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Public attitudes have been widely documented and consistently demonstrate that a clear majority of the population is in favour of wind energy.
Further information is available from the public perception webpage
A 2002 MORI survey of visitors to major beauty spots in Scotland stated that the presence of onshore wind farms in the area made no difference to whether they would return. Of those questioned, about one in five had actually seen one of the three wind farms in Argyll. When asked what effect, if any, the wind farms had had on their impression of the area, 55 per cent said 'generally' or completely 'positive', 32 per cent said ambivalent and only 8 per cent said 'negative'.
A number of wind farms throughout the UK offer visitor centre facilities that encourage people to learn more about how the farms operate and dispel any myths.
Wind turbines can cause a visual impact on the landscape, although opinion on this impact is divided. Developers are obliged to avoid the most sensitive landscapes, such as national parks or Areas of Natural Beauty. They undertake significant assessments of the visual effect on the landscape when preparing planning applications. This allows for a full and independent assessment of the turbines’ potential effects. A number of surveys have demonstrated that public concerns regarding the landscape and visual effects of wind turbines are significantly reduced following the construction of the schemes where this has happened, and that the turbines have no effect on tourism or the general public’s perception of areas where they are located.
A guidance document has been produced for developers and consultants to offer a methodology and practical advice on the topics of landscape and seascape for offshore wind farm development.
(2641KB)No existing wind farms in the UK have been proved to have a detrimental impact on birdlife. Ongoing survey work at a number of sites in England, Wales and Scotland has not identified any significant impact on bird populations. Any impacts have been negligible in comparison with other causes of bird fatalities, such as collisions with buildings, road traffic and the domestic cat. For example, the British Trust for Ornithology has recently estimated that 33 million birds die in the UK every year following collisions with windows.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds supports the sustainable development of renewable energy such as wind power because it helps mitigate climate change, which it believes ‘poses the most significant long-term threat to the environment… The available evidence suggests that appropriately positioned wind farms do not pose a significant hazard for bird’.
Further information on ‘ornithology’ matters is available from the Onshore Wind: Ornithology webpage.
It is estimated that the target of 10 per cent of UK electricity from renewable sources in 2010 could cut carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes a year. Wind is likely to make up around three-quarters of all renewable electricity generation in 2010 and would account for an approximately similar proportion of the carbon dioxide savings.
In the production, construction and maintenance of a wind turbine, carbon dioxide is produced, primarily due to the fossil fuel-based energy consumed during these processes. However, the average UK wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months. With lifetimes of 20 to 25 years, each wind turbine will produce far more energy over this period than the energy consumed to make and maintain it.
The process by which wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity produces two distinct sources of noise: mechanical noise from within the head of the turbine and aerodynamic noise from the blades. However, improvements in wind turbine and, in particular, gearbox technology have helped to steadily reduce levels of audible noise.
All wind farm noise assessments are undertaken using the methodology developed for the then DTI and published in ‘The Working Group on noise from wind turbines (1996) assessment and rating of noise from wind farms’ (ETSU-R-97). This document states the procedure to make sure that sites are chosen appropriately, and that noise levels are considered in the overall planning process.
Piledriving during the short period of construction of an offshore wind farm can be noisy. Where the wind farm is sufficiently close to land that such noise would disturb the local population, conditions can be included in the consent for the wind farm to minimise the noise levels. Such conditions are agreed and monitored by the local planning authority (LPA).
Additionally offshore wind farm developers must consider the potential impact that sub-sea noise and vibration from piling offshore wind turbines could have on marine life.
Further information on ‘noise’ is available from the Onshore Wind: Noise webpage.
Wind turbines can sometimes cause electromagnetic interference, potentially leading to problems such as ‘ghosting’ on television screens. Developers putting up signal booster equipment on or around the onshore wind farm site can generally correct this easily.
Additionally offshore wind farm developers must consider the potential impacts of under sea cabling on marine life, by calculating the strength, frequencies and wavelengths of electromagnetic fields produced by the cabling needed for an offshore wind farm.
Further information on ‘electromagnetic interference’ is available from the Onshore Wind: electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) webpage.
The Government has established a Wind Energy, Defence and Civil Aviation Interests Working Group. This Group has commissioned research into the effects of rotating wind turbine blades on radar, which can potentially compromise the safety of civil and military aviation.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Defence have also set up a process whereby wind energy developers can consult them informally, well before they apply for consent to build a project, to find out whether the wind farm is likely to have an impact on their operations.
Further information about “Civil aviation and the Ministry of Defence” is available from the Onshore wind: Aeronautical and Military Impacts webpage.
The Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, shipping and ports industries are given an opportunity to give their views on offshore wind farm projects throughout the planning process, prior to an SEA, during an SEA and again when developers apply for formal consents. The Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are consulted on consent applications. It has been made clear that consent for a wind farm that poses a danger to navigation will not be granted.
The Nautical and Offshore Renewables Energy Liaison Group (NOREL) , chaired by BERR, secretariat by DFT, brings together developers, navigation bodies and relevant government departments to discuss matters of mutual interest related to navigation safety.
Further information about “navigation” is available from the Offshore Wind: Navigation webpage.
The presence of an offshore wind farm does not necessarily exclude all fishing activity within its boundary, although some fishing activity could be affected to a greater or lesser extent.
The Fisheries Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group (FLOWW), chaired by BERR, brings together developers, fishing bodies and relevant government departments. The group aims to gain a better understanding of the interaction between wind farms and fishing. For instance, what fishing activities might be undertaken between turbines, and what size the safety zones around turbines should be if they are to ensure the safety of vessels and also maximise the opportunities for fishing.
Further information about “fishing” is available from the Offshore Wind: Fishing webpage
Various research groups and projects have been set up by Government, industry, academics and other stakeholders to undertake research into such topics as the environment, navigation, fishing and seascape.
The Research Advisory Group was set up in The Research Advisory Group (RAG) was created by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform as a pan-government body to facilitate a co-ordinated approach among the regulatory and funding bodies to address the key impact issues of Round 2 wind farm proposals. BERR has allocated an initial programme budget of up to £2.5 million for offshore wind farm issues. The remit of RAG has now been extended to gain further understanding on the potential impacts of wave & tidal power generation. BERR has now allocated a budget of up to £2 million to concentrate on these emerging technologies.
Further information on the work of RAG is available from the Research Advisory Group webpage.
Further information on the work of the Collaborative Offshore Wind Research Into The Environment (COWRIE) is available from their website
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