisy...
Modern wind turbines are very quiet - such that it is pefectly possible to hold a normal conversation at the base of a turbine. Almost the only sound is the
"swish" of the blades as they turn, and this sound increases slightly a few metres away.
Wind farms (as opposed to one or two on-site turbines) do create a background sound that is similar to that from a distant motorway - a key reason why farms are located offshore or in isolated areas on land.
Wind turbines are damaging to wildlife...
There is no evidence that wind turbines create any greater risk to wildlife than any other structure or moving object.
Furthermore, every wind turbine
development involves detailed
assessment of the local
ecosystem and consultation with
bodies such as English Nature
and the RSPB, with adjustments
made to the number or position
of turbines if necessary.
Wind turbines are expensive...
Yes they are! So are all safe, reliable and efficient forms of energy generation... Importantly the fuel used (wind!) is free, there are no CO2 emissions from turbines, and there is no waste! In some circumstances, large users of electricity may be eligible for fully funded (ie zero capital and development cost!) turbines for generating low cost, green energy on-site.
It must be said, however, that small roof turbines on houses generally do not offer an attractive financial return.
Wind turbines are ugly...
Well, there are certainly some people who object to the visual aspect of turbines, but according to surveys this is a very vocal minority. Most people however, either have no strong feelings either way, or find wind turbines attractive and graceful, even close up.
If you haven't yet made up your mind, compare and contrast the sight of small numbers of wind turbines across the land with the tens of thousands of electricity pylons and hundreds of miles of high voltage cables that criss-cross the country....
If you would like to know more about wind energy technology and if it might benefit your organisation, please email us at solutions@watt-knots.co.uk and we'll be in touch. For energy intesive industrial and commercial locations, we can advise if a "fully funded" large scale turbine solution might be available.
