The Centre for Sustainable Energy published an independent, eye-opening report last year which dispelled many of the half-baked myths about problems with wind power. It is interesting to note the silence with which the conclusions of this report were met by those with deep-set prejudices, or representing the fossil-fuel lobby. It was comprehensive and dispelled many so-called “facts” about issues such as wind power inefficiency as compared to nuclear power stations.
In case you may have forgotten (or not read) some of the key conclusions, here is a taster of some of the conclusions. However, you should read and relish the detail behind the conclusion for yourself. This publication was written in response to requests from community groups for factual information about wind energy, in part to counter the many myths and misconceptions surrounding this technology.
CSE is a national charity that helps people and organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors meet the twin challenges of rising energy costs and climate change.
Manufacturing, constructing and operating wind turbines uses more energy than the turbine itself will generate
No. The average wind farm is expected to generate at least 20–25 times the energy required in its manufacture and installation over its lifetime. Compare this with coal which offers a lower energy return on investment of around 8 and nuclear around 9. On average a wind farm will have generated sufficient energy in just half a year to account for all the energy that is required in its construction and operation.
Wind energy is more expensive and receives more public subsidies than any other form of energy generation
Yes, but… The only financial support or ‘subsidy’ from the government for the Renewable Obligation (or ROCs) is the administration and regulation by Ofgem. While the costs are ultimately reflected in customer’s bills, the policy ensures that this is never more than an additional 3p/kWh on a maximum 10% of the customer’s electricity use, meaning that 90% of a customer’s bill is unaffected by the Renewable Obligation.
However as true cost accounting improves, the relative costs of fossil fuels compared to renewables will increase, because of the adverse effects on the environment of fossil fuels which need to be paid for, either in cleaning them up or in suffering the adverse effects economically.
Wind turbines are inefficient and only work 30% of the time
Wrong. Wind farms actually generate electricity around 80– 85% of the time and power is converted to electricity very efficiently, with none of the thermal waste inherent in fossil fuel plants.
The wind is an intermittent resource, therefore, we cannot rely on energy from wind turbines
No. A nationwide “geo-spread” of wind capacity, provided it is balanced across the whole grid, means that the sudden loss of all wind power over an entire power system at the same instant due to a drop in the resource is not a credible event. When mixed in with other forms of renewable energy, such as solar power, a regular, rarely-interrupted power source can be achieved.
Wind farms should only be built offshore
Why? While the UK is making great advances in offshore wind farms, onshore wind is already cost-competitive with conventional electricity generation without subsidies and is currently the cheapest way for electricity companies to meet their renewable obligations and for the UK to meet its legally binding commitments to cut CO2 emissions. If Government predictions are accurate, onshore wind will become the cheapest way to generate electricity by 2020.
We should invest in nuclear power as our main low carbon energy source rather than wind
Why? The cost of electricity per unit generated by nuclear power is currently no better than onshore wind power, without taking into account the future costs of cleaning up when a plant is finally decommissioned.
Wind power is unpopular
In places, yes, but attitudes toward wind power are fundamentally different from attitudes toward wind farms.
Despite the broad public support for renewable energy, the development of wind farm projects is often met with stiff opposition at a local level. Involving communities in the decision-making and planning process for wind farms not only reduces the need to combat such opposition but creates a better understanding of the wider issues involved in energy policy and the environment.
I would recommend a visit to Holland to see the sheer scale of wind farms across the country (even though the wind resource isn’t as rich as in the UK) it is becoming no longer new, it is becoming accepted and embraced there as a clean energy source. Remember the outrage that the first pylons caused when first erected across the UK countryside in the 1950s? Who complains about them now?
Wind farms have a negative impact on property prices
Wrong. Research in the UK and abroad shows that there is no devaluation in property prices nearby once a wind farm is operating.
Wind turbines aren’t safe
No. Overall the wind energy industry has one of the best safety records of any energy industry and has seen fatality rates decrease in the face of a rapidly expanding capacity. Wind continues to offer a clean, safe form of electricity supply, with considerably less cost and risk to society than either fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Wind turbines cause shadow flicker which can trigger epilepsy
False. Due to the size and speed of modern commercial wind turbines, there is no risk of shadow flicker causing photo-epileptic seizures in vulnerable persons.
Wind turbines are noisy
Not any more. Blade design has constantly been refined to reduce the noise generated, which also creates a more efficient turbine as less energy is lost to acoustic energy. Usually, the turbines are too far away from residential areas to cause a problem. In fact, many people say they find the low thrum from distant wind turbines relaxing and helps them sleep.
Infrasound from wind turbines cause ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’
Wrong. The consensus within peer-reviewed evidence does not confirm the existence of a ‘syndrome’. The propagation and effects of low-frequency sound are well understood and adverse effects on humans are only evident at infrasound levels far exceeding that generated by operating wind turbines.
Wind turbines kill bats and birds
True. But very few. Wind turbines are responsible for less than 0.01% of avian mortality caused by humans, with by far the largest cause of deaths being by hitting windows, flying into power lines and being caught by domestic cats.
Positive developments, such as the finding that ‘feathering’ turbines to increase their start up wind speed can reduce both bird and bat fatalities, will help keep this a minor problem.
Find out more here: www.cse.org.uk
