Wind Energy Information
FAQs
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FAQs |
On this page we answer some of the more frequently asked questions that we are asked about wind farms. You should also visit the Fact Sheets page where there is detailed information about wind farms. If you can't find what you are looking for or think we should add a new "question" to this page then you should Contact Us. Links to independent energy organisation papers can be found here: Wind Energy: Separating the fact from fictionIn recent times there has been an increasing number of proposals across Australia for the development of wind farms to generate our electricity. This has lead to debate within the broader community about what is for many Australians, a new way of generating our electricity. Westwind Energy Pty Ltd have produced a short film entitled Wind Energy: Separating the fact from fiction to help you understand the wind energy debate. We have provided the text of the naration along with video clip extracts for your to read and view here.
Some Frequently Asked QuestionsPlease click on the question from the list below to be taken to the answer. What is wind energy and what is it used for? |
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What is wind energy and what is it used for?Wind energy is the energy of moving air. This energy can be transformed into electricity, fed into the grid and then used to power our homes and industries. Using wind energy is not a new concept; humans have been harnessing the wind for centuries. Australian farmers know only too well the potential and value of wind energy but all of us can use wind energy - they have been using it to pump water for a long time.
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Why are we generating electricity from the wind?We have been generating electricity from the wind for more than 100 years but there has been a resurgence in the last 40 years. Wind power is back in favour for some very good reasons. While our use of fossil fuels has lead to significant wealth creation and improvements in living standards, these benefits have come at a cost. The international scientific community is united in its belief that the earth’s climate is changing dramatically and this is the result of human activity and our release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. There is an everlasting supply of wind energy and in harnessing the wind, there is no pollution, no green house gases - just a clean, renewable, sustainable energy supply. Throughout the world wind energy technology is well proven and cost effective. It is fastest growing electricity generation technology.
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What is a wind farm & wind turbine?A wind farm is a group of wind turbines and their associated infrastructure. Each individual wind turbine consists of a foundation, tower, nacelle and a rotor. A typical, mid-sized wind farm suitable for Victorian conditions consists of thirty to sixty wind turbines. The wind turbines are typically 130 to 150 metres high to the tip of the blade sweep and mounted on towers from 80 to 100 metres high.
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Why build a wind farm here, can’t they be located somewhere else?In Victoria electricity use is increasing by more than 2% each year . Continuing to rely on burning coal is not sustainable. We must embrace cleaner, sustainable technologies to protect our environment, our community and our economy. Wind is one such technology. Victoria has a world-class wind resource, along with an abundance of wide open spaces. Naturally, wind farms are located where they are exposed to wind – typically, in elevated or very open areas. Ideally wind farms are located near the population centres that use the electricity so that it is not diminished by transport over long distances. One of the concerns people have about wind farms is their visual impact. A wind farm can be visually dominant in the landscape but like every large infrastructure project, they are subject to strict planning controls. Wind turbines do need to be appropriately sited and the farms sensitively developed.
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I’ve heard wind farms are inefficient – is this correct?No, wind turbines are very efficient. They typically convert up to 50% of the energy in the wind into electricity. By comparison Victorian brown coal power stations only convert approximately 25% of the energy in coal into electricity. Each megawatt hour of wind energy generated in Victoria avoids the production of more than one tonne of the greenhouse gasses that are causing climate change. In typical Victorian conditions, each modern wind turbine will produce between 6 million and 9million kilowatt hours of electricity each year - equivalent to the consumption of between 1,100 and 1,700 average Victorian homes. The embodied energy in a wind turbine – that is, the energy used in its manufacture, transport, erection and operation – is generally paid back within just 6 months of operation. Over its lifetime a wind turbine will produce more than 50 times its embodied energy!
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What if the wind doesn’t blow?A lot of research is done to ensure wind farms are sited in locations that experience consistent and strong winds. Many parts of Australia are blessed with conditions that suit the harvesting of wind energy. Wind turbines in Australia are, on average, actually in operation more than 95% of the time. Notwithstanding our favourable conditions, there are times even in the windiest locations when the wind does not blow. However we can accurately predict when the wind will blow and how much energy the wind farm will produce. So while the wind may be intermittent it is predictable. Our vast electricity network is built to accommodate significant fluctuations both in the supply and in the demand for electricity. We use a range of generation technologies and plant to supply the electricity. Wind farms are just one part of this complicated system and will not be the sole source of electricity. The variation in demand for electricity is far greater than the variation in supply from wind farms. Assisted by forecasts of wind farm outputs as much as 24 to 48 hours in advance, the electricity system operators are able to balance supply with demand and ensure the continuing security of supply.
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Doesn’t wind energy cost more?Wind energy is a proven technology and is cost effective. The wind is free and maintenance and operational costs are relatively low. However it does cost more to establish a new wind farm compared to operating an existing generator. Wind power currently costs between 7½ and 8½ cents per kilowatt hour. This is higher than the general wholesale price, which in 2006-2007, wholesaled for 5½ cents. However in the longer term wind energy is likely to emerge as the more economical choice, especially if the hidden cost of the pollution from coal fired power stations is taken into consideration. Many of our current fossil fuel fired power stations also use substantial amounts of water. Water is in short supply in Australia and is likely to become more expensive. In short, wind energy costs are likely to fall while fossil fuel costs are likely to increase as the true cost of their pollution disposal is internalised into the price.
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What is the life span of a wind farm?Wind farms are operational for approximately 25 years, after which they are either pulled down completely (decommissioned) or replaced with new wind turbines (repowered). Regulations require that a wind farm is dismantled if they cease operation for an extended period of time. The wind farm site is then returned to the way it was prior to the wind farm’s construction.
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Are wind turbines a hazard to wildlife?Wind farms are a very benign technology and generally have very little impact on the environment. However, wind turbines, like all man-made structures do present a collision risk to birds and habitat can be lost during construction if the wind farm is not sited appropriately. The risk to birds and other animals and plants is carefully considered during the planning stage of a wind farm. This includes an analysis of bird flight paths and species populations as well as careful investigation of any native vegetation. No rare, threatened or endangered birds or bats have been killed by wind turbines in Victoria. Mortality rates for common bird species are estimated to be 1 to 2 birds per wind turbine per year. This figure is insignificant in comparison to bird losses as the result of habitat loss from land clearing, the predation by domestic cats, and the collisions with cars along our roads.
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Aren’t wind farms noisy?Contrary to popular belief wind farms are not noisy. You can hold a normal conversation at the base of a modern wind turbine while it is operating. Wind turbines only emit noise while they are operating. At low wind speeds the sound of the blades may be heard over the normal background noise if you are very close to the wind turbine. In stronger winds the background noise of the wind itself will completely mask the sound of the wind turbine even if you are standing right next to it. Nevertheless noise impacts need to be carefully analysed during the planning of a wind farm to protect the amenity of nearby residences.
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Won’t a wind farm decrease property values?The evidence suggests no. At this stage there have been no formal studies on the affect of property
values in Australia, but independent property valuers have reported that wind farms have had no
discernible impact on local property values. Reports from elsewhere in the world, where wind farms
have been operating longer than here in Australia, continue to show that house prices are unaffected
by the proximity to wind farms. from - “What is the impact of wind farms on house prices?” Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Oford Brookes University, (UK) March 2007.
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Can farmers still use their properties?Yes they can and they can benefit from an additional source of income by leasing their property to the wind farm operator. On average the area taken up by the wind farm is less than one percent of the land area of the average farm and most of this is for the access tracks that the host farmer can use too. Animals graze normally around the wind turbines. There are no effects on stock nor reports of decreases in productivity. On the other hand farmers are able to diversify and secure their income which helps them ‘drought proof’ their farms.
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Do wind farms affect tourism?Wind farms can actually provide opportunities for tourism as people find them fascinating and visually appealing. There are some areas where wind farms wouldn’t be developed because of competing tourist attractions but there are many locations where they can actually draw visitors.
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Are wind turbines are a hazard during lightning storms or catch on fire?Wind turbines don’t attract lightning but being large structures may be struck by lightning. A great deal of research effort has gone into protection systems for wind turbines. A modern wind turbine will often continue to operate normally even if they take a direct strike. The risk of fire is extremely low and no WestWind Energy wind turbine has caught fire anywhere in the world.
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Do the benefits outweigh the down sides?You decide. The technology that allows us to harvest energy from the wind is well proven and widely used throughout the world. We can use the wind to reliably produce large quantities of electricity at prices that we as consumers are prepared to pay. On the other hand there is overwhelming evidence that greenhouse gases are harming our planet. If we don’t act swiftly global warming will impact the lives of millions of people. Australians emit more greenhouse gasses per person than any other country in the world. Here in Victoria approximately 50% of our greenhouse gases come from generating electricity. Our almost exclusive reliance on fossil fuels cannot continue. If we are to continue to enjoy our current standard of living we must turn to sustainable energy sources. In a country with an abundant wind resource we owe it to ourselves, and to our children, to harness this free, clean and renewable supply of energy.
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Who is WestWind Energy?WestWind Energy Proprietary Limited is an Australian company that develops, builds and operates wind farms. WestWind have developed three wind farm projects in the Victorian Central Highlands region. The first is the Mt Mercer Wind Farm which received planning approval in April 2007. The second project is the Lal Lal Wind Farm which was approved in May 2009. Our most recent development, the Moorabool Wind Project, was approved in October 2010. WestWind Energy is part of the WestWind Group of companies. The Group has considerable experience and since 1999 have developed over 20 wind farms in Europe. For more information please browse the rest of our website or contact us directly. |
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