FAQs

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about wind farm developments and wind power.

Will wind farms make any difference to global warming?
Are there any health implications of living near a wind farm?
Are wind farms noisy?
Are wind farms ugly and unpopular?
Do wind farms negatively affect tourism?
Do wind farms harm property prices?
Do wind farms kill birds?
Are wind farms safe?
What about alternatives to onshore wind energy?
Why not just save energy?

Will wind farms make any difference to global warming? To date worldwide around 50,000 MW of wind energy capacity has been installed generating around 100TWh of electricity annually and employing 100,000 people. That is saving as much as 80 million tonnes of CO2 every year and meeting the domestic electricity needs of more than 45 million people.

Are there any health implications of living near a wind farm? No, none. In 25 years of wind generation and with more than 68,000 turbines worldwide there have been no reports of health issues. Wind turbines do not produce emissions, harmful pollutants or waste products. The level of noise (including low frequency noise/infrasound) is anticipated to be low for the closest households and below threshold limits set by the UK government.

Are wind farms noisy? Changes to wind farm technology mean that mechanical noise from turbines has been reduced over the years despite the much larger capacity machines which have evolved. In close proximity to a turbine, the main sound is the swoosh of the blades passing the tower, but this effect lessens with distance. Outside the dwellings nearest to the proposed wind farm the sound of the turbines generating electricity will be within strict limits set down in government guidance issued by the Department for Trade and Industry and explained in detail in our Application. These guidelines on wind turbines and noise emissions are designed to ensure the protection of people living nearby. However, the best way to find out is to go and visit a development, which many operators encourage.

Are wind farms ugly and unpopular? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and whether you think a wind turbine is attractive or not will always be your personal opinion. However, studies regularly show that most people find turbines an interesting feature of the landscape. On average 80% of the public support wind energy, less than 10% are against it, with the remainder undecided. Surveys conducted since the early 1990's across the country near existing wind farms have consistently found that most people are in favour of wind energy, with support increasing among those living closer to the wind farms.

Do wind farms negatively affect tourism? There is no evidence to suggest this. The UK's first commercial wind farm at Delabole received 350,000 visitors in its first ten years of operation, while 10,000 visitors a year come to take the turbine tour at the Ecotech Centre in Swaffham, Norfolk. A recent MORI poll in Scotland showed that 80% of tourists would be interested in visiting a wind farm. Wind farm developers are often asked to provide visitor centres, viewing platforms and rights of way across their sites. Click here for Ecotech Centre

Do wind farms harm property prices? There is currently no evidence in the UK showing that wind farms impact long term house prices, and there is some local evidence (RICS survey) to suggest that the presence of a wind farm has no real effect on prices. In fact, there is evidence following a comprehensive study by the Scottish Executive that those living nearest to wind farms become their strongest advocates.

Do wind farms kill birds? 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 effects on birds associated with wind farms”. Wind farms are always subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment and developers follow the industry's Best Practice Guidelines and work closely with organisations such as Scottish National Heritage and the RSPB to ensure that wind farm design and layout does not interfere with sensitive species or wildlife designated sites. Moreover, a recent report published in the journal Nature confirmed that the greatest threat to bird populations in the UK is climate change.

Are wind farms safe? According to the British Wind Energy Association (the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries) no member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy or wind turbines anywhere in the UK, despite the fact that there are now over 1578 operational wind turbines.

What about alternatives to onshore wind energy? There are alternative sources of renewable energy. These include off-shore wind farms, solar power, and wave and tidal power. However, the government is clear that both on-shore and off-shore wind farms are required to achieve agreed targets for renewable energy – by 2010 Scotland is committed to obtaining 18% of its electricity from renewable sources. The viability of off-shore wind is as yet unproven although the Beatrice Field development with two turbines being erected this summer will help. Solar power is not yet considered to be a viable alternative on its own and wave and tidal are still in early stage development.

Clearly, nuclear power is an important option and a new generation of reactors is actively being considered as part of the Government's current Energy Review. Most experts agree that a mix of types of environmentally friendly generation is required to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and to address climate change.

Why not just save energy? . To tackle climate change we need to save more energy and generate more energy from renewable sources. The short answer is that both actions are necessary.

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