Why wind farms?
Why wind power deserves support
Its clean
Wind power does not produce dangerous waste, nor does it contribute to global warming. It’s abundant and reliable. The UK and Ireland are the windiest countries in Europe and this resource is much greater during the colder months of the year, when energy demand is at its highest. Wind power, in combination with a full range of renewable energy technologies, such as wave and solar, could meet all of our electricity needs. Technology is being developed to store wind power as hydrogen which can then be used to power fuel cells in power stations and in vehicles.
Its affordable
The first offshore wind turbines in the UK and Ireland are producing power more cheaply than the newest nuclear power station. It works. Denmark already gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. It creates jobs. The wind industry could bring thousands of new jobs to the UK and Ireland, many of them using offshore engineering skills used by the declining oil and gas industry. If offshore wind was developed to supply just 10% of the UK’s electricity, then 36,000 jobs could be created.
Its safe
It’s safe. Unlike nuclear power stations, wind turbines are unlikely terrorist targets. It’s popular. Wind energy is one of the most popular energy technologies. Opinion surveys regularly show that just over eight out of ten people are in favour of wind energy, and less than one in ten (around 5%) are against it. Wind farming is popular with farmers, because their land can continue to be used for growing crops or grazing livestock. Sheep, cows and horses are not disturbed by wind turbines.
Pay back
The average wind farm in the UK and Ireland will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months. This compares favourably with coal or nuclear power stations, which take about six months. Wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies. No member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy or wind turbines anywhere in the world, despite the fact that there are now over 68,000 operational wind turbines. Wind turbines are not noisy.
Tourism
The UK’s first commercial wind farm at Delabole received 350,000 visitors in its first ten years of operation. A MORI poll in Scotland showed that 80% of tourists would be interested in visiting a wind farm. Furthermore, wind farm developers are often asked to provide a visitor centre, viewing platforms and rights of way to their sites. Wind projects usually end up giving a percentage of their earnings to the locality.
Environment
One 2MW turbine has the following effect on environment:
Tonnes of CO2 saved per year: 5,400
Number of cars this takes off the road, per year: 1,300
Number of homes powered by wind farm, per year : 1,250
Tonnes of fossil fuels saved being imported : 1,250
Tonnes of Sulphur Dioxide saved : 630
Tonnes of Nitrous Oxide saved : 190
How to turbines work?
The 3 rotor blades are attached to a horizontal hub – they face into the wind and rotate as the wind passes through them. The blades and the hub together are called the rotor. The rotor is connected to a nacelle (a housing for the transmission equipment) that is located at the top of a tower to ensure a higher and less interrupted wind flow. It can turn to ensure the blades face the wind. Wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of around 4-5 metres per second, reach a maximum output at 12-14 m/s and automatically shut down for safety at wind speeds greater than 25 m/s. When more air passes through the blades, more electricity can be produced, which is transported from the turbine to the grid along electric cables which may be buried underground within the site.