Why wind?
Wind will not run out. Wind power provides electricity without producing harmful gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, the main gas contributing to global warming and climate change, and without depleting limited reserves of fossil fuels and uranium. Wind farms are sustainable developments i.e. they meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Will wind farms generate jobs in the UK?
Yes. There are employment opportunities in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of UK wind farms and there are a number of factories in the UK already manufacturing and assembling component parts for wind turbines.

For offshore wind particularly, the skills acquired over the decades in the oil and gas industry make the UK ideally positioned to exploit this abundant renewable resource.

Are wind turbines inefficient? Is it true that they only operate 30% of the time?
No, a modern wind turbine produces electricity 70-85% of the time, but it generates different outputs dependent on wind speed. Over the course of a year, it will generate about 30% of the theoretical maximum output. This fact is taken into account when calculating figures about electricity production and carbon dioxide savings.

What will happen to the turbines when there is a storm?
Wind turbines start operating at wind speeds of 4 to 5 metres per second (around 10 miles an hour) and reach maximum power output at around 15 metres/second (around 33 miles per hour). At very high wind speeds, i.e. gale force winds, (25 metres/second, 50+ miles/hour) wind turbines shut down.

When wind speeds reach around 25 metres/second (around 55 miles per hour) which are storm force winds more powerful than strong gales, the wind turbines will shut down to protect their internal machinery from excessive wear and tear. When the wind speed drops back down below about 55 mph the turbines will resume generation.

Wind energy is intermittent, doesn't that mean we need to generate more backup electricity from conventional power stations so we don't get black-outs?
For up to 10% of wind energy on the electricity system there should be no technical problems in managing intermittency and ensuring reliable supplies of electricity. All power stations need to be supported by backup or reserve capacity on the grid in case of electrical or mechanical failures, and it has long been standard practice to provide it. A capacity margin around 20% for demand uncertainties and plant failures is not untypical.

A recent report by the Department of Trade & Industry and the Carbon Trust ('Renewables Impact Study', 2004) states that intermittency of renewable energy is not a significant issue for the grid at current target levels.

How noisy are wind turbines?
Modern turbines are quiet in operation and you can hold a conversation underneath one without raising your voice. The final design of a wind farm will ensure that strict guidelines relating to noise are complied with.

If anyone has any concerns about noise from wind turbines, by far the best thing to do is to go and visit a wind farm. There's a full list of all the UK's wind farms at the BWEA web site. There really is no substitute for standing under a turbine and listening to it.

What about infrasound or low frequency noise?
At the beginning of 2004, the press highlighted that 'low frequency noise' or 'infrasound' could be produced by wind turbines, and that this was possibly a cause of sleep interruption and headaches.

A study called 'Low frequency noise and vibrations at a modern wind farm' (ETSU W/13/00392/REP), commissioned by the DTI in 1997, comprehensively assessed the vibrations from wind turbines and concluded that:

• vibration levels attenuated rapidly with distance
• there was no clear increase in vibration with wind speed
• 100 metres away from the turbine, levels were 10 times lower than the safety requirements for modern laboratories

Dr. Geoff Leventhall, an eminent UK acoustics expert who has specialised in problems of low frequency noise for about 35 years, stated in 2004 that there is negligible infrasound and very little low frequency noise from wind turbines - a few low level tones from the gearbox. He stated that there just isn't enough low frequency noise from modern wind turbines to make people ill.

Are wind turbines dangerous?
No, wind energy is one of the safest energy technologies. No member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy or wind turbines anywhere in the world.

What about wildlife local to a wind farm?
Recent scientific research indicates that, as early as the middle of this century, climate change could commit one third or more of land-based plants and animals to extinction, including some species of British birds.

The RSPB stated in its 2004 leaflet 'Wind farms and Birds', that "in the UK, we have not so far witnessed any major adverse effects on birds associated with wind farms." A report published in the journal 'Nature' confirmed that the greatest threat to birds in the UK is climate change. Carefully sited turbines should pose no significant risk to birds or wildlife.

Does it take more energy to make a wind turbine than it generates?
The average wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within 6 to 8 months of operation. A modern wind turbine is designed to operate for more than 20 years and at the end of its working life, the area can be restored at low financial and environmental costs.

Is reliance on wind power realistic? Generating 5% of the UK's electricity from wind will require wind turbines to be built every single day until 2010.
Wind is one of a number of renewable energy sources that has a valuable role to play in our energy mix. Wind energy is part of the solution, and we must start seeing wind power as an important source of renewable energy in the UK as it is in countries such as Denmark, Germany and Spain.

The UK is Europe's windiest nation. Theoretically Britain could produce three times as much electricity as we need by wind power alone. And yet we're lagging behind other countries in Europe - less than 1% of our electricity is currently generated by wind power.

Wind power is good news for the environment, good news for the economy and good news for local employment.

Has the Government done enough to reduce the planning hurdles for wind energy?
The Government has been very supportive of wind power and is committed to its further development through the Renewables Obligation - a market based support mechanism. The UK Government's recently published Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy, and the Welsh Assembly Government's draft Technical Advice Note 8: Renewable Energy, are both favourable of the further development of wind energy, both on and offshore. This is consistent with Scotland's National Planning Policy Guidance 6:Renewable Energy which is also very positive about the further development of wind energy schemes.

We believe that the Government also has an important role to play in informing and educating the public and decision makers about the benefits of renewable energy.

Do people like wind turbines?
Yes! Governments around the world are choosing wind power as part of the energy mix for the future, and time and time again public opinion surveys show typically 70-80% support for the development of wind power in the UK. There are now tens of thousands of wind turbines in operation across the world - a testament to their popularity and their relevance.

Although there are people that dislike the appearance of wind turbines, there are many who regard wind turbines as interesting and elegant structures.

What role do you think nuclear power has to play in our future energy mix? Do you think we should be building new nuclear generation plants again?
What we need is a diverse energy mix - renewables, coil, oil and gas and perhaps nuclear. You can't get away from the fact that the economics for nuclear aren't there at the moment, and that there are issues to do with public acceptance and waste disposal that need to be tackled. Bearing these factors in mind, the decision really is one for the Government.

What we can say is that electricity generation from renewable sources is clean, safe and sustainable, and each renewable resource has a part to play in the future energy mix.

How can we meet renewable energy targets and guarantee security of supply?
Wind farms can help with security of supply. The "fuels" are generally free and available in abundance. They do not rely on imports. They are frequently embedded in the distribution system and support local customer demand. A recent study by the Carbon Trust and the DTI indicated that the Government's "10% by 2010" target can be reached with a relatively small investment in the electricity network.

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