wind power mythsvsfacts-factsheet

8/9/2019 Wind Power MythsvsFacts-FactSheet

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Wind Power Myths vs. Facts

AswindpowergeneratesmoreelectricityintheU.S.andmovesintonewareasofthecountry,morepeopleareintroducedtowindturbinesintheircommunities.Windpowerisstillarelativelynewtechnologyandthereareanumberofmythssomebasedonoldtechnologies,somebasedonmisunderstandingsthatareendlesslyrepeatedbyopponentsofwindpower.Thisdocumentdispelssomeofthemostcommonmythsaboutwindpowerwithrealfacts.

MYTH --- Wind Turbines are a NuisanceTurbinesareNoisyFact: Wind turbines are quiet.Anoperatingmodernwindfarmatadistanceof750to1000feetisnonoisierthanakitchenrefrigeratororamoderatelyquietroom.Thesoundturbinesproduceissimilartoalightwhooshingorswishingsound,andmuchmorequietthanothertypesofmodern-dayequipment.Eveninruralorlow-densityareas,wherethereislittleadditionalsoundtomaskthatofthewindturbines,thesoundoftheblowingwindisoftenlouder.

Exceptionstoquietoperatingturbinescanoccurintwoinstanceswitholderturbinesfromthe1980sandinsometypesofhillyterrain.Modernwindturbineshavebeendesignedtodrasticallyreducethenoiseofmechanicalcomponentssothemostaudiblenoiseisthesoundofthewindinteractingwiththerotorblade.However,insomehillyterrainwhereresidencesarelocatedinsheltereddipsorhollowsdownwindfromturbines,turbinesoundsmaycarryfurtherandbemoreaudible.Thiseffectcangenerallybeanticipatedandavoidedinthedevelopmentprocessthroughadequatesetbacksfromhomes.

TurbineLightingisExcessiveFact: Lights at wind farms are non-intrusive, and improvements in design will make them evenless so as the technology expands.TheFederalAviationAdministration(FAA)recommendslightingformoststructuresmorethan200feetinheighttoensureaviationsafety.ThewindindustryisworkingwiththeFAAtotestsafeandnon-intrusivelightingplansforwindfarms.


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NearbyResidencesWillbeAffectedbyShadowFlickerFact:Shadowflickeristhetermusedtodescribewhathappenswhenrotatingturbinebladescomebetweentheviewerandthesun,causingamovingshadow. Shadow flicker is almostnever a problem for residences near new wind farms, and in the few cases where it could be, itis easily avoided.Forsomewhohavehomesclosetowindturbines,shadowflickercanoccurundercertaincircumstancesandcanbeannoyingwhentryingtoreadorwatchtelevision.However,theeffectcanbepreciselycalculatedtodeterminewhetheraflickeringshadowwillfallonagivenlocationnearawindfarm,andhowmanyhoursinayearitwilldoso.Potentialproblemscanbeeasilyidentifiedusingthesemethods,andsolutionsrangefromtheappropriatesetbackfromtheturbinestoplantingtreestodisrupttheeffect.Normally,shadowflickershouldnotbeaproblemintheU.S.becauseatU.S.latitudes(exceptAlaska)thesunsangleisnotverylowinthesky.Ifanyeffectisexperienced,itisgenerallyshort-lived,asinafewhoursoverayearstime.

TurbinesInterferewithTelevisionandOtherCommunicationsSignalsFact: Interference is rare and easily avoided.Largewindturbinesinstalledatwindfarmscaninterferewithradioortelevisionsignalsifaturbineisinthelineofsight.Improvingareceiversantennaorinstallingrelaystotransmitthesignalaroundthewindfarmsolvesthisproblem;bothsolutionsarecommonpracticeinmodernwindenergydevelopment.

TurbinesareUglyFact: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Somepeoplefeelwindturbinesaremajestic.Windfarmdevelopershavecomputer-modelingtoolsthataccuratelydepictvirtualviewsfromgivenspotsinthesurroundingarea.Carefuldesignofawindprojectcanalleviatemanyvisualconcerns.

MYTH --- Wind Turbines Do Not Benefit Local Comm unities WindProjectsHarmPropertyValuesFact: There is no evidence that the presence of a commercial windfarm within sight of a propertysystematically decreases that propertys value.Infact,anationwidestudyconductedin2003surveyedpropertynearmultiplewindfarmsandfoundthatnotonlydowindfarmsnotharmpropertyvalues,insomecasesthevaluesincreased.

WindProjectsDepressTourism There is so much demand to view the windturbines that the county is creating a pull-offarea and working with the project owner to

create an informational kiosk. The wind projecthas become a destination spot for touristsvisiting nearby ski resorts and parks.RobertBurns,ExecutiveDirector,

TuckerCountyDevelopmentAuthority,WestVirginia

Fact: There is no evidence toindicate that wind turbines drivetourists away.Insomeareas,windturbinesevendrawtourists.Localgovernmentsfrequentlyworkwithdeveloperstoinstallinformationstandsandsignsnearwindfarms,aswellaspull-offareas,similartoscenicoverlooks,fromnearbyroads.Surveysoftouristshave

WindPowerMythsvs.Facts


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foundthatthepresenceofwindturbineswouldnotaffectthedecisionofmostvisitorstoreturn.ThethousandsofturbinesinPalmSprings,Calif.havehadnonegativeimpactonthetourismbusiness;onthecontrary,thelocaltourismcenterorganizesbustourstothewindfarms.

WindProjectsDontContributetotheLocalTaxBaseFact: Installing millions of dollars of equipment in most areas greatly increases the local taxesassessed, and wind farms are no exception.Windfarmssupportthelocaltaxbase,helpingtopayforschoolsandroadsfarmorethantheirimpacttolocalfacilities.Onelarge(108-turbine)projectinruralProwersCounty,Colorado,increasedthecountystaxbaseby29%.

Economicdevelopmentassociatedwithanewwindfarmextendsfarbeyondtaxestoincreasedemployment,directlyfromthewindfarmoperationandconstruction,andtomoneypumpedinthelocaleconomythroughservicesneededtosupportalargeconstructionproject,

includingincreasedhotelstaysandrestaurantrevenues.

What 1,000 megawatts of Wind Brought to Texas

Taxablevalueofwindpowerplants:$777million

Propertytaxpaymentstolocalschooldistricts:$11.6millionin2002

Landownerroyaltyincome: $2.5millionin2002

Wind-relatedjobs: 2,500

MYTH --- Wind Turbines arent Safe

BladesCauseDangerousIceThrowsFact: Ice throw, while it can occur under certain conditions, is of little danger.Setbackstypicallyusedtominimizenoisearesufficienttoprotectagainstdangertothepublic.Inaddition,icebuildupslowsaturbine'srotationandwillbesensedbyaturbine'scontrolsystem,causingtheturbinetoshutdown.

TurbinesMayThrowBladesorCollapseFact: Modern wind turbines are so safe they successfully operate near schools, in urbansettings and densely populated areas, and in rural communities. Bladethrowswerecommonintheindustry'searlyyears,butareunheardof-todaybecauseofbetterturbinedesignandengineering.NoneofthethousandsofmodernwindturbinesintheU.S.haveexperiencedacatastrophicfailure,bladethroworacollapse.MYTH --- Wind Turbines Harm Wildlife

TurbinesKillManyBirdsandBats

Fact: Wind energy developments overall impact on birds is extremely low compared with otherhuman-related activities.Nomatterhowextensivelywindisdevelopedinthefuture,birddeathsfromwindenergyareunlikelytoeverbemorethanasmallfractionofbirddeathscausedbyotherhuman-relatedsources,suchascatsandbuildings.



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However,birdsandbatsoccasionallycollidewithwindturbines,astheydowithothertallstructuressuchasbuildings.

communicationtowers

buildings/windows

housecats

other

hightension

lines

pesticideswind

turbines

5500

25

700

1000800

1000

700

For every 10,000 birdskilled by human

activities, less than oneis caused by a wind

turbine.

vehicles

Raptorkills(ofeagles,hawks,andowls)areaproblematonelargeolderwind

farminCalifornia,inAltamontPass,builtinthe1980s.Windfarmoperatorstherehaveworkedwithwildlifeofficialsandexpertstoreducetheimpactsonbirds,andthoseeffortscontinuetoday.Priorto2003,batkillsatwindfarmsstudiedwerelow.However,thefrequencyofbatdeathsatanewlyconstructedwindfarminWestVirginiain2003hascausedconcern.Inresponse,AWEAandseveralofitsmember

companieshaveenteredintoathree-yearcooperativeeffortwithBatConservationInternational,theNationalRenewableEnergyLaboratory,andtheU.S.FishandWildlifeServicetoresearchwind/batinteractionandtestwaystoreducebatmortality.

Data source: Erickson et al., 2002, Summary ofAnthropogenic Causes of Bird Mortality.

Despitetheminimalimpactwinddevelopmenthasonbirdandbatpopulations,theindustrytakespotentialimpactsseriously.Inadditiontospecialinitiativessuchasthosedescribedabove,avianstudiesareroutinelyconductedatwindsitesbeforeprojectsareproposed.Pre-constructionwildlifesurveysarenowcommonpracticethroughouttheindustry.

WindProjectsFragmentWildlifeHabitatFact: Wind farms are most often built in areas close to transmission lines where habitat hasalready modified and fragmented, typically by farming and ranching.Moreover,windenergyhasalightfootprint,withonlytheturbineitself,alongwithsomeroadsandpowerlines,impactingtheland,whilepre-existinglandusecontinuesaroundtheturbinesasbefore.Windylandcanalsooftenbefoundinundevelopedareas,however,sohabitatfragmentationcanbeaconcern,especiallyinunbrokenstretchesofprairiegrasslandsorforests.Theindustrycallsformoreresearchtobetterunderstandtheextentofpossiblehabitatorwildlifeimpactsintheseareas,includingtheeffectsofnotdevelopingrenewableenergysourcesandtherebyaggravatingglobalwarmingandpollutionpressuresonwildlifeandtheirhabitats.

MYTH --- Wind Turbines are Expensive and Unreliable

Back-upgenerationisneededforallwindturbinesFact: Because of the grids inherent design, there is no need to back up every megawatt of windenergy with a megawatt of fossil fuel or dispatchable power. Theelectricgridisdesignedtohavemoregenerationsourcesthanareneededatanyonetimebecausenopowerplantis100%reliable.Itisacomplicatedsystemdesignedtoabsorbmanyimpacts,fromelectric



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generationsourcesgoingoff-linetoindustrialcustomersstartingupenergy-intensiveequipment.Thegridoperatormatcheselectricitygenerationtoelectricityuse,andwindenergysvariabilityisjustonemorevariableinthemix.

Findings of the Utility Wind Interest Group (an organization of some 55 utilities that have w indpower on their systems) in November 2003:"Theresultstodatealsolaytorestoneofthemajorconcernsoftenexpressedaboutwindpower:thatawindplantwouldneedtobebackedupwithanequalamountofdispatchablegeneration.Itisnowclearthat,evenatmoderatewindpenetrations,theneedforadditionalgenerationtocompensateforwindvariationsissubstantiallylessthanone-for-oneandisoftenclosertozero."

Manyso-calledreliablesourcesofelectricitysufferfromunexpectedoutages,suchasnuclearreactorsandcoalplantsthatshutdown,oftenatshortnotice,forsafetyrepairsormaintenance.Yetnooneproposestobackupacoalornuclearpowerplantwithasimilaramountofgenerationfromanotherplant.Therealityisthatwindenergyisnaturallyvariable,butnotunreliable.Windfarmsarebuiltinwindyareas,andseasonalanddailywindgeneration

patternscanbeanticipated.Denmark,andgridsinregionalareaselsewhereinEuropeoperatewith10-15%ormoreoftheirpowercomingfromwind,withoutincreasedreliabilityproblemsorneedforadditionalback-uppowerplants.Andincontrasttoconventionalpowerplants,windfarmsdonotshutdownaltogetherformaintenanceandrepairsfaultyturbines,whentheyoccur,arerepairedwhiletheotherturbinescontinuetooperate.

WindTurbinesOperateOnlyaSmallFractionoftheTimeFact: Wind turbines generate electricity most (65-80%) of the time, although the output amountis variable. Nopowerplantgeneratesat100%nameplatecapacity100%ofthetime.Nameplatecapacityreferstothemaximumgenerationpotentialofapowerplant.Aconventionalpowerplantisoccasionallyclosedformaintenanceorrepairs,orrunsbelowfullcapacitytobestmatchdemand.Windfarmsarebuiltinareaswherethewindblowsmostofthe

time,butbecauseofvariationsinspeed,awindfarmwillgeneratepoweratfullratedcapacityabout10%ofthetime,andonaveragethroughouttheyeartheplantwillgenerate30%to35%ofitsratedcapacity.

WindEnergyWillNeverProvideMoreThanaLittleElectricityFact: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates Americas wind energy potential to be muchlarger than total U.S. electricity consumption today.TappingonlyafractionofthatpotentialwouldprovideasignificantpartofAmericaselectricitysupply.IntheUnitedStates,windenergycurrentlyproducesapproximately16billionkilowatt-hoursofelectricity,equivalenttopoweringabout1.6millionaverageAmericanhomesyear-round.Atypicalone-megawatt

American Homes Served by Wind Energy(inmillions)

TODAY - 1.6 million

BY 2020 - 25 million



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turbinegeneratesenoughelectricityfor300homes.Withpoliciestoremovebarrierstowindenergydevelopment,by2020,windenergycouldprovideatleast6%ofelectricitygeneratedintheU.S.(100,000MW)--aboutthesameamountashydropowertoday.WindenergyispoisedtobeasignificantpartofAmericasdiverseenergyportfolio.

WindTurbinesareInefficientFact: Wind turbines are efficient, and that is part of their beauty.Oneofthesimplestwaystomeasureoverallefficiencyistolookatthe"energypayback"ofanenergytechnology,i.e.theamountofenergyittakestoproduceagivenamountofenergy.Theenergypaybacktimeforwindisinfactsimilartoorbetterthanthatofconventionalpowerplants.ArecentstudybytheUniversityofWisconsin-MadisoncalculatedtheaverageenergypaybackofMidwesternwindfarmstobebetween17and39timesasmuchenergyastheyconsume(dependingontheaveragewindspeedsatthesite),whilenuclearpowerplantsgenerateonlyabout16timesandcoalplants11timesasmuchenergyastheyconsume.Windturbinesarealsohighlyefficientinalargersense:theygenerateelectricityfromanatural,renewableresource,withoutanyhiddensocialorenvironmentalcoststhereisnoneedtomine

forfuelortransportit,nopollutingorclimate-changingemissionscreated,andnoneedtostore,treat,ordisposeofwastes.

WindEnergyisExpensiveFact: Wind energy is now in a range that is competitive with power from new conventionalpower plants.Theup-front,capitalcostofwindenergyismoreexpensivethanthatofsometraditionalpowertechnologiessuchasnaturalgas.However,thereisnocostoffuel,andingoodlocationsthe"levelized"cost(whichincludesthecostofcapital,thecostoffuel,andthecostofoperationsandmaintenanceoverthelifetimeoftheplant)ofwindenergycannowbelessthanthatofotherenergysources.

The new wind farm that Xcel Energy isbuilding near Lamar will save consumers$4.6 million in their power bills.

- FromXcelEnergytestimonytotheFederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission,June16,2003

WindEnergyisHeavilySubsidizedFact: Every energy technology is subsidized wind energy is no exception. Windreceivesataxcreditthatprovidesaninflation-adjusted1.5centsforeachkilowatt-hourgenerated,overthefirsttenyearsoftheproject.Thiscreditreducesthetaxliabilityofawindfarm,butisnotasubsidyofpublicmoneyflowingtothewindfarmowner.Otherenergysourcesreceivesubsidiesinmanyforms,includingtaxdeductions,loan

guarantees,liabilityinsuranceandleasingofpubliclandsatbelowmarketprices.Some,likethedepletionallowanceforoilandgas,arepermanentinthetaxcode.Additionalindirectsubsidiesincludefederalmoneyforresearchanddevelopmentprogramsandpolicyprovisionsinfederallegislation.Thelargestsubsidymaybethattheenvironmentalimpactsfromfossilfuelusearenotreflectedthroughhighercostsofthoseenergysources.Instead,allofsocietymustpaythepricefordirtyair,pollutedwater,climatechange,dangerousfuelspills,andhazardouscleanupanddisposaloffuelbyproductsattributedtootherenergysources.Clean,renewable,domesticwindenergyproducesnoemissions,requiresnofuelandthecostisfixedandpredictableovertime.


wind power mythsvsfacts-factsheet

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