National Wind Watch: Documents » Oceania http://www.wind-watch.org/documents http://www.wind-watch.org/nwwlogo-white-50.jpg National Wind Watch: Documents » Oceania http://www.wind-watch.org/documents 100 40 Industrial Wind Resource Library, from National Wind Watch Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:40:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Documents Wind power Wind energy Likely cost of electricity from Project Hayes Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:34:56 +0000 21 Jul 2008 Leyland, Bryan 3.8 Wind power stations impose additional frequency keeping costs on the power system that are greater than, for instance, from hydropower stations. From the point of view of system operation, the major problems with wind power are that it is unpredictable and that it can fluctuate very rapidly. These rapid fluctuations means that with wind power connected to the system, frequency keeping becomes more difficult and more expensive. At the moment, frequency keeping plant operates to manage fluctuations in the range of +/- 50 MW. Experience with integrating the output of the Manawatu wind farm shows that wind generation has increased the need for — and hence the cost of — system frequency keeping.

3.9 The unpredictability of wind generation means that the system operator cannot be confident of the output of wind farms more than an hour so into the future. Because it takes longer than one hour to bring one of the large steam turbines at Huntly coal-fired power station from “hot standby” (that is stopped but warmed up and ready to start) to full load, then very often, the system operator will be forced to keep thermal and hydro plant connected to the system and running at less than full load because of the need to have generating capacity available in case the wind drops or the expected wind does not eventuate. This is inefficient and expensive. The costs fall on the consumers. …

4.0 Meeting the Demand for electrical energy

4.1 When determining the need for new generation, sufficient electrical energy must be available to meet the forecast power demand for electricity over the critical autumn-winter period in a dry hydro year when hydro-inflows are 15-20% lower than average and the power demand is at its maximum. The autumn and winters of 1998, 2001, 2006 and 2008 are typical examples. If insufficient energy is available, the lake levels will fall, prices will rise dramatically and an electricity savings campaign may be needed to minimise or avoid the risk of power cuts.

4.2 Wind farms generate electrical energy whenever the wind is blowing. If the energy is not needed at the time that it is generated, it can often be stored in hydro storage lakes. But there are important caveats to this because, as I show below, on average, the output from the wind farms in New Zealand is about 9% below annual average output during the March to August period when lake levels are most likely to be low and there is a risk of a serious shortage. The output of the wind farms is at its highest level during the spring time. This is when the snow melts and supplies additional water into the hydro lakes. As a result of the snow melt and spring rains, the prices are often very low in the late spring and early summer thus demonstrating that any extra electricity generated during this period is of less value to our power system. …

5.12 The above and Exhibit 2 demonstrate that the System Operator’s policy of assuming that there will be no output from wind farms when scheduling generation for the day, is realistic and prudent.

5.13 I am confident that, even with widely distributed windpower, it would be risky to assume that as much as 20% of the capacity would be available during system peak demand times. Assuming that 10% would be available would be less risky because it would happen less often and, if the system operator was wrong, the chances are that there would be sufficient capacity available on the system to substitute for the missing 10%. …

Download “Likely cost of electricity from Project Hayes”

]]> http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/likely-cost-of-electricity-from-project-hayes/ http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/?p=950 Documents Wind power Wind energy Environmental Noise Guidelines: Wind Farms Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:46:50 +0000 17 Jul 2008 Southern Australia Environment Protection Authority Wind farms need specific guidelines because wind turbines have unique noise generating characteristics and the environments surrounding wind farm sites usually have low ambient noise. …

2 NOISE CRITERIA

The general approach in setting noise criteria for new developments is to require compliance with a base noise level.

This base noise level is typically 5 dB(A) lower than the level considered to reflect the amenity of the receiving environment. Designing new developments at a lower level accounts for the cumulative effect of noise from other similar development and for the increased sensitivity of receivers to a new noise source.

The impact of a given noise is also closely linked to the amount it exceeds the background noise. For example, the same noise in a quiet rural area will generally have a greater adverse impact than in a busy urban area because of the masking effect of high ambient noise environments.

If the noise generated does not exceed the background noise by more than 5 dB(A) the impact will be marginal and acceptable.

A unique characteristic of wind farms is that the noise level from each wind turbine generator (WTG) increases as the wind speed at the site increases. As an offset, the background noise also generally increases under these conditions and can mask the WTG noise.

Comparison with a base noise level alone will therefore not be sufficient to indicate the potential impact of a wind farm: a farm could comply with this base level at lower wind speeds but exceed it when the wind speed rises.

Most international and interstate jurisdictions … set a base noise level for low wind speeds and also ensure that the wind farm noise does not exceed the background noise by more than 5 dB(A) as the wind speed increases.

This general approach recognises the unique noise generating characteristics of wind turbines and the particular ambient noise environments of most sites and is the one used by these guidelines.

Most wind farm sites are within or next to areas where low ambient noise levels are a significant component of that area’s amenity. These might include rural living zones or zones that are not intended to be subject to any other significant ambient noise sources from adjacent premises. …

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The New Zealand Standard NZS 6808 sets the predicted base level (LAeq) at 40 dB(A). This is higher than the approach of these guidelines, but the specified propagation model to be used in accordance with that standard does not account for factors such as ground absorption and topography effects that can substantially reduce the noise level in practice. In addition, the New Zealand Standard requires the criteria to be met at all receivers, regardless of their relative amenity or relationship with the wind farm development.

A comprehensive publication developed by the wind farm industry for the UK Department of Trade and Industry (1996) sets the base level (LA90) at 35 — 40 dB(A). The actual value chosen within this range depends on the number of dwellings affected, the effect on the capacity of the wind farm of meeting the standard, and the duration and level of exposure.

Wind turbines and wind farms have been being developed in Denmark for over 20 years. Denmark has set a base noise level only (and does not consider the influence of background noise). The base noise level (LAeq) is set at 40 dB(A) for a wind speed of V10m = 8 m/s. These guidelines will provide a similar result given the expected influence of background noise. …
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Where the wind farm sites are within or next to areas where more intensive activity is expected, the base noise level may also be increased commensurate with the amenity of that area. It is recommended that the developer discuss such a situation with the EPA and the relevant planning authority.

2.1 Determining wind farm operating criteria

The Environment Protection (Industrial Noise) Policy 1994 limits the noise level from non-domestic noise sources including wind farms to 40 dB(A) or the lowest typical background noise level plus 5 dB(A) (whichever is the greater) in rural areas from 2200 hrs until 0700 hrs the following day.

This limit applies to existing noise sources and does not necessarily reflect the preferred noise criterion for new (planning) development. The general approach for new development applies a night time level of 35 dB(A) to significant development in a rural location.

To prevent adverse impacts from the increased noise of WTGs under high wind conditions, the increasing noise level must also be compared to the corresponding background noise at the relevant receiver.

2.2 Noise criteria — new wind farm development

The predicted equivalent noise level (LAeq,10), adjusted for tonality in accordance with these guidelines, should not exceed:

· 35 dB(A), or

· the background noise (LA90,10) by more than 5 dB(A)

whichever is the greater, at all relevant receivers for each integer wind speed from cut-in to rated power of the WTG. …

2.5 Cumulative development

Separate wind farm developments in close proximity to each other may impact on the same relevant receiver.

Therefore, as for staged development, any additional wind farm that may impact on the same relevant receiver as an existing wind farm should meet the criteria using the background noise levels as they existed before the original wind farm site development. The noise generated by existing WTGs from another wind farm should not be considered as part of the background noise in determining criteria for subsequent development. …

3.1 Background noise

What is background noise?

Background noise is the ‘lull’ in the ambient noise environment.

Intermittent noise events such as from aircraft flying over, dogs barking, mobile farm machinery and the occasional vehicle travelling along a nearby road are all part of the ambient noise environment but would not be considered part of the background noise unless they were present for at least 90% of the time. …

4.4 Tonality

Where, in the opinion of an officer authorised under the Environment Protection Act, the wind farm exhibits tonality as a characteristic, the developer should conduct a tonality test in accordance with a procedure acceptable to the EPA.

An addition of 5 dB(A) should be made to the measured background noise level from a wind farm where tonality is shown to be a characteristic.

Download “Environmental Noise Guidelines: Wind Farms”

]]> http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/environmental-noise-guidelines-wind-farms/ http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/?p=941 Documents Wind power Wind energy Evidence of Dr Robyn Phipps, in the Matter of Moturimu Wind Farm Application Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:49:19 +0000 29 Jan 2008 Phipps, Robyn Heard before the Joint Commissioners, 8th-26th March 2007, Palmerston North

“My evidence consists of four areas of concern.

  • “The first is a presentation of a survey of Visual and Noise effects experienced by residents currently living close to the existing wind farms in the Tararua and Ruahine ranges.
  • “The second aspect is a review of literature on health effects, other than hearing loss, from exposure to noise and vibration as well as the transmission of noise and vibration into buildings.
  • “The third aspect is addressing the suggestion that adverse impacts of noise can be satisfactorily remedied by modifications to homes. Particularly it addresses an assessment of the effectiveness of sealing a home to stop noise intrusions.
  • “The fourth topic is solar energy and energy efficiency as alternative means of addressing energy supply issues.”

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]]> http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/evidence-of-dr-robyn-phipps-in-the-matter-of-moturimu-wind-farm-application/ http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/evidence-of-dr-robyn-phipps-in-the-matter-of-moturimu-wind-farm-application/ Documents Wind power Wind energy Visual and Noise Effects Reported by Residents Living Close to Manawatu Wind Farms: Preliminary Survey Results Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:38:49 +0000 29 Jan 2008 Phipps, Robyn; Amati, Marco; McCoard, Sue; and Fisher, Richard ABSTRACT
Since 1996, when Tararua Wind Power Limited commenced the construction of 48 wind turbines, the number of existing wind turbines on the Ruahine and Tararua ranges has risen dramatically, to 158 in 2006, with more to come from unimplemented, approved resource consents. The companies behind the applications have won plaudits for the development of sustainable energy generation. However, the effects of wind energy can be controversial. In particular, it is reported in other countries that those who live near the wind turbines may suffer from undesirable visual and noise effects, and the national benefits and local costs may not be in balance. Assessing the precise impact of future wind farm development is important, since the number of proposed wind farms is likely to grow in the coming years. The objective of this study was to investigate the noise and visual effects on local residents from the existing wind turbines in the Manawatu and Tararua region. A total of 1100 urban and rural residents, the majority living within a 3km radius of the wind farms in the Tararua and Manawatu districts were administered a self-reporting survey. The survey asked residents to assess the visual and noise effects of the closest wind farm. This paper presents preliminary results from this study. It demonstrates that 45 percent of respondents living within 2km heard noise from the turbines, and 80 percent thought that the turbines were visually intrusive.

Dr Robyn Phipps (1), Dr Marco Amati (2), Dr Sue McCoard (3), Dr Richard Fisher (4)

1. Institute of Technology and Engineering, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand — r.a.phipps@massey.ac.nz
2. School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
3. Palmerston North, New Zealand
4. Faculty of International Studies, International Pacific College, Palmerston North New Zealand

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