IS BIGGER BETTER? Boyden Evans Landscape Architect Boffa Miskell Ltd
• Increasing turbine heights and efficiency will continue • 38 wind farms have been consented but 17 of these remain unbuilt • Some of the unbuilt wind farms date back to 2005 • Turbine heights of consented but unbuilt windfarms varies
Tip Heights of Wind Turbines (NZ 1992 - 2013) Puketoi
Castle Hill
Hurunui
Flat Hill
Lake Grassmere
Hauauru ma raki
Mt Cass
Mill Creek
Long Gully
Turitea
Waitahora
Central Wind
Lulworth
Mt Stuart
Chatham Island
Weld Cone
Kaiwera Downs
Te Uku
Mahinerangi
West Wind
Horseshoe Bend
Taharoa
Taumatatotara
Hawkes Bay
Titiokura
Awhitu
Te Rere Hau
Tararua 2
White Hill
Tararua 3
Southbridge
Te Apiti
Hau Nui 2
Gebbies Pass
Tararua 1
Hau Nui 1
Brooklyn
Built
Not Built
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1992 1995 1996 2001 2002 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2013 20u1n3der uanpdpear la ppeal
Increasing Turbine Heights
2009 2010 1992 2001 2005 2010 2003 2007 1996 2005 1995 2002 2010 2010 2013 2011 2005 2003 2004 2004 2006 2007 2011 2006 2008 2010 2005 2005 2008 2011 2013 2010 2008 2010 2011 2012 2012 Puketoi
Castle Hill
Hauauru ma raki
Waitahora
Kaiwera Downs
Central Wind
Hurunui
Mt Cass
Te Uku
Hawkes Bay
Titiokura
Turitea
Mahinerangi
Taharoa
Mill Creek
West Wind
Taumatatotara
Tararua 3
White Hill
Te Apiti
Awhitu
Lake Grassmere
Flat Hill
Mt Stuart
Chatham Island
Hau Nui 2
Not Built
Hau Nui 1
140
Tararua 2
Built
Tararua 1
160
Horseshoe Bend
Southbridge
Long Gully
Te Rere Hau
Gebbies Pass
Brooklyn
Lulworth
Weld Cone
180
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Turbine Heights Vary
• What is the situation if a developer with a consented but unbuilt wind farm wants to erect taller more efficient turbines • Seek a variation? • Lodge a new consent application? • Build turbines with shorter tower but longer blades with increased efficiency and improved output but within consented tip height?
• Planning implications of increased tip heights • Effects of larger turbines in the landscape
• Visual effects of shorter tower and longer rotor blades
PLANNING CONTEXT •
Recognition of renewable energy within the RMA and policy framework
•
RMA S7(j) identifies the befits to be derived from the use of development of renewable energy
•
NPS for Renewable Electricity generation 2011
•
Wind farms are generally discretionary activity status in many district plans
•
Discretionary activity status infers that it’s generally an efficient use and development of resources but not necessarily appropriate in all locations
•
No standards relating to height or area limits
ACCOMMODATING CHANGES • Consents have conditions relating to height • Height is often a fundamental issue to the consent • Two options to increase height: 1. 2.
Change of condition under S127 (variation) New resource consent
LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPLICATIONS
• Visual perceptions of structures in our environments change in relation to: 1. 2. 3.
Distance Context Time
• Increased turbine tip height potential for increase in visual catchment
• ZTV first step
• Visibility assessment needed
• Increased visibility does not equate to an increase in visual effects
Visibility @ 100m high Additional Visibility @ 120m high
Visible affects of increased turbine height (100m vs 120m)
Distance = 5 km
Distance = 10 km
Distance = 20 km
Distance = 30 km
Distance = 40 km