Results of initial research – Phase 0

Eskdalemuir Working Group 16th Aug 2013

Dr Mark-Paul Buckingham

Introduction

Identification of quietest site at Craig Wind Farm

Representative seismic spectra

Application of Frequency-dependant weighting (FDW) to representative spectra and comparison to 2005 Budget prediction

Factor of over-estimate by 2005 Budget with respect to distance from EKA

Prospect of headroom in the Budget

Sensor selection

Modelled background noise by examining narrow bands between blade-pass frequencies

The quietest sites were: 6351 / AEG-5 6099 / AEG -2b

This correlates with the analysis of Dr Bowers

Representative spectra

Take the spectral interquartile mean of all data with wind speed in the11-12 ms-1 range

Result correlates well with that of Dr Bowers

6099 / AEG-2b

Representative spectra

Take the spectral interquartile mean of all data with wind speed in the11-12 ms-1 range

Result correlates well with that of Dr Bowers

6351 / AEG-5

Over-estimate factor

The frequency dependent weighting function (FDW) to representative spectra

FDW contains a distance term, so the over-estimate is distance dependent

Prospect for head-room – 0.336 nm threshold

Table 1 MoD figures are per September 2012 figures Re-calculation based on 6351/AEG-5

Wind Farm Name Developer or Applicant

Number of

turbines

Installed

capacity per

turbine (MW)

Total Power Genera

ted (MW)

Average

turbine distance (km)

MoD amplitude based on

30th September

2012 figures

Cumulative

amplitude MoD 30th Sept 2012

(nm)

Delta - budget multiplier

Amplitude after delta multiplier

(nm)

Re-calculated umulative

amplitude (nm)

Bowbeat E.ON 24 1.3 31.2 42.304 0.003124 0.0031240.535944 0.001674 0.001674

Carlesgill (Craig) CWF Ltd 5 2.5 12.5 20.05 0.094468 0.094520.158138 0.014939 0.015033

Halkburn (Long Park) Wind Prospect 19 2 38 42.854 0.003931 0.0946020.556269 0.002187 0.015191

Clyde Airtricity 152 3 456 29.993 0.140728 0.169569

0.249903 0.035168 0.038309... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Earslhaugh Wind Energy 24 3 72 21.123 0.205013 0.387190.164522 0.033729 0.070854

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

North of midtown farm Mr Brown 1 0.05 0.05 47.86 1.05E-05 0.4829520.787117 8.26E-06 0.086674

Conclusions

Results support finding of Dr Bowers, high correlation in results

The 2005 Budget over-estimates the amplitude of seismic ground vibration produced by wind turbines

The over-estimate is depends on the distance from EKA. It varies between: Over-estimate by a factor of 10 for turbines 10 km from EKA Over-estimate by a factor of 1.2 for turbines 50 km from EKA

If the turbines at Craig Wind Farm are representative of other turbine in the consultation zone then is a likelihood of significant prospective head room that would allow the building of further wind turbine without breaching the 0.336 nm threshold.