What is the problem? Public faith in planning is being undermined … Mixed messages from central Government …

Are local communities being short-changed by goodwill payments? …

Do they benefit communities or bring planning into disrepute?

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Living with amplitude modulation, lower frequency emissions and sleep deprivation.

Abstract: Although wind energy has a role to play in the renewable energy sector, when wind turbines are sited too close to people’s homes, the noise pollution has dire consequences on those who live nearby. The authors, who live within 930 metres of the nearest wind turbine of a wind farm, document their personal experiences that underscore research findings on the adverse impact of wind turbine noise on human well-being, as well as present the results of sound data measured by acousticians at their home. The paper describes the nature of the noise — with its pulsating character, the vibrations felt by the body, and its intrusiveness, as well as the impact on their lives. The authors note that rural environments, which are attractive to the wind energy industry, are especially challenging because background noise is low or virtually non-existent, particularly at night. Yet current UK guidelines, set by the Government in 1997 with significant input by the wind energy industry, offer no respite to those who live near wind turbines or those communities analyzing current wind turbine applications from developers. The authors suggest that the wind energy industry would gain credence by acknowledging that there are gaps in the ability to predict with accuracy whether wind turbines will create noise pollution. Moreover, the industry could avoid the issue altogether by placing wind turbines further from homes. This solution would simultaneously contribute to the credibility of the wind energy industry while protecting the public’s health and their right to the amenities of their homes.

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Wind turbines “can have negative impacts on bat populations as well as on their prey and habitats, such as:
• Damage, disturbance or destruction of foraging habitats and commuting corridors;
• Damage, disturbance or destruction of roosts;
• Increased collision risk for bats in flight;
• Disorientation of bats in flight through emission of ultrasound noise.”

Download “Guidelines for consideration of bats in wind farm projects”

Questions included:
Do you ride near wind turbines?
Are they near public rights of way?
Have you encountered any problems?
Location of respondent

Of the 116 responses, 19 people rode near turbines (16%)

16 people informed us the turbines were on, or very near a right of way, the remainder being on private land.

The main problems reported were:
Turbines casting shadows
Noise from turbines
Flying ice in winter
Movement of blades

All of the above upsetting the horse and often unseating the rider or causing them to fall

From the 19 respondents, 5 people have actually fallen off at least once, 3 of these required hospitalisation and 1 horse was unable to be ridden after the incident.

People who encountered no problems stated they were riding horses who were accustomed to the turbines or riding very steady older horses. They also acknowledged that they could understand how other people’s horses may be upset by the presence of a turbine and are aware of incidents occurring.

Lots of people also commented that they wouldn’t mind one turbine, however a whole farm of turbines may cause them to rethink their riding route.

In one particular instance, a report of over half the members of Haworth and Oxenhope riding club experiencing problems was reported, this being over 100 incidents.

Location of respondents:
1 incident in North East
5 incidents in Lancashire
1 incident in Cumbria
1 incident in West Yorkshire
1 incident in Cornwall
2 incidents in Wales

Lancashire: 1 unable to pass, 1 fall, 1 bolted, 2 distressed horses
Wales: 1 sudden stop and spin around, 1 bolted
West Yorkshire: 1 distressed horse but heard of many more riders having problems, over half the bridleway group
Cornwall: 1 distressed horse
Cumbria: 1 distressed horse
North East: 1 distressed horse due to noise

Respondents were also asked if the presence of turbines would deter them from taking their horse to a given place e.g an equestrian holiday. Of the 99 people who answered the question, 66 would not take their horse on holiday where there were turbines present (65%)

The main reasons were:
Their horse had never seen a turbine and they would be unsure of its reaction
Unnecessary risk
Scenery and views spoilt

Equestrian Business
This will have implications for many equestrian businesses including bed and breakfast establishments. In the areas where incidents were reported the British Horse Society has registered bed and breakfasts that cater for equestrians.

Bed and Breakfast Establishments –
County Durham and surrounding area: 7
Lancashire: 5
Cornwall: 5
West Yorkshire: 11
Cumbria: 6

One respondent commented that her clients have stopped coming due to the erection of turbines in the surrounding area.

Download “The British Horse Society Windfarm Consultation”

The following analysis outlines the system, and notes that while the RO is complicated, it is in some ways very simple. The issuing and trading of certificates involves numerous stages and parties, but the end result is that, at present, it offers equal rewards to technologies regardless of their intrinsic merits, where merit is understood in the context of the peculiar characteristics of the electricity supply industry. As a result, investors have tended to select technologies on the principle of “least capital cost first”. Initially this resulted in a bias towards Landfill Gas generation, which was, quite incidentally, a high merit technology. Opportunities for LFG are now all but exhausted, and developers are currently concentrating on the next most attractive qualifying ticket to the subsidy stream. This happens to be onshore wind, which is a low merit generator, as will be explained later.

It is important to emphasise, therefore, that those responsible for taking decisions within the planning system should not assume that incentivisation within the RO is an indicator of quality, or, though this may seem paradoxical, of the technology’s suitability for the purpose of meeting the aims of the UK’s renewable energy and climate change policy.

On the contrary, in our view, it is the planning system which bears the full burden of responsibility for determining the quality of the proposal, its suitability to realise the aims of policy, and balancing this in relation to local impact. …

Courtesy of the Renewable Energy Foundation

“UK Renewables Subsidies: A Simple Description and Commentary”

Readers should be aware that the BWEA is not an academic or philanthropic body looking after the interests of the Earth and the British people. It is a trade body with over 500 member companies, all of whom seek to make profits from renewables, especially wind farms. While there is nothing wrong with his, it does mean that the BWEA are not a neutral body and are, therefore, most likely to provide partial information that is most likely to further their members’ profits and interests rather than promote the truth.

Download “FELLS Rebuttal of BWEA’s ‘Top Myths About Wind Energy’”

Godefridus Petrus van den Berg

IV.3 Wind turbine noise perception

There is a distinct audible difference between the night and daytime wind turbine sound at some distance from the turbines. On a summer’s day in a moderate or even strong wind the turbines may only be heard within a few hundred meters and one might wonder why residents should complain of the sound produced by the wind farm. However, in quiet nights the wind farm can be heard at distances of up to several kilometers when the turbines rotate at high speed. In these nights, certainly at distances from 500 to 1000 m from the wind farm, one can hear a low pitched thumping sound with a repetition rate of about once a second (coinciding with the frequency of blades passing a turbine mast), not unlike distant pile driving, superimposed on a constant broad band ‘noisy’ sound. A resident living at 1 km from the nearest turbine says it is the rhythmic character of the sound that attracts attention: beats are clearly audible for some time, then fade away to come back again a little later. A resident living at 2.3 km from the wind farm describes the sound as ‘an endless train’. In daytime these pulses are usually not audible and the sound from the wind farm is less intrusive or even inaudible (especially in strong winds because of the then high ambient sound level).

In the wind farm the turbines are audible for most of the (day and night) time, but the thumping is not evident, although a ’swishing’ sound — a regular variation in sound level — is readily discernible. Sometimes a rumbling sound can be heard, but it is difficult to assign it, by ear, to a specific turbine or to assess it’s direction.

V.3 Perception of wind turbine sound

In a review of literature on wind turbine sound Pedersen concluded that wind turbine noise was not studied in sufficient detail to be able to draw general conclusions, but that the available studies indicated that at relatively low levels wind turbine sound was more annoying than other sources of community noise such as traffic [Pedersen 2003]. In a field study by Pedersen and Persson-Waye [2004] 8 of 40 respondents living in dwellings with (calculated) maximum outdoor immission levels of 37.5-40.0 dB(A) were very annoyed by the sound, and at levels above 40 dB(A) 9 of 25 respondents were very annoyed. The correlation between sound level (in 2.5 dB classes) and annoyance was significant (p < 0.001). In this field study annoyance was correlated to descriptions of the sound characteristics, most strongly to swishing with a correlation coefficient of 0.72 [Pedersen et al 2004]. A high degree of annoyance is not expected at levels below 40 dB(A), unless the sound has special features such as a low- frequency components or an intermittent character [WHO 2000]. Psychoacoustic characteristics of wind turbine sound have been investigated by Persson-Waye and 0hrstrom in a laboratory setting with naive listeners (students not used to wind turbine sound): the most annoying sound recorded from five different turbines were described as 'swishing', 'lapping' and 'whistling', the least annoying as 'grinding' and 'low frequency' [Persson Waye et al 2002]. People living close to wind turbines, interviewed by Pedersen et al [2004], felt irritated because of the intrusion of the wind turbines in their homes and gardens, especially the swishing sound, the blinking shadows and constant rotation.

Our experience at distances of approx. 700 to 1500 m from the Rhede wind farm, with the turbines rotating at high speed in a clear night and pronounced beating audible, is that the sound resembles distant pile driving. When asked to describe the sound of the turbines in this wind farm, a resident compares it to the surf on a rocky coast. A resident living further away from the wind farm (1200 m) likens the sound to an 'endless train'. Another resident near a set of smaller wind turbines, described the sound as that of a racing rowing boat (where rowers simultaneously draw, also creating a periodic swish). On the website of MAIWAG, a group of citizens from villages near four wind farms in the south of Cumbria (UK), the sound is described as 'an old boot in a tumble dryer', and also as 'Whumph! Whumph! Whumph!' (see text box in section 111.4). Several residents near single wind turbines remarked that the sound often changed to clapping, thumping or beating when night falls: 'like a washing machine'. It is common in all descriptions that there is noise ('like a nearby motorway', 'a 747 constantly taking of) with a periodic fluctuation superimposed. In all cases the sound acquires this more striking character late in the afternoon or at night, especially in clear nights and downwind from a turbine.

Part of the relatively high annoyance level and the characterisation of wind turbine sound as lapping, swishing, clapping or beating may be explained by the increased fluctuation of the sound. Our results in table V.2 show that in a stable atmosphere measured fluctuation levels are 4 to 6 dB for single turbines, and in long term measurements (over many 5 minute periods) near the Rhede wind farm fluctuation levels of approx. 5 dB are common but may reach values up to 9 dB. ...

It can be concluded that, in a stable atmosphere, the fluctuations in modem wind turbine sound can be readily perceived. As yet it is not clear how this relates to possible annoyance. However, the sound can be likened to the rhythmic beat of music: pleasant when the music is appreciated, but distinctly intrusive when the music is unwanted.

The hypothesis that these fluctuations are important, is supported by descriptions of the character of wind turbine sound as 'lapping', 'swishing', 'clapping', 'beating' or 'like the surf'. Those who visit a wind turbine in daytime will usually not hear this and probably not realise that the sound can be rather different in conditions that do not occur in daytime. This may add to the frustration of residents: "Being highly affected by the wind turbines was hard to explain to people who have not had the experiences themselves and the informants felt that they were not being believed" [Pedersen et al 2004]. Persson-Waye et al [2002] observed that, from five recorded different turbine sounds "the more annoying noises were also paid attention to for a longer time". This supported the hypothesis that awareness of the noise and possibly the degree of annoyance depended on the content (or intrusive character) of the sound.

Fluctuations with peak levels of 3-9 dB above a constant level may have effects on sleep quality. The Dutch Health Council [2004] states that "at a given L-night value, the most unfavourable situation in terms of a particular direct biological effect of night-time noise is not, as might be supposed, one characterised by a few loud noise events per night. Rather, the worst scenario involves a number of noise events all of which are roughly 5 dB(A) above the threshold for the effect in question.

Download “The sound of high winds”

Industrial wind energy is an environmental imposter that increases global warming emissions. The imposture is worsened by ripping off French consumers.

In effect, not only does it not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the more wind energy, the more need for thermal plants that emit greenhouse gases.

Contents
1. Industrial wind energy is not able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Industrial wind energy must be balanced by fossil fuel–fired plants.
3. Why are there advocates of industrial wind energy, and what motivates them?
4. The racket in France.
5. Orders of magnitude of the scam.
6. The promoters want even more profit.
7. Wind energy and permanent employment.
8. Other nuisances.
9. Politics.
10. Annexes.

Telecharger «L’eolien industriel en France»

Go to: “When the Wind Stops”

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