#1 Introduction to Wind Energy
Team Turbine Renewables Team Turbine Renewables
Sources of Energy
A key driving force in the UK’s industrial revolution in the 19th C. Coal mining has produced many strong historical ‘mining communities’. A dangerous livelihood, there have been hundreds of thousands of deaths as a result of coal excavation activities and ‘black lung disease’.
1980
Nuclear Energy
Commercial and Domestic use since 1950
First power plants in the 50s
The production decline in the 1970s led to global market instability.
Low carbon emissions but high risk in the event of accidents.
Oil has remained a turbulent political issue, with dispute over the control of supplies causing international friction.
Incidents in Chernobyl, Fukushima and various other examples have had a worldwide impact on people’s health today and future generations.
Wind Energy
Energy from Renewable Sources
Constant advances in wind technology for quieter, safer more efficient wind turbines.
Large scale development since 1980
Evidence of catastrophic global climate impact from burning fuel
Energy from Oil
Energy from Coal
A safe energy alternative; - No reported deaths - Unlikely to be affected by economic crisis - Comparitively low health risks during the energy production process
Advisable practice for countries with strong winds such as the UK and the Netherlands etc. Opportunity for certain civil groups to increase their income; helping to reach the national target of producing 15% of total energy by 2020.
Wind Energy Through Graphics
The noise a wind turbine produces, measured at a distance of 350m , is approximately 35-45 dB. Wind on its own, as it interacts with the environment, produces levels up to 35 dB.
Wind of Change - Public attitudes towards wind power The following statistics are indicated in the relevant pie chart in blue, unless otherwise stated.
People within the UK that support the expansion of wind energy developments.
Those that live within 5km of a wind farm and are in favour of further wind energy development.
Those living near wind farms are in favour of further wind energy development both in principle and in practice.
White - those who visit scenic areas in the UK for their natural heritage and beauty and would be ‘less likely to visit a scenic area with a large concentration of wind farms’.
52% of people think that wind developments are not "ugly and a blot on the landscape"
Those who agree wind farms are necessary for producing renewable energy and what they look like is unimportant.
Dark Blue: Those who support the protection of scenic wild land from large scale wind farms. Light Blue: Those who believe government should prioritise wind farm development even on scenic land. Dark Blue: Those who prefer a small number of large turbines. Light Blue: Those who prefer a large number of small turbines.
Those who do not think that wind farms are a ‘blot on the landscape’.
White: Operational wind farms in the UK that have been subject to formal noise complaints.
A series of direct, permanent skilled jobs such as operational and maintenance positions, as well as many other indirect jobs, are created from wind energy developments
National Policy Kyoto Protocol (1997). The UK government set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050, based on 1990 levels. The strategy recommends that 15% of the UK’s energy should be generated by renewable sources by 2020. Local Policy Sheffield’s renewable energy production will exceed 60 MW by 2021. New developments must provide a minimum of 10% of their predicted energy needs from decentralised and renewable or low carbon energy sources. Perception Although statistics indicate that people would favour the protection of scenic land, it is also proven that aesthetic perception becomes more positive following development. The general trend of research shows that wind farms have minimal effect on house prices. References For references, please refer to 6.0 References in the Supplementary Report.
Team Turbine Renewables
Team Turbine Renewables has been appointed by Sheffield City Council to undertake an initial Landscape Character Assessment and to prepare a strategic design solution proposal for the location of a future wind power development within ‘Site E’, west of the city of Sheffield (see Sheet #2). In relation to future targets set by the Regional Spatial Strategy for the Yorkshire and Humber, and the Sheffield Development Framework, Sheffield City Council wishes to commission the above information to assist with future proposals that may be submitted by wind energy companies who intend to develop schemes on Sheffield’s western fringe.